Transcript Geohazards in Africa

African regional Implementation
Workshop
(Dakar,Senegal 26-27 Sept. 2012)
Genene. Mulugeta
ICSU-ROA HD Coordinator
ICSU-ROA Hazards and Disaster
Research Activities
-ICSU-ROA Science Plan published in 2007
-Since 2009 Research proposals are being
developed on geo-and hydromet, hazards.
-So far no funding to implement the proposals
-New direction essential to revitalize the
science plan.
Scoping workshop to revitalize the
science plan. Pretoria
22-23 March 2012
Outcomes
-Geohazard & Hydromet. Hazard groups
merged to form a consortium.
-Plan to hold regular yearly workshops to
advance integrated research on disaster risk.
-Publish a book on Hazards and Disasters in
SSA
Global-Regional Integration workshop
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13-14 Sept. 2012
Strengthening high-quality research in the regions and integrating
regional and global research activities
Enhancing research capacity in developing countries; and
Ensuring that there are policy impacts
Overall agreement on harmonizing the regional-global issues on
hazards and disasters.
Hazards Sub Saharan Africa
85
Drought
Epidemics
Floods
Storms
Geophysical
Disaster Trends in Sub-Saharan africa
Disaster Frequency.SSA
1000
900
800
total
Number of Events
700
Dro
600
Ge
Ep
500
Flo
Sto
400
To
300
200
100
0
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
Decades
1990-1999
2000-2009
Geohazard Research Proposals
 1:
Assessing and mitigating the
seismic hazards in Africa (R. Durrheim, CH.
Hartnady, A.Kijko
2: Volcanic Hazards (S. Ayonghe)
 3: Land Slide Hazards (K. Woldearegay)
 4: Pollution and Coastal Hazards (E. Antia)
Seismic Hazards: Research Challenges
-Seismo-tectonic maps are
Inadequate
-Lack of Integrated Seismic
Hazard Assessment of
vulnerable areas (e.g. major
African cities)
-Networks sparse, lack of
capacity to maintain networks,
analyze and interpret.
-Lack of Appropriate building
codes
SEISMIC HAZARDS
The seismic hazard proposal aims at understanding and managing risks
Associated with seismic hazards. The map below is produced as part of GSHAP
(Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Project) by East and Southern Africa Regional
Seismology Working Group. The map shows the degree of earthquake shaking as
peak ground acceleration (PGA) during the next 50 yrs with 10% probability
Such maps are important to assess seismic
risks when building dams, pipelines or airports,.
7
Mozambique
Date-Feb.22. 2006
Magnitude-7
6 deaths, 26 houses destroyed
DRC/RWANDA
Date-Feb.3 2008
Magnitude-6
47 dead,750 injured,1500 buildings destroyed
Tanzania
July 11. 2008
Magnitude-4.4
Location-120 Km NW of Arusha
Assessing and mitigating the earthquake
hazard in Africa
Research Tasks
 Task 1: Compile African Catalogue of Earthquakes
 Task 2: Prepare a Seismotectonic Map of Africa
 Task 3: Assess the Seismic Hazard of the African
continent
 Task 4: Carry out an Integrated Seismic Hazard
Assessment of vulnerable areas (e.g. major African
cities, critical lifeline infrastructure)
Task 1: African Catalogue of
Earthquakes

Current African earthquake catalogues are
incomplete,limiting the accuracy of seismic
hazards.
 Make inventory of existing seismic catalogues.
 Set up task teams to review catalogues and
harmonize data.
 Publish and disseminate the homogenised
seismic catalogues
Task 2: Seismotectonic Map of
Africa

Produce an up to date seismo-tectonic map of
Africa, to replace old maps e.g.
the1:5 000 000Tectonic Map of Africa, UNESCO
1968. SeTMA project, East and Southern Africa
Regional Seismology Working Group.
Task 3: Assess the Seismic
Hazard of the African continent

