NYIRAGONGO - LIDC -MANAGEMENT

Question 1

INTRO VIDEO

Answer 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2VJsglQzQ0

Question 2

Mount Nyiragongo location

Answer 2

• Located in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Most active volcano in Africa

Question 3

Date & time of eruption

Answer 3

• Eruption occurred on 17th January 2002

Question 4

Level of Development

Answer 4

• Classified as a Low-Income Developing Country (LIDC)

Question 5

Plate Boundary

Answer 5

• Divergent Plate Boundary (Nubian plate to East and Somali plate to west)
• Part of the East African Ridge Valley

Question 6

Nature of eruption

Answer 6

• Composite volcano with a 2km crater usually filled with a lake
• Effusive eruption (VEI = 1) as lava is basaltic with low viscosity
• Fast-flowing lava at speeds up to 35mph
• Triggered an earthquake

Question 7

Nature of hazards

Answer 7

• Lava flow
• Earthquakes
• Gas emissions - CO2

Question 8

Management of Eruption

Answer 8

• Monitoring was in place but didn’t give much warning
• Slow evacuation pace; residents stopped to watch eruption

Question 9

Reasons for settlement near Nyiragongo

Answer 9

Mineral Resources such as diamonds and tin provide employment opportunities
* Fertile soil enriched by volcanic ash ideal for agriculture
* Potential geothermal energy sources
* Tourism attraction due to the volcano’s activity

Question 10

Strategies to Modify the Event

Answer 10

Mimimal monintoring - no scientists
no money

Question 11

Strategies to Modify Vulnerabilities

Answer 11

Monitoring & prediction
* Monitoring was not a priority as undergoing ethnic and military conflict.
* Very few trained scientists

Prepare & educate
* Evacuation plans very limited
* Limited investment in infrastructure & services

Edcuation & Awareness
* No money for disaster risk reduction strategies eg community education programmes

Question 12

Startegies to Modify Loss

Answer 12

Short Term
* Few residents had experience of eruptions  People watched eruption rather than evacuated

Evacuation slow
* Unhygienic camps  cholera outbreak
* UNHCR brought in to help with emergency relief in Goma eg shelter

Long-Term
* Tension with Rawanda over refugees

Adapt
* Long term investment by international organisations for monitoring & research. COPERNICUS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SERVICE (CEMS)
* Use of media eg radio to warn population

Recovery & reconstruction
* No contingency $$ for rebuilding and lava clearance

Financial Aid
 Little if any Grants or Financial compensation schemes

Question 14

Impact of it s LIDC status

Answer 14

• Ongoing regional & ethnic conflict –> leading to extreme vulnerability
• Strained economic resources
• Displaced people
• Complicated relief efforts

Infrastructure & Preparedness: No money for monitoring & research, no money to train scientists, infrastructure not in place to facilitate monitoring

• Economic Resilience: No money for rebuilding & infrastructure
• Weak Governance: Attention and money diverted by military conflict, no disaster plans in place