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To What Extent Can Preparedness and Planning Mitigate the Effects of a Volcanic Hazard?

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A volcanic hazard was defined by Whittow in 1980 as a “perceived natural event which has the potential to threaten both life and property, and a disaster is the realisation of this hazard.” To reduce the effects of these hazards planning and preparation can take place. This involves the government educating their population, putting in place plans for evacuation for example and putting in place laws and building codes to build safe homes and communities to allow for easy escape and access. Volcanic hazards can be more easily planned for than earthquakes, as there are visible signs recorded by observations and various instruments. An example is the tiltmeters which were successfully used in the prediction of six eruptions of Mt St Helens between June 1981 and August 1982. This allows volcanologists to predict when a volcano may erupt and thus set into action any evacuation plans. Mt St Helens also used gas and steam monitors by measuring carbon dioxide levels which gives evidence of magma rising to the surface; this can help to predict the material produced during an eruption and the direction of lava flows. Italy is an MEDC and has a large GDP per capita of $36,000, this means they can put in place a large number of measures to protect areas such as building artificial channels to divert lava flows away from villages and towns such as Zafferana. This reduced the damage to infrastructure caused by the 2001 eruption and prevented loss of lives. Monitoring of the volcano by the INGV for more than twenty years enables events to be predicted, the path of lava flows and direction of ash clouds for example. This means evacuation plans can be put in place and settlements can be built to enable safe evacuation. For example, multiple roads out of an area, evacuation bags with essential items such as water, food and medications, and where to go to be outside of the ash

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