For one hazardous environment that you have studied, discuss the nature of the
hazard and evaluate the extent to which this has been successfully managed. [20]
Volcanic eruptions - the discharging of lava and gas from a volcanic vent due to pressure -
have been frequent occurrences over the centuries, causing different types of hazards which
threaten to cause loss of life, injury, property damage, socio-economic disruption or
environmental degradation. This essay will discuss the volcanic eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo,
the nature of the hazards it has caused, and the extent to which it has been managed
successfully.
The Mt. Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo started erupting on the
22nd of May 2021, with two streams of lava emerging, one in the direction of Rwanda, and
the other towards the city of Goma, stopping 300 metres from the international airport. The
eruption was characterized by lava fountaining from the fissures and an incandescent red
sky, accompanied by ash plumes which rose to 6.1-9.1 km during 22-23 May. Following the
eruption, frequent earthquakes started occurring, including a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in
north-east Goma on the same day. Fear of a second eruption triggered the evacuation of the
city ordered by local authorities.
The eruption was perhaps not managed so well, because there was given no warning of it,
although the Goma Volcano Observatory had observed on 10 May 2021 that seismic activity
at Nyiragongo had increased, and that the volcano’s lake was filling up. However, the World
Bank had eliminated funding for the scientists performing the observations in 2020, and
according to the scientific director Celestin Kasareka Mahinda, shortage of funding was the
reason that made it difficult for the scientists at the Observatory to caution the public on the
eruption. Therefore, although it was not managed well, the observatory should not be
entirely to blame for it either.
Another reason why it may seem that the eruption was not managed very well is that the
government has not proposed any clear plans of how to manage the situation. They had
given the order to evacuate Goma, but because it was unclear where the citizens were to go
in Rwanda and how they were to evacuate, it was chaotic. Not only this, but the government
responded quite late, many had already fled to Rwanda before the order of evacuation.
Therefore, although the government did order the citizens of Goma to evacuate, they did not
communicate clearly and also did not create any other plans on how to keep the citizens
safe in the next few weeks, and so it was not successfully managed.
On the other hand, organisations such as the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO helped
manage the situation by sending out police patrols for security purposes, fixing the roads
that had been damaged by the lava and supporting the citizens with food and water. The
CCCM working group (which includes IOM, UNHCR and CNR) has assessed multi sectoral
needs of those returning to Goma, and have helped shelter over 21, 133 displaced people in
13 communal buildings (11 schools and 2 churches). It can be said that they have managed
it better than the government has, although after the reopening of schools on 14 June
households have to move outside during the school day which is not ideal.
In conclusion, it can be seen that, on the whole, the eruption was not managed as
successfully and efficiently as it should have been, largely due to the government’s passivity
