Threat Appraisal and Community Efficacy towards volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Disaster management requires identifying "vulnerable » people before the occurrence of the hazard itself. In Kiziba village, an area located in Democratic Republic of Congo, this theory has never been effective yet people are exposed to volcanic eruptions and toxic gas release from the lake. In addition to that authors have qualified rural

community to be more vulnerable that urban communities due to isolation, less access to health care services (Juliet Hassard and Kevin Teoch, 2013). Seeing such vulnerable group exposed to a natural disaster shows a need for a particular attention. This study follows two specific objectives: to describe the threat appraisal of people towards volcanic eruption of Mount Nyigongo and to examine the current community efficacy to respond to the future eruption. The study design is descriptive and cross-sectional using qualitative and quantitative methods. 380 people (males and females) aged 18 to 77 years were selected for a household survey and 3 key informants for interviews. Majority of the respondents (96%) felt that a volcanic eruption poses a threat to their life, half of the respondents felt that the volcanic eruption is predictable therefore gives them time to prepare for an evacuation while the rest no. Results on perceived preparedness, half of the respondents said that they are not prepared to a potential eruption. The community efficacy in Kiziba village was found to be low. No neuro-psychiatric institution is involved in preparedness for volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. I recommend that researchers keep assessing the mental health status of people in all stages of disaster, the disaster management education (DME) to be introduced in schools in order to preventing under 18 stress and Post traumatic stress disorder due to volcanic eruption and use students as propagators to disseminate information about natural disasters at home and in the community.