Montserrat

• 20 villages were covered in pyroclastic flows in the south of the island from the Soufriere Hills volcano. The capital city of Plymouth was buried in tephra.
• It caused a mass population decline, around 8000 left.
• Immediate responses included the evacuation of population to the north and UK aid worth £17 million
• The uk invested £41 million to develop the north into the hub of the island, funding docks and an airport.
• After the eruption, the Monserrat volcano observatory was built.
• A long term response was to risk map the island and create an exclusion zone. It also deems the south as off limits during times of activity.
• The government built a new cultural centre costing 3 million to boost tourism. They also invested in housing and moved government buildings to Little Bay in the north.
• In Little Bay, they built breakwaters to facilitate for cruise ships and cargo to encourage tourism arrivals. In total they invested $21 million into the area.
• They diversified their economy as well as built a self sufficient energy sector.
• However, the mass migration to the north meant there was land shortages meaning construction was occurring in unsafe environments as well as shortcutting building polices.