Vesuvius
Since 1944 rapid and often illegal and poorly constructed building has taken place which may not withstand the earthquakes which usually precede an eruption. On top of this there is no viable evacuation plan should the volcano erupt. So why on earth do people live in this disaster just waiting to happen? Well, for one thing, there is the typical Southern Italian attitude- what will be will be- a degree of indifference and apathy amongst the population. Also, people have lived in the region all their lives and have strong ties to their community. Volcanic areas provide fertile farmland with excellent conditions for vineyards, tomatoes, olives and lemons and the scenery and clean air make this a very desirable place to live.
Despite the fact that modern science and equipment can help predict eruptions, Vesuvius has a history of sudden-onset and explosively violent eruptions. Given the fact that the current period of dormancy is also very extended, there are serious concerns over the warning period and time available to actually evacuate such huge volumes of people - some 600,000 from the area expected to be totally obliterated alone. An eruption of the 1931 scale could affect up to three million people.
The traffic in the area is appalling at the best of times with inadequate roads to cope with demands, heaven knows how they will evacuate so many people should the volcano erupt without much warning.
Vesuvius
Since 1944 rapid and often illegal and poorly constructed building has taken place which may not withstand the earthquakes which usually precede an eruption. On top of this there is no viable evacuation plan should the volcano erupt. So why on earth do people live in this disaster just waiting to happen? Well, for one thing, there is the typical Southern Italian attitude- what will be will be- a degree of indifference and apathy amongst the population. Also, people have lived in the region all their lives and have strong ties to their community. Volcanic areas provide fertile farmland with excellent conditions for vineyards, tomatoes, olives and lemons and the scenery and clean air make this a very desirable place to live.
Despite the fact that modern science and equipment can help predict eruptions, Vesuvius has a history of sudden-onset and explosively violent eruptions. Given the fact that the current period of dormancy is also very extended, there are serious concerns over the warning period and time available to actually evacuate such huge volumes of people - some 600,000 from the area expected to be totally obliterated alone. An eruption of the 1931 scale could affect up to three million people.
The traffic in the area is appalling at the best of times with inadequate roads to cope with demands, heaven knows how they will evacuate so many people should the volcano erupt without much warning.