The Impact of Volcanic Eruptions During the 1990s

Abstract

The 1990s were proclaimed International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction by the General Assembly of United Nations. We constructed a database in order to evaluate the global impact of volcanic eruptions during the decade. During the 1990s, between 560 and 1,300 lives were lost because of volcanic activity. Two cities were completely devastated. More than 520,000 people were displaced and the economical loss exceeded one billion U.S. dollars. The majority of eruptions were announced by recognized precursors. The increase in awareness after the dramatic volcanic disasters of the 1980s lead in most cases to a more structured crisis management program and early evacuations that saved thousands of lives, which demonstrates that mitigation planning pays. The most devastating eruptions in term of fatalities and economic loss were from volcanoes that remained quiet for several centuries. This clearly demonstrates that late quaternary volcanic edifices close to populated areas should be identified, mapped, and monitored.