VOLCANIC RISK MANAGEMENT (I): Understanding, assessing, and managing risk
WHAT IS MEANT BY VOLCANIC RISK?
According to the definition established by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), volcanic risk is understood as the possibility that volcanic activity may cause damage to people, the environment, or infrastructure within a given period of time.
Risk depends not only on the volcano itself and the hazards that may occur before, during, and after an eruption, but also on how exposed people (as well as buildings, animals, etc.) are, how vulnerable they are to the hazard, and their level of preparedness to face it. According to the UNDRR:
Exposure is the proximity of people, infrastructure, and human activities (such as agriculture, tourism, or urbanisation) to an active volcano.
Vulnerability is the set of conditions that make a person or community more fragile in the face of a volcanic eruption. These conditions may be physical (for example, elderly and ill people are usually more vulnerable than young and healthy individuals), social (for example, if the community lacks infrastructure, adequate information, or education to respond to a disaster), economic (for example, if there is a shortage of resources to evacuate the population or take other mitigation measures), or environmental (for example, if the area is prone to landslides or floods).
Capacity is the combination of all the strengths, attributes, and resources available in an organisation, community, or society that enable the management and reduction of risk, as well as the increase of resilience.
HOW IS VOLCANIC RISK ASSESSED?
Based on what we have just explained, volcanic risk assessment includes:
- The identification and characterisation of potential hazards (including information about their location, intensity, frequency, and probability). You can learn more about different volcanic hazards in this volkiblog
- The analysis of exposure and vulnerability (considering physical, social, health, environmental, and economic dimensions).
- The assessment of effective capacities to face probable risk situations and explore possible alternatives.
AND ONCE THE RISK IS KNOWN… HOW IS IT MANAGED TO REDUCE IT?
Volcanic risk management is a fundamental aspect both during periods of volcanic repose (that is, between eruptions and volcanic crises) and during volcanic crises (a volcanic crisis is considered to begin when there is a short-term threat of eruption or volcanic activity has already begun outside what is considered normal). Its objective is to mitigate the impacts of volcanic hazards on society, infrastructure, and the environment. Proper volcanic risk management should aim to:
- Better understand the volcanic area and potential hazards.
- Design and implement measures to REDUCE exposure and vulnerability, as well as to INCREASE the capacities of the communities that could be affected.
Volcanic risk management requires short-, medium-, and long-term actions that must be carried out at social, economic, structural, and environmental levels. Moreover, it is important to consider that volcanic hazards can transcend borders and continents. Therefore, it is essential that institutions advocate for international coordination regarding early warning systems and volcanic risk management plans on a global scale. Learn more about how risk is managed in the volkiblog!
References
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). 2017. The Sendai Framework Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction. “Capacity”. Accessed 10 March 2025. https://www.undrr.org/terminology/capacity
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). 2017. The Sendai Framework Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction. “Exposure”. Accessed 10 March 2025. https://www.undrr.org/terminology/exposure
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). 2017. The Sendai Framework Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction. “Resilience”. Accessed 10 March 2025. https://www.undrr.org/terminology/resilience
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). 2017. The Sendai Framework Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction. “Vulnerability”. Accessed 10 March 2025.https://www.undrr.org/terminology/vulnerability
If you want to cite this entry from the volkiblog:
Prieto-Torrell, C., Geyer, A., de Bolós, X., Barde-Cabusson, S., & Schamuells, N. (2025). VOLCANIC RISK MANAGEMENT (I): Understanding, assessing, and managing risk. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15969776
Texts: Claudia Prieto-Torrell (GEO3BCN-CSIC), Adelina Geyer (GEO3BCN-CSIC), Xavier de Bolós (GEO3BCN-CSIC), Stephanie Barde-Cabusson (GEO3BCN-CSIC)
Illustrations: Noah Schamuells (GEO3BCN-CSIC)
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