EVERIS AEROESPACIAL Y DEFENSA S.L.U (ES)
EO Clinic support requested by: Caribbean Development Bank
Requesting activity: Post-disaster Population and Land Use Planning
Requesting activity type: Technical Assistance (TA), Loan, Grant
EO Clinic relevant Thematic Groups: TG1 (Agriculture), TG4 (Disaster Risk Management), TG6 (Forestry)
Work Order number: EOC0021
Work Order status: Under Execution
Work Order start: 2022 Jan 10
Work Order end:
On 29 December 2020, the La Soufrière volcano alert level in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was elevated due to increased volcanic activity. On 9 April 2021, La Soufrière erupted for the first time after 40 years, sending an ash plume of 10 km into the sky. The resulting ashfall was very heavy in the surrounding areas, reaching nearby islands and halting air traffic in the area. Subsequent eruptions, lava flows, ash plumes and seismic activity continued throughout April. In early May, explosions subsided, but seismic activity and the risk of lahars remain.
On 6 May 2021, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines with the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) lowered the Volcanic Alert Level from Red to Orange. Persons in the Yellow and Orange zones returned to their homes, being reminded that escalation in activity can still occur with little or no warning, and caution should be taken in crossing river valleys on the volcano due to the increased risk of lahars during periods of rainfall. As of 13 May, approximately 30 evacuees have returned to their homes. Many made their way back to collective centres, finding their homes uninhabitable.
CDB would like to use spatial data to ascertain the impact of the volcanic ash clouds and pyroclastic flows from the recent eruption of a the La Soufriere Volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The present request from the CDB aims support the Bank’s efforts to capture and present geospatial data on population demographics, infrastructure and policy interventions in the CDB’s member countries. Information is sought to enable greater knowledge of key economic, social, and environmental variables and allow better forecasting of some of the main vulnerabilities facing the Caribbean. Empirical data and models of impact are planned to be used to project shock scenarios to inform disaster-risk management strategies and planning for response, recovery, and rehabilitation efforts.
The Bank aims to superimpose the satellite-based datasets on nationally-collected data including the population composition by area (age group, gender, presence of disabilities), major public infrastructure including roadways, waterways, electricity grids, agricultural area (preferably by type of crop) and both sea and airports. This analysis will be critical to informing efforts in the country as it presents a better understanding of what happened, who was affected and where efforts should be concentrated.
