Mount Nyiragongo Eruption 2021

• Democratic Republic of Congo background

  population 81.5 million

  Democratic republic of congo has had civil war, ebola outbreaks and profound poverty
• Goma background

  population of 1 million, 15km from volcano
• Tectonic setting

  constructive, continental-continental plate boundary

  part of the East African Rift Valley

  crater contains a rare persistent lava lake
• Volcanic hazards present

  flank eruptions - out of the volcano sides rather than the main crater

  Phreatomagmatic eruptions (interactions between lava and water) which could cause Limnic eruptions

  gas emissions

  earthquakes
• gas emissions

  stay low to the ground, invisible and odourless

  present a danger to small children and animals

  seeps out of the ground in pools/depressions
• Human vunerability to hazards

  vunerable population

  lack of funding for Goma observatory - World bank pulled funding for Goma observatory as people break in and vandalize equipment

  but also people were more prepared for eruption than in 2002 (greater lived experience)
• Eruption characteristics

  22nd May 2021- volcano erupted effusively with lava streams pouring down towards the east. lava stream headed in the direction of Goma town stopping 300m from Goma International airport

  31st May - number of earthquakes and ground deformation rates decreased slightly but still indicated the presence of magma under Gomas urban area
• Preperation

  400,000 evacuated to Sake (27km west of Goma)

  practise drills so people knew what to do

  May 10th - observatory detected uptick of seismic activity at the summit suggesting magma moving at shallow depth but it wasn't a guaranteed sign of eruption
• social impacts

  32 people killed by eruption

  over 170 children feared to be missing

  1000 houses destroyed

  13 died in evacuation related incidents

  lava blocked main road
• economic impacts
• environmental impacts

  mains water pipes melted

  huge 5000m³ resevoir damaged

  Over 3629 houses ravaged by lava, 12 primary schools detroyed
• Short term responses: relief

  UNICEF installed 15 emergency station chlorination points close to the lake to avoid another cholera outbreak

  UNICEF supported installation of 1500m pipe to replace melted pipes

  temporary shelters built by Congolese authorities

  rapid response teams provided first aid services to 4613
• Longer term responses: rehabilitation

  80% displaced population returned by end of June 2021

  International red cross built 516 emergency shelters and provided food to 5078 children three times a week for a month
• Reconstruction

  22nd Aug 2021: life has mostly returned to normal in Goma, authorities are considering relocating parts of the city to Sake due to threats from the volcano and lake Kivu but it would be expensive
• Limnic eurption

  feared but never happened

  CO₂ emissions in Lake Kivu would have killed thousands

  99% CO₂ lying at the bottom of the lake - 256km³ of CO₂

  CO₂ in lake is managed - gas is slowly released from the bottom of the lake in safe quantities