Build on the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment
Program (GSHAP, 1992) by:
 1. Improving the basic seismic data.
 2. Carrying out a parametric-historic probabilistic
seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) which does
not require accurately defined seismogenic
zones.
 Build partnership with GEM for training students
and designing training courses
Task 4: Integrated Seismic Hazard
Assessment of vulnerable areas (e.g.
major African cities)

build capacity for integrated seismic hazard
assessment of vulnerable areas, e.g cities,
dams.
 provide decision support tools to development
agencies and policy makers
 Establish a pool of broadband seismographs.
 Train seismologists and technicians to deploy
and maintain field stations
Volcanic Hazards
Research Challenges
-lack of methods for monitoring the
active volcanoes, using appropriate
Remote Sensing (RS) techniques, and
ground-truthing studies.
-Lack of assessment and documentation of periodicities and impacts of
CO2 outgassing from crater lakes
-Lack of hazard zonation maps
– Lack of public awareness on volcanic
hazards
Volcanic Hazards
Africa has about 140 volcanoes which have erupted during
last 10,000 years, 25 are active (erupted during historic
time ca. 500 years). Most disastrous eruptions:

Mt Nyirangogo (DRC), which last erupted in 2002,
killed 147 people and destroyed Goma.

Eruptio of Mt Karthala, Komoros (2006) led to
evacuation of >3000 people.

Mt Nyamuragina (DRC) erupted in 1995 and 2000.

Mt Oldoino Lengai (Tanzania) erupted in 1994,
2006, 2007.

La Fournaise (La Reunion) continuously active

Cameroon crater lakes 1876 people killed in 1986,
as well as numerous cattle and other animals (Lake
Nyos); Lake Monoun, 37 deaths
The Volcanic hazards proposal aims to Monitor
Hazards from Volcanoes and Explosive Crater
Lakes
Tasks:
 Design methods of monitoring the active volcanoes especially those
with high population densities on their flanks, using appropriate
Remote Sensing (RS) techniques, and relevant ground-truthing
studies.
 Assess and document the locations and periodicities and impacts of
CO2 outgassing from crater lakes within volcanically active regions
 Establish structural and morphological links between such crater
lakes and nearby active volcanoes where appropriate.
 Develop volcanic hazard zonation maps
 conceive appropriate approaches of education and raising of public
awareness for the communities exposed to these hazards.
Mitigation measures
Oku Volcanic Field, Cameroon
Degassing L.Nyos
On 26 August 1986 an enormous volume
of carbon dioxide (CO2) was released from
Lake Nyos that killed about 1876 people.
Two years earlier in Lake Monoun there
was a smaller release of CO2 that killed 37
people.
Landslide Hazards
Landslides constitute a major geologic hazard in SSA because they impact
almost all countries, Landslides commonly occur in connection with other
major natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, wildfires, and floods.
The primary objective of the proposal) is to reduce long-term losses from
landslide hazards by improving our understanding of the
causes of landslides and suggesting mitigation strategies.
Landslide Hazard Proposal
Research Challenges
Ethiopia
Source-kifle
-Few research centers address
landslide hazards
-Lack of policies and guidelines for
landslide management
Lack of comprehensive landslide
research
Lack of regional landslide forecasting
and monitoring
Almost all countries impacted
Landslide Hazards
Research Tasks



Task 1: Establish research centers
Task 2: Develop policies and guidelines for landslide
management
Task 3: Initiate comprehensive landslide mapping and loss
assessment


Task 4: Initiate comprehensive landslide research
Task 5: Initiate and promote regional landslide forecasting and
monitoring
Coastal hazards
Coastal erosion is a major environmental issue
in Sub-Saharan Africa. and has serious
implications on the entire national economies.
Due to a concentration and increase of
population and economic activities in the coastal
zone in general and particularly in the vicinity of
the shores, the coastal zone is highly vulnerable
to many types of environmental degradation,
including the threat of global warming that will
induce sea level rise.
Coastal hazards Proposal
Propose to develop 3 Tasks



Task 1: Coastal Erosion Assessment and Abatement Modalities
along Sub-Sahara Africa
Task 2: Coastal Area Vulnerability to Climate Change-Enhanced
Eustatic Sea Level Rise and Viable Adaptation
Task 3:Coastal Pollution and Prediction along Sub-Sahara
Africa
Thank You