Volcanic Risk Communication
Our Research
There are some 550 historically active volcanoes on the Earth's surface with more than 80% of the world's population living in the same country as a potentially active volcano. Most of the population in these regions lives with the real threat of volcanic activity. The unpredictable nature of volcanic activity means that successful hazard mitigation is dependent on the potential hazards being identified and their risks communicated in periods of apparent inactivity or calm. To be successful communication must then convey complex (uncertain) scientific information in order to encourage planners (from grassroots to national) to implement appropriate risk reduction policies as well as to equip the local population with the inclination to respond and adapt to a rapidly evolving eruption in an appropriate and timely manner.
Dr. Kat Haynes (now at Risk Frontiers, Macquarie University) PhD thesis used the case study of the ongoing volcanic crisis on Montserrat (West Indies) to assess the communication process. The attitudes of scientists, as well as that of local legislators and the population at large during the evolving volcanic crisis have been evaluated using a mixture of qualitative and quantative survey techniques. Likewise behaviour, and its impact on communication has been assessed both within and across these groupings.
One aspect of this research found that the 'traditional' volcanic hazard map is commonly misinterpreted and misunderstood. Sian Crosweller's PhD project (started October 2004) is further exploring the tools used during the communication process, in order to determine the most effective means of conveying the complex and often uncertain scientific information associated with the eruption of volcanoes. Sian is working in collaboration with Dr. Richie Robertson from the Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies and is using the islands of Dominica and St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles as two independent case studies.
We are also a member of the ESRC-NERC funded SPIDER (Science and Policy Interfaces for Disaster Reduction) Network. This is a group of six institutions within the UK re-evaluating the role of science in disaster management, using volcanoes as a study focus. We will be hosting a network workshop in this series in September 2006, focussed around the theme of using maps as a means of communicating information relating to natural hazards. Watch this space for more information.
Updated March 2006- Rosie Cullington