9.4 Sustainable management in hazardous environments

• Montserrat


  A British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean
• Volcano


  • The Soufriere Hills volcano
• Volcano destroyed part of the island

  Mid-1990s
• Smaller volcanic eruptions happening

  2006
• Capital city


  Plymouth, destroyed by series of eruptions in 1990s.
• Volcanic eruptions


  Destroyed vegetation and changed the island's shape
• Population


  Once over 12,500, now 4,000
• MVO


  Montserrat Volcano Observatory, present in the 1990s
• Primary Impacts


  1. Large areas covered with volcanic material

  2. Over 20 villages and two thirds of homes destroyed by pyroclastic flows

  3. Schools, hospitals, airport and port destroyed

  4. Vegetation and farmland destroyed

  5. 19 killed, 7 injured
• Secondary Impacts

  1. Fires destroyed many buildings

  2. Tourists steered clear, disrupting economy

  3. Population decline - 8000 of 12000 left since 1995

  4. Volcanic ash improved soil fertility

  5. Tourism increasing as people come to see volcano
• Immediate Responses


  1. People evacuated from north to south

  2. Shelters built

  3. Temporary infrastructure built

  4. UK provided £17 million emergency aid

  5. Local emergency services provided support
• Long-term Responses


  1. Risk map created, exclusion zone in place

  2. UK provided £41 million to develop north

  3. Montserrat Volcano Observatory set up to predict eruptions