Before I hit "Send": Communicating volcanic hazard in Caribbean SIDS
Omari Graham, Stacey Edwards, Richard Robertson, Erouscilla Joseph
Affiliations: The Seismic Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Presentation type: Talk
Presentation time: Monday 15:00 - 15:15, Room R380
Programme No: 7.2.8
Abstract
The small island developing states (SIDS) of the Eastern Caribbean are home to 21 potentially active volcanoes. SIDS typically have very narrow economic bases that can be severely impacted by hazard events. Shocks to these small economies usually have very dire consequences for island populations and governments that manage perennially scarce resources. Also, small populations often mean relatively few experts available to guide public preparedness and response to natural hazard events. This lack of expert capacity is even more acute for low frequency events like volcanic crises. In these circumstances, volcano scientists invariably work very closely with risk managers who may face significant political pressure. These conditions increase the managerial risks faced by scientists as they can lose credibility and could be legally liable for the negative outcomes. Disaster risk governance frameworks that have not yet developed and legislated binding crisis management protocols also present several other challenges. Here we discuss some of the challenges faced and solutions devised by volcanologists working to understand volcanic hazard and advise multiple governments in the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean. We also use this opportunity to share some of the lessons learnt from experiences leading up to and during the 2020 -- 2021 eruption of the La Soufrière Volcano, St. Vincent. Finally, we discuss the value of effective communication between risk management stakeholders during inter-eruptive periods in facilitating sustainable economic development, particularly in small island developing states (SIDS).