Surviving Disaster: Resettlement, Recovery and Ongoing Risk at Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia

This document reports on the outcomes of the field research conducted for Work Package 3 (Vulnerability) of the STREVA (Strengthening Resilience in Volcanic Areas) project in Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia (NdR). It presents an analysis of the disaster recovery processes that ensued after the 1985 eruption of the volcano which killed more than 25.000 people and destroyed entire towns and villages leaving thousands of people without homes and livelihoods. While the causes of the disaster and its immediate impact have been widely studied, less is known about the recovery processes that have occurred since 1985. In this light, this report presents an analysis of the long-term impacts that the eruption had on people’s wellbeing and livelihoods. This report also includes an analysis of livelihoods and vulnerability to volcanic hazards of those that live in the influence areas of Nevado del Ruiz. 

The report is framed around the main research objective of WP3 (Vulnerability) of the STREVA Project which is to understanding the long-term implications of volcanic activity on people’s life trajectories, wellbeing and livelihoods. It aims at investigating how social differentiation - underlined by socio-economic status, geographical location, (exposure to hazards) and access to entitlements and resources – influences the recovery processes and the dynamics of vulnerability to volcanic hazards. The findings underline the need to strengthen both how resettlement processes are supported in the long-term to enhance the chances for equitable, sustained recovery, and how preparedness measures are developed and implemented to help protect those who occupy high-risk zones. 

The report is divided into four sections. The first section presents the research approach and methodology. The second section focuses on the analysis of the recovery processes that took place in Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia after 1985. The third section, presents an analysis of vulnerability to volcanic hazards in areas surrounding the volcano today. In the final section, the main conclusions of the study are presented.