Descubre los volcanes

As we have learned in the volcanic risk management blog (I), there is a wide range of actions, tasks, and activities that must be carried out before, during, and after a volcanic crisis. In particular, monitoring, assessment, and decision-making during a volcanic crisis are especially important, as they often require immediacy, accuracy, and consensus among various authorities and expert groups. For this reason, in countries with active volcanic areas, there are numerous regulations, laws, protocols, and emergency plans that help to ensure that decision-making is as organized, coherent, and proportionate as possible.

Volcanic risk management in the Canary Islands is governed by two main emergency plans. On the one hand, the State Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risk, which applies to all volcanic areas occurring within Spanish territory: the Canary Islands, the Catalan Volcanic Zone (Girona), Campo de Calatrava (Ciudad Real), the Southeastern Zone (Almería and Murcia; between Cabo de Gata and the Mar Menor), the Columbretes Islands (Castellón de la Plana), and the Alboran Sea Volcanic Zone. On the other hand, since the Canary Islands is the region with the highest volcanic risk and exposure of population and infrastructure, this autonomous community also has its own specific regulation: the Special Civil Protection and Emergency Attention Plan for Volcanic Risk in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA). The main objective of PEVOLCA is to ensure a coordinated, swift, effective, and efficient response from all public administrations against seismovolcanic crises, as well as the emergencies that result from them. You can find more information about PEVOLCA and its Scientific Committee for the Evaluation and Monitoring of Volcanic Phenomena (CCES) in the volcanic risk management blog (II).

In addition to these plans that regulate decision-making in the face of volcanic emergencies in the Canary Islands, there are other initiatives and resources aimed at educating the population on volcanic risk prevention. Among others, the infographics created by the Educational Technology Department of the Canary Islands Government, which visually show the steps to take in the event of a volcanic eruption, or the Citizen Information Guide on Volcanic Risk by the Ministry of Interior, which provides general information on volcanic risk, volcanic monitoring systems, and current regulations in Spain. We invite you to explore them!