case study volcanic hazard: Mount Nyiragongo

Question 1

General info

Answer 1

• Mt Nyiragongo is located 10km away from city of Goma which has a of population: 670,000 (2021)
• Mt Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano
  -Large risk of exposure to CO2, which can be fatal
  -the previous eruption was in 2002
  -The Goma Volcano Observatory provided warnings 12 days before the eruption about the lava lake filling up. The World Bank had eliminated funding for the scientist performing observations.

Question 2

What were the primary impacts?

Answer 2

-15 people killed directly from lava flows
-450,000 people were displaced or evacuated
-245,000 people made homeless
-17 villages badly effected
- 3 health care centres destroyed
-lava cut off highway to Beni which made getting aid difficult
-lava destroyed cabeling and there were electricity blackouts

Question 3

What were the secondary impacts?

Answer 3

• loss of employment
• several earthquakes took place days after eruption which further destroyed buildings and damaged water pipes
• Breathing difficulties and animal and people died due to co2 intake
• 3,000-8,000 people crossed to rwanda border
• over 25 people died in road accidents during evacuations
• cholera spread due to lack of sanitation

Question 4

What were the initial responses?

Answer 4

-evacuation (450,00 people evacuated from Goma)
- thousands fled to Sake and Rwanda
-UN supplied tonnes of food and water
-Christian Aid and Oxfam involved in distribution of shelters,food, water etc.
-temporary shelts built by authorities

Question 5

What were the long term responses after the eruption of Nyiragongo?

Answer 5

-Goma observatory now has funds
-authorities considered moving closer to Sake but decided it was too expensive and difficult