Publication Date:
2017-04-04
Description:
More than 600000 people are exposed to volcanic risk in the urban areas near the volcano,Vesuvius, and may need to be evacuated if there is renewed
volcanic activity. The success of a future evacuation will strongly depend on the level of risk perception and preparedness of the at-risk communities
during the current period of quiescence. The volcanic risk perception and preparedness of young people is of particular importance because hazard
education programs in schools have been shown to increase the clarity of risk perception and students often share their knowledge with their
parents. In order to evaluate young people's risk perception and preparedness for a volcanic crisis, a multiple choice questionnaire was distributed to
400 high-school students in three municipalities located close to the volcano. The overall results suggest that despite a 60-year period of quiescence at
Vesuvius, the interviewed students have an accurate perception of the level of volcanic risk. On the other hand, the respondents demonstrate a clear lack
of understanding of volcanic processes and their related hazards.Also, the interviewed students show high levels of fear, poor perceived ability to protect
themselves from the effects of a future eruption, and insufficient knowledge of the National Emergency Plan for Vesuvian Area (NEPVA). The latter
result suggests that in comparisonwith volcanic crises in other regions, during a future eruption ofVesuvius, theremay not be enough time to educate the
large number of people living near the volcano about how to appropriately respond. The inadequate risk education and preparedness of respondents
implies that a strong effort is needed to improve communication strategies in order to facilitate successful evacuations. Therefore, it is important to take
advantage of the present period of quiescence at Vesuvius to improve the accuracy of risk perception of youth in local communities.
Description:
Published
Description:
229-243
Description:
4.3. TTC - Scenari di pericolosità vulcanica
Description:
JCR Journal
Description:
reserved
Keywords:
risk perception
;
disasters
;
evacuation plan
;
Vesuvius
;
04. Solid Earth::04.08. Volcanology::04.08.08. Volcanic risk
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
