Why do people continue to live in areas of volcanic activity?
Reason
Examples of where
this has happened?
Economic
Some volcanoes attract tourists and so provide jobs for locals
Hawaii, Iceland, Bali
(multiplier effect)
Cheap geothermal energy can be generated from the tectonic
Iceland, Azores
activity
People may not be able to afford to live elsewhere.
Haiti
The soil near volcanoes is fertile
Japan, Indonesia
Housing is cheaper in some of these areas
Montserrat
Valuable minerals are found near to volcanoes and so people gain Indonesia e.g. Sulphur
employment working in the mines.
Social
People don’t want to leave their friends and family
Montserrat
Families have lived there for years and little tectonic activity has
Montserrat
happened. The community is more important than any risk.
People think that there are adequate warnings and evacuation
Japan
methods in place that they won’t be harmed.
Environmental Valuable minerals can be found near to volcanoes
Indonesia
The soils near volcanoes are very fertile
Japan, Napa Valley