Second Hazards Assessment and Sustainable Hazards Mitigation: Disaster Recovery on Montserrat

Abstract

An important recommendation of the Second Assessment of Hazards in the United States is the concept of sustainable hazard mitigation. Building on the foundation of sustainable development principles, the sustainable hazard mitigation concept seeks to link wise management of natural resources with local economic and social resiliency. When attempting to achieve sustainability as a result of disaster recovery efforts, people concerned with hazards in developed nations can learn much useful information from the experiences of dealing with disasters in developing countries. Therefore, this paper will focus on the case of the volcanic disaster in Montserrat, British West Indies. Topics concerning the events of the volcanic catastrophe, the physical reconstruction of the island's infrastructure, and the factors impacting the social reconstruction of the island's communities will be discussed. By recognizing the relationships between the physical and social aspects of postdisaster reconstruction, it will be easier to recognize and avoid potential negative unintended consequences of disaster recovery activities. One of the greatest opportunities coming out of the Montserrat volcanic crisis lies in the possibility of creating sustainable postdisaster new towns.