People either chose or are forced to live near potential hazards for a number of reasons. Those reasons include:
Poverty: In many countries people are simply to poor, not to live in hazardous areas. This is especially true for newly arrived migrants who may be forced to build on marginal land e.g. a steep hill that is vulnerable to landslides or a river or coastline that is vulnerable to flooding.
Fertile soil: The minerals released during volcanic eruptions make the soil extremely fertile and ideal for agriculture. In countries like Indonesia, Philippines and El Salvador you will find people farming up very steep volcanic slopes, often building terraces to make farming easier.
Geothermal Energy: Where there is volcanic activity, it is normally possible to source the renewable energy of geothermal power (basically using the heat of the land to generate electricity). El Salvador has a geothermal power plant and countries like Iceland use geothermal power to generate electricity and heat water.
Tourism: Volcanoes often become very popular tourists attractions. People like to look at them, climb them and hopefully view stunning volcanic lakes or possibly lava. In Central America there are a whole series of volcanoes that have become popular tourist attractions ranging from Pacaya and Agua in Guatemala, to Santa Ana and El Boqueron in El Salvador, Masaya in Nicaragua and Arenal in Costa Rica. Mount Fuji (a volcano) National Park in Japan is the most visited national park in the world. Also volcanic areas often have natural thermal springs, Japan is famous for its onsen and Iceland is famous for its Blue Lagoon.
Resources: Some minerals like sulphur are located on the slopes of volcanoes. But also other minerals like the huge deposits of copper in the Atacama Desert, Chile are located near tectonically active areas and attract large numbers of people.
Beauty: Volcanoes can be extremely beautiful to look at. Mount Fuji is a perfect volcano and stunning to look at so many people chose to live near it. When Mount St. Helen's volcano erupted some of the victims were people that refused to leave their houses because they loved the area so much.
Friends and family (inertia): Some families have lived in hazardous locations for generations. Their family homes and business are located in the area and people simply don't want to leave or possibly can't afford to leave.
Employment: Some hazardous areas offer good employment opportunities. For example many of the best tourist and fishing locations are found in coastal areas in the tropics e.g. the Caribbean, the Philippines and the Maldives. All three of these places are extremely vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding.
Ignorance: Some people are simply unaware that they are living in a hazardous area. If an earthquake or hurricane has not hit somewhere in recent history or a volcano has not erupted for many hundreds of years, then people forget or are unaware that they live near a potentially dangerous hazard.
Prediction: More and more people are prepared to live in hazardous ares because they trust scientific prediction. They believe scientists will be able to predict flood events, volcanoes and hurricane and give them adequate warning to protect themselves and their property.
Preparation: Most countries now prepare their citizens much better for hazards. People are educated about how to protect their home, how to evacuate, etc. This preparation gives people the reassurance to live in hazardous areas.
Hazard Recurrence: If some hazards don't occur very often, or certainly hazards of high magnitude don't happen very often then people will be prepared to take the risk. For example, on average only one supervolcano erupts every 10,000 years, so people are going to be happy to live near one, because the chances of it erupting during their lifetime is very low.
Building Design: Because of improved building design people now feel more confident of living in hazardous areas. Buildings are now designed to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. Most countries also have pretty strict regulations when building new structures.
Defences: Many countries and regions have built defences to protect from hazards e.g. levees on rivers and sea walls along the coast. These defences give people greater confidence to live and work in known hazard zones.
Hazard Mapping: Many countries now map their countries in terms of potential risk and exposure to hazards. Because people have been told to live in relatively safer (not totally safe) areas they are more confident about living near hazards.
Below are three brief case studies of why people have chosen to live near hazards.
Mount Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica (tourism)
Mount Arenal is Costa Rica's most active volcano. It has been erupting on and off since 1968. Around the volcano and especially in the nearby town of La Fortuna, hundreds of jobs have been created by people visiting the volcano hoping to see it erupt. There are now close to 100 hotels in the area as well as horse riding stables, mountain biking, canopy trails, nature reserves, rafting, restaurants, quad biking and much more. A large number of hot spring resorts have also developed in the area.
Geothermal Power in Iceland
Iceland sits on a constructive plate boundary in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland itself was actually created by magma escaping from the mantle. Iceland has five geothermal power stations that create 24% of Iceland's energy needs. In addition geothermal power heats the houses and water of 87% of buildings in Iceland. In addition to heating and geothermal power, volcanic activity has also created a large tourism industry and created a number of hot springs, including the world famous Blue Lagoon.
Mount St. Helens Natural Beauty
Mount St. Helens is located in the cascades mountain range in the Rockies. It sits on a destructive plate boundary. Mount St. Helens lies in a beautiful area, the mountains themselves are beautiful but also Spirit Lake at its foot. Mount St. Helens has become home to people who like the outdoors. It has also become a tourist destination and is good for fishing. People feel relatively safe living near the volcano because it is so well monitored. However, despite warnings over 50 people still lost their lives in the 1980 eruptions. Most would not leave either because they were scientists studying the volcano or residents who could not bring themselves to leaving their home.
El Boqueron, San Salvador
El Boqueron has created a number of benefits for local residents. The fertile slopes on the side of El Boqueron has allowed coffee farming to take place. Also the road up the side of El Boqueron has increased tourism, both to visit the restaurants, visit the view points and look at the crater and wildlife. More people are also choosing to live on its slopes because of shortage of space in downtown San Salvador, but also because it is cooler, safer (from criminality) and less congested. Because El Boqueron has not erupted for nearly 100 years, citizens feel safe living under it.
