Volcanic risk perception in northern Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

The eruptions of El Chichon volcano on March–April 1982 impacted at least 51 communities located in the surroundings of the volcano causing the death of about 2,000 people in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. In this work, we evaluate the risk perception in five of these communities: Juarez, Ostuacan, Pichucalco, Reforma, and Sunuapa. Our results indicate that (1) people perceive very low volcanic risk; (2) about 95 % of the population do not know the current activity of the volcano and consider that the authorities do not inform properly about these issues to their communities; (3) the response of the authorities is considered deficient mainly because it was unable to provide enough shelters, storage facilities, food, medicine, and health care during the eruption; and (4) approximately 70 % of the population will not accept to be relocated in case of another eruption because they do not know any plan, strategy, emergency schemes, shelter locations, or evacuation routes. These results are important because according to the local state government, more than 100,000 people will be directly impacted in case of the occurrence of a similar eruption to the one in 1982. Perception of risk plays an important role for developing mitigation and response plans in this region. Thus, the level of volcanic risk perception is an important element of the existing social vulnerability of the five studied communities.