THE PERCEPTION OF THE VOLCANIC RISK FOR THE TURRIALBA ACTIVITY (2010-2017) IN THE COMMUNITIES PASTORA AND TAPOJO, COSTA RICA

Abstract

On January 5th, 2010, Turrialba volcano began its eruptive period, associated with ash fall, activity which has kept until now (May 2019), highlighting the eruptions on October 29, 2014, March 12, 2015 and September 19, 2016, which affected the production activities of communities located on the South Flank of the volcano, in the livestock (milk and cheese production) and agricultural (cultivation of potato, cabbage, onion and carrot) sectors, show vulnerability conditions to volcanic activity with economic losses between 2010 and 2017. The present article analyzes the perception of population in Pastora and Tapojo in relation with the volcanic hazards associated with Turrialba volcano and its vulnerability level. For it, some focus groups were created with community leaders that have the target of knowing its perception about the risk conditions, which contrasted with existing scientific information about the volcanic hazard. This analysis showed that there exists an important coincidence between scientific data of volcanic threats of Turrialba and perception of population, since they point out that ash fall, gases, seismicity, acid rain and lahares, represented a threat for elements that could be affected in the community, mainly the agricultural activities, housing and bridges.