Bogumil Terminski Environmentally-Induced Displacement ... - Cedem

depletion, overdrifting, urban sprawl and land pollution.Volcanic Eruptions: Volcanic Eruptions are another cause of disaster-induceddisplacement. Every year they force tens of thousands of people to evacuate, mostlyin vulnerable areas of the world, such as the Indonesian Island Sumatra, Ecuador,many African countries. The Erta Ale volcanic eruption in Ethiopia (September2005) forced 6,500 nearby residents to flee. The Tungurahua eruption in Ecuador(August 2006) also displaced more than 6,500 people. In December 2005, MountKarthala erupted in Comoros, displacing over a third of the country’s population.According to a United Nations OCHA Agency report, approximately 175,000people were said to have “inadequate access to clean drinking water due to thecontamination of watertanks”. The volcano Pacaya eruption in May, 2010, withover 100,000 Guatemalans estimated to be displaced. The next big eruption was inAugust 2010: Mount Sinabung in Sumatra forced over 30,000 people to evacuate.At least 25,000 people were seriously affected by the eruption of Bromo (Java,Indonesia) in December 2010. The following table lists the deadliest volcaniceruptions in the world (Estimated death tolls are approximate.):Year Event/Volcano Death toll Cause of deaths1815 Tambora, Indonesia 92,000 Starvation1883 Krakatau, Indonesia 36,417 Tsunami Wave1902 Mt Pelee, Martinique 29,025 Ash Flows1985 Ruiz Vol., Colombia 25,000 Mudflows1792 Unzen, Japan 14,300 Volcanic collapse, tsunamiWildfires: Wildfires and bushfires constitute yet another phenomenon producingirreversible environmental changes. In many countries around the planet,(especially the United States, Australia, and Russia) such fires appear to be the mostfrequent natural disasters. The aftermath of a fire may not only require evacuationfrom danger, but can also instigate permanent migration. It is thus important to note