Mt Nyiragongo 2002 January 17th
by Chloe Simpson
1. Risk and Vulnerability around the Volcano
1.1. The combination of altitude (1,500m), extended growing season and fertile volcanic soils have encouraged large numbers to settle here despite the presence of the volcano
1.2. People grow yams, plantains, rice, and maize
1.3. 460,000 people live at the foot of the volcano
1.4. Villagers are aware of the danger, but are prepared to take the risk
1.5. There are no paved roads and many remote communities can only be reached by motorbike, some only after days walking on forest tracks
1.6. Patients regularly die when roads are cut by landslides, torrential rains or fighting
1.7. Constant plume of toxic gases released from the volcano which leads to the formation of acid rain. Locals use this rainwater to drink.
1.8. The volcano was ot being monitored as the political situation in the DRC makes the area unsafe
1.9. Scientists have been held at gunpoint in the past whilst out in the field- now they have to have an armed guard whilst they do their work.
1.10. Safety and security of visitors cannot be guaranteed. Stories of abductions, park rangers have been shot, militiamen still exploiting resources.
2. Social Impacts of the eruption
2.1. 12,500 homes were destroyed by ash and lava
2.2. Many people had to move to overcrowded refugee camps
2.3. The lava flow made it difficult to travel around Goma as it filled the roads. Aid agencies were unable to access some areas of Goma
2.4. The lava took a long time to cool and it burnt people as they tried to return to their homes
2.5. Cholera spread because of lack of sanitation in areas that people fled to
2.6. Around 50 people were killed when fuel exploded while they were trying to siphon it off at a petrol station
2.7. 14 nearby villages were destroyed in the lava flow
2.8. 45 schools were destroyed
3. Economic Consequences
3.1. Lava covered 15% of the city of Goma and destroyed 30% of the city
3.2. One month after the eruption, 350,000 people were dependent on aid.
3.3. Goma's regional economy shrank by 80% post eruption
3.4. People lost their businesses and jobs
3.5. Aviation fuel stores exploded as the lava flow damaged Goma arport
3.6. Due to poverty most people could not afford to rebuild their homes
4. Environmental Risks
4.1. Poisonous gases caused acid rain, which affected farmland and cattle. Many farmers lost income. Had the lava reached Lake Kivu, or seismic activity disrupted the lake, then dangerous levels of carbon dioxide and methane could have been released.
4.2. Carbon dioxide levels are still a serious (and possibly deadly) issue in areas where winds do not disperse teh released gases.
4.3. Killer Lake- Lake Kivu is estimated to hold 200 cubic km of carbon dioxide
4.4. 15-25 million cubic metres of lava flowed at 100km/h into Goma
5. Short- Term Responses
5.1. The initial response to the eruption was that the authorities were able to issue a 'Red alert' for Goma and the surrounding area, which allowed a full evacuation to take place
5.2. Early warnings of the lava flows enable most people to flee from their effects
5.3. There is now a system of colours and sirens to advise the population of they need to evacuate Goma
5.4. 400,000 people were evacuated
5.5. The UN camps setup to house the displaced people
5.6. UN The organisation has estimated that the cost of providing food, blankets, shelters, clean water, sanitation and health care to the refugees at $15million
5.7. Rwanda and Uganda, neighbouring countries were both welcoming of people fleeing the eruption
6. Tectonic context
6.1. Constructive plate boundary- divergent
6.2. East- African Rift Valley zone
7. Volcano's Characteristics
7.1. Effusive eruptions- very frequent
7.2. Basic lava- low viscosity, low carbon and silica content- runny
7.3. 2021 is last eruption
7.4. Fertile farmland from volcanic soil
7.5. Lava flow projections were 60m high (2002)
8. Economic Background of the Democratic Republic of Congo
8.1. DRC ranks 175 out of 189 countries on the 2020 Human Development Index, though some HCI indicators are estimated to have slightly improved from 2018 to 2020
8.2. Extremely wealthy and extremely big- however resource curse- it is rich in diamonds, gold, copper and zinc.
8.3. Supplies of coltan, which is used in mobile phones and other electronic gadgets
8.4. Unfortunately for the people of the DRC, its resource wealth has rarely been harnessed for their benefit.
8.5. The vast country has hardly any roads or railways, the health and education systems lie in ruins.
8.6. Lots of malicia (military)
9. Turbulent Past (social/ historical background)
9.1. Congo gained independece from Belgium in 1960
9.2. Mobotu's totalitarian rule and corrupt policies allowed the Zairian state to decay, evidenced by a 65% decrease in Zairian GDP
9.3. Mobuto's regime was over thrown after the First Congo War (Africa's First World War)
9.4. Following the overthrow of Mobutu in 1997, the country's name prior to 1971, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was reinstated
10. The Eruption
10.1. Fast flowing basalt lava (basic lava) 1000km wide
10.2. Lava reached record speeds of 100km/h - *the world's fastest lava flows *
10.3. Lava flowed into the city of Goma
10.4. World's largest lava lake in its crater- Lake Kivu- it holds 200 cubic km of CO2
10.5. 13km fissures opened up to the south side of the volcano and 3 streams of lava from the lake drained through the fissures.
10.6. The unrest in the country made it difficult to monitor the volcano and put emergency responses in place- Corruption and low HDI
11. Long- Term Responses
11.1. The Goma Volcano Observatory has established and Education Unit advising resident of Goma on how to prepare for future eruptions in particular school children, about volcano safety, such as what to do during an eruption and how to detect "mazukas"- pockets of deadly gases that can bubble up from underground at any time.
11.2. Following the eruption a weekly radio programme in both French and Swahili was set up to inform local listeners of any secondary eruptions.
11.3. The international community (UN) now fund the Goma Volcano Observatory to monitor activity, e.g. thermal imaging and gas monitoring in the area and provide early warnings of any future eruptions.
11.4. Volcanic stone left from the disaster is used to build roads and roundabouts, and is cheaper than brick or cement and much more hard wearing.
11.5. The lava flows and clearing of old parts of the city allowed the Government to rebuild the city with modern infrastructure such as upgraded airport, roads and fuelling stations.
11.6. In 2017 extraction of highly flammable methane started from Lake Kivu and is used to heat home and generate electricity.
11.7. Volcano tourism has recently started and is a rapidly growing industry with tourists paying relatively high prices to climb Mt Nyiragongo to see the world's largest active lake- Lake Kivu
