hazardous earth 2 - Fuego

Question 1

fuego key facts

Answer 1

physical: convergent boundary - cocos plate subducting carribean
- composite
- andesitic (62%)
- VEI of 3 - explosive
- small eruptions every 25 minutes, 60 eruptions in past 500 years, dormant since 1902

human: HDI of 0.605 (ranked 126)
- GDP - $7,424 - 20% from agriculture
- literacy rate - 81%
- 134 people per square km
- population around volcano - 50,000

Question 2

why do people live here?

Answer 2

• history - traditional mayan people live in foothills of volcano
• culture - volcanoes fit in with mayan culture - bloodletting rituals to stop eruption
• farming - fertile soils around volcano - good for coffee and reecntly avocados
• tourism - 50% of people in San Francisco De Salles earn a living from tourism
• poverty = no choice to leave, many displaced from civil war
• perceptions - constant, frequent eruptions - used to living with volcano

Question 3

hazards created

Answer 3

1 - ash cloud: column of ash from eruption travelled 15km into the atmosphere (9 miles) and spread over 12 miles
2 - Pyroclastic flows: fast moving clouds of hot ash travelling 62-430 mph reaching 1000 degrees Celsius ran down slopes and suffocated people and villages
3 - lahars: heavy rain post eruption meant rain mixed with ash and mud creating deadly lahars that cut off villages and people and suspended rescue operations - e.g. rescue operation overnight on June 3rd suspended.

Question 4

impact of eruption

Answer 4

political: no census since 2002 - no.of deaths unknown, scientists warned of eruption 8 hours prior, 60% live below poverty line, president morales said law forbid him from using money in national budget on emergencies.
environmental: 17,000 farmers affected, destroyed 21,000 hectares of farmland, 7400 buildings destroyed, ash deposits in capital - 25 miles away
economic: cost 410 million, 7400 buildings destroyed, 90% affected work in agriculture, airport closure due to ash cloud
social: 3000 displaced people in temporary camps, 190 killed and 356 missing some estimate 2900 died, 2000 evacuated,1.7 million affected - 10% of population, trans-migration to USA.

Question 5

attempts to mitigate the vulnerability

Answer 5

positive:
- CONRED created to prevent disasters, recieve info from institutions
- scientists notices shalloew EQs and warned CONRED 8hrs before
- 3000 evacuated into nearby towns
-airport was closed - 4 day flight ban due to ash cloud
negatives:
- evacuation was not compulsory - people learned to live with volcano so were not worries
-CONRED did not pass on early warning
- schools never practised evacuation drills/

Question 6

mitigating the losses in short term

Answer 6

strengths:
- CONRED mobilised - 1200 rescue people helping, they opened temporary shelters for those forced to flee.
- UN system - humanitarioan aid and UN officials traveled to help relief efforts.
- USA allocated $300,000 for response, Israel and SPain donated food and humanitarian aid, european commission donated 100,000 euros.

weaknesses:
- evacuations initially by volunteer firefighter: ground was unstable, breathing difficult
- rescue efforts hindered due to threat of lahars
- June 17th - guatemala suspended search for bodies and survivors/
- government called search and rescue operation off agfter 72 hours and struggled to coordinate operations and rescues.

Question 7

mitigating losses long term

Answer 7

strengths:
- government dignity project: £23 million to relocate and rehouse people, simple wooden structures, , by 2019 168 had been built. increased access to services, were 2 bedroom homes.

limitations:
- new homes are only 22 km from volcano. Lack of services and poor sanitation, economic challenges.
- 2000 displaced and ovr 200 people were still displaced even when homes wre built. Initially lacked electricity and water.
- some people returned to their homes there were no restrictions.