Vulnerable Populations - Why Live Near Hazards?
People either chose or are forced to live near potential hazards for a number of reasons. Those reasons include:
Poverty: In many countries people are simply to poor, not to live in hazardous areas. This is especially true for newly arrived migrants who may be forced to build on marginal land e.g. a steep hill that is vulnerable to landslides or a river or coastline that is vulnerable to flooding.
Fertile soil: The minerals released during volcanic eruptions make the soil extremely fertile and ideal for agriculture. In countries like Indonesia, Philippines and El Salvador you will find people farming up very steep volcanic slopes, often building terraces to make farming easier.
Geothermal Energy: Where there is volcanic activity, it is normally possible to source the renewable energy of geothermal power (basically using the heat of the land to generate electricity). El Salvador has a geothermal power plant and countries like Iceland use geothermal power to generate electricity and heat water.
Tourism: Volcanoes often become very popular tourists attractions. People like to look at them, climb them and hopefully view stunning volcanic lakes or possibly lava. In Central America there are a whole series of volcanoes that have become popular tourist attractions ranging from Pacaya and Agua in Guatemala, to Santa Ana and El Boqueron in El Salvador, Masaya in Nicaragua and Arenal in Costa Rica. Mount Fuji (a volcano) National Park in Japan is the most visited national park in the world. Also volcanic areas often have natural thermal springs, Japan is famous for its onsen and Iceland is famous for its Blue Lagoon.
Resources: Some minerals like sulphur are located on the slopes of volcanoes. But also other minerals like the huge deposits of copper in the Atacama Desert, Chile are located near tectonically active areas and attract large numbers of people.
Beauty: Volcanoes can be extremely beautiful to look at. Mount Fuji is a perfect volcano and stunning to look at so many people chose to live near it. When Mount St. Helen's volcano erupted some of the victims were people that refused to leave their houses because they loved the area so much.
Friends and family (inertia): Some families have lived in hazardous locations for generations. Their family homes and business are located in the area and people simply don't want to leave or possibly can't afford to leave.
Employment: Some hazardous areas offer good employment opportunities. For example many of the best tourist and fishing locations are found in coastal areas in the tropics e.g. the Caribbean, the Philippines and the Maldives. All three of these places are extremely vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding.
Ignorance: Some people are simply unaware that they are living in a hazardous area. If an earthquake or hurricane has not hit somewhere in recent history or a volcano has not erupted for many hundreds of years, then people forget or are unaware that they live near a potentially dangerous hazard.
Prediction: More and more people are prepared to live in hazardous ares because they trust scientific prediction. They believe scientists will be able to predict flood events, volcanoes and hurricane and give them adequate warning to protect themselves and their property.
Preparation: Most countries now prepare their citizens much better for hazards. People are educated about how to protect their home, how to evacuate, etc. This preparation gives people the reassurance to live in hazardous areas.
Hazard Recurrence: If some hazards don't occur very often, or certainly hazards of high magnitude don't happen very often then people will be prepared to take the risk. For example, on average only one supervolcano erupts every 10,000 years, so people are going to be happy to live near one, because the chances of it erupting during their lifetime is very low.
Building Design: Because of improved building design people now feel more confident of living in hazardous areas. Buildings are now designed to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. Most countries also have pretty strict regulations when building new structures.
Defences: Many countries and regions have built defences to protect from hazards e.g. levees on rivers and sea walls along the coast. These defences give people greater confidence to live and work in known hazard zones.
Hazard Mapping: Many countries now map their countries in terms of potential risk and exposure to hazards. Because people have been told to live in relatively safer (not totally safe) areas they are more confident about living near hazards.
Below are three brief case studies of why people have chosen to live near hazards.
Mount Arenal is Costa Rica's most active volcano. It has been erupting on and off since 1968. Around the volcano and especially in the nearby town of La Fortuna, hundreds of jobs have been created by people visiting the volcano hoping to see it erupt. There are now close to 100 hotels in the area as well as horse riding stables, mountain biking, canopy trails, nature reserves, rafting, restaurants, quad biking and much more. A large number of hot spring resorts have also developed in the area.
Iceland sits on a constructive plate boundary in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Iceland itself was actually created by magma escaping from the mantle. Iceland has five geothermal power stations that create 24% of Iceland's energy needs. In addition geothermal power heats the houses and water of 87% of buildings in Iceland. In addition to heating and geothermal power, volcanic activity has also created a large tourism industry and created a number of hot springs, including the world famous Blue Lagoon.
Mount St. Helens is located in the cascades mountain range in the Rockies. It sits on a destructive plate boundary. Mount St. Helens lies in a beautiful area, the mountains themselves are beautiful but also Spirit Lake at its foot. Mount St. Helens has become home to people who like the outdoors. It has also become a tourist destination and is good for fishing. People feel relatively safe living near the volcano because it is so well monitored. However, despite warnings over 50 people still lost their lives in the 1980 eruptions. Most would not leave either because they were scientists studying the volcano or residents who could not bring themselves to leaving their home.
El Boqueron has created a number of benefits for local residents. The fertile slopes on the side of El Boqueron has allowed coffee farming to take place. Also the road up the side of El Boqueron has increased tourism, both to visit the restaurants, visit the view points and look at the crater and wildlife. More people are also choosing to live on its slopes because of shortage of space in downtown San Salvador, but also because it is cooler, safer (from criminality) and less congested. Because El Boqueron has not erupted for nearly 100 years, citizens feel safe living under it.