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Harnessing Public-Private Partnerships -- A Pragmatic Approach Towards Volcano Monitoring in Canada

Glyn Williams-Jones1, Kevin Clark2, Veronica Woodruff3, Melanie Kelman4

  • Affiliations: 1Centre for Natural Hazards Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada; 2Pemberton Valley Dyking District, Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada; 3Nature Generation, Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada; 4Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Vancouver, Canada 

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Monday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 258

  • Programme No: 2.4.35

  • Theme 2 > Session 4

Abstract

Volcano monitoring is a critical aspect of risk reduction and disaster management in regions with active or potentially hazardous volcanoes. While British Columbia (BC) and Yukon host numerous potentially active volcanoes, with at least 54 Holocene eruptions, there has not been an eruption in Canada in living memory. Recent studies estimate the annual probability of an eruption to be at least 1 in 200 and five BC volcanoes are classified as being "high" to "very high" threats. However, due to their typically remote locations and relatively infrequent activity, Canada has prioritized disaster preparedness for other natural hazards, leaving volcanic risks largely unaddressed until very recently. As the existing regional seismic network (Canadian National Seismograph Network) is not optimized for volcano seismology, a Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry volcano monitoring system is currently under development by Natural Resources Canada. There is nevertheless a clear need to establish continuous ground-based monitoring in advance of any future eruption. This study explores the development of a public-private partnership (PPP) to initiate and sustain a ground-based volcano and landslide monitoring network on Q̓welq̓welústen / Mount Meager (in SW BC). Drawing from successful PPP models in other sectors, we present a framework for and discuss the challenges of collaboration between private enterprises, academia, government agencies, Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and nonprofit organizations. By leveraging new low-cost technologies, shared resources and diverse funding mechanisms, PPPs can offer a pragmatic approach to the development of volcano monitoring networks.