8.4 Sustainable Development of Coasts

• Background:

  • Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory, retains strong links with the UK.
  • Soufriere Hills is active volcano.
  • Capital City was Plymouth.
  • Population was once 12,500, but is now 4,000.
• Primary Impacts:

  • Large areas covered with volcanic material.
  • Plymouth buried under 12m of mud and ash.
  • Over 20 villages and two thirds of homes on the island were destroyed by pyroclastic flows.
  • Schools, hospitals and the port were destroyed.
  • Vegetation and farmland were destroyed.
  • 19 were killed and 7 were injured.
• Secondary Impacts:

  • Fires destroyed many buildings like government offices, the police headquarters and petrol stations.
  • Tourists began to avoid the island, where tourism was main industry.
  • Perceived as unsafe.
  • Businesses were destroyed and economy has been heavily disrupted.
  • 8000 residents left since eruptions began in 1995.
  • Volcanic ash has improved soil fertility.
  • Tourism is slowly beginning to increase as they want to see volcano.
• Immediate Responses:

  • People were evacuated from the South to the North.
  • Shelters were built to evacuate houses.
  • Temporary infrastructure was also built.
  • Roads and electricity supplies.
  • UK provided £17mn in emergency aid.
  • Local emergency services conducted search and rescue operations.
• Long-term Responses:

  • A risk map was created and exclusions zones have been identified.
  • The south of the island is off-limits while the volcano is still active.
  • The UK provided a further £41mn to develop the north of the island.
  • Plans included new docks, an airport and sufficient houses.
  • The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has been set up to try and predict future eruptions.