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Under the Volcano – Can Sustainable Tourism Development be Balanced with Risk Management? 235

opposed to a campaign led process of therefore recognized by the early 1990s that a
dissemination. Such an active programme should comprehensive emergency plan for the Vesuvius
approach the breadth of media channels that are area was long overdue.
now available: from newspapers, magazines,
radio and TV, to the Internet and email. Specific The National Emergency Plan
audiences and sections of the community should
also be identified so that specialist programmes for the Vesuvian Area
reaching particular age, gender, ethnicity or The National Emergency Plan for the Vesuvian
socio-economic status may be targeted. Area (NEPVA), was finally agreed and published
6 It should be appreciated that public education in 1995 as the first comprehensive hazard evaluation
still has its limitations and is not a panacea. It is and evacuation plan for the region (Dipartimento
just one amongst a range of methods that can della Protezione Civile, 1995). It is structured
lead to improved protection for communities around a model informed by the last major sub-
living in proximity to hazardous volcanoes; Plinian eruption of 1631 and assisted by computer
others include regulations, incentives etc. Even generated maps outlining the area of hazard
if a hugely effective campaign is run it must be vulnerable to pyroclastic flow and ash fallout
appreciated that other factors can still impinge (Barberi et al, 1990). The plan is based on an
when the ‘real’ event occurs. assumption that following the pattern of warning
earthquakes felt for over a fortnight before the
Considering that tourism, directly or indirectly is 1631 eruption, the 700,000 residents living in the
a significant social and economic activity around danger zone would have the opportunity to be
many active volcanic sites, the presence of large evacuated over a seven-day period. To support this
numbers of what effectively represent temporary premise, it is stated that the extensive spread of
populations is rarely acknowledged, least of all different monitoring devices across the region will
incorporated into the type of guidelines indicated allow a lag of around 20 days between the first
above. Factors beyond the simple numerical signs of movement in the magma chamber and the
pressures of further tourists that have the potential commencement of the eruption.
to disrupt or slow down the effectiveness of well The model created three zones of hazard
laid plans include a lack of fluency in the local (Figure 16.1):
language, unfamiliarity with the local geography,
infrastructure and the chain of command within 1 An inner ‘red zone’ that is most immediately at
agencies integral in implementing action on the danger from pyroclastic flows and lahars
ground during an emergency. spreading out from the cone. In the red zone
When the issues and principles described there are an estimated 550,000 residents, who
above are taken into account, the region around would have to be evacuated from the area.
Vesuvius begins to look extremely vulnerable. This 2 An outer far wider area called the ‘yellow
area represents one of the highest concentrations zone’ is vulnerable to pyroclastic fallout. It is
of predominantly urban population in Europe. delineated based upon the spread of ash
Growth and rural to urban population flows deposits laid down during former sub-Plinian
followed government-funded schemes which eruptions (VEI of 4).
2
were further fuelled by cheap but speculative, 3 A further area of around 98km called the ‘blue
unplanned and often illegal building, which led to zone’, where it is anticipated major floods and
encroachments closer and closer to the volcano lahars may occur.
itself (Dobran, 2000). In addition, Vesuvius and the
archaeological sites linked to its tempestuous As a result of the significant debate that arose from
history attract annual numbers of tourists far the presentation of the 1995 plan (Masood, 1995),
higher even than the permanent resident there has been a further wave of information
population. Set against this backdrop, it was gathering and surveys to assess the volcanic risk

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