|
Continuing exponential growth in global population and attendant economic development assures that the impact of natural hazards will inexorably grow. Thus, scientists and civil authorities alike face a growing challenge in attempting to mitigate the adverse impacts of hazardous natural phenomena such as severe weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc. to society. A key element of any strategy or program to reduce the risks from natural hazards is an objective, comprehensive assessment of the hazard(s), utilizing the available relevant scientific data. Maps can be an effective medium in communicating hazard information. However, the content and graphical portrayal of a map must be clear and easily understood, even to non-specialists. In recent years, scientific communities have increasingly recognized the need to improve the preparation of hazards maps. In 2007 the Multinational Andean Project: Geoscience for Andean Communities, a cooperative project involving Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, (funded by those countries and the Canadian International Development Agency), convened two workshops (Puerto Varas, Chile, in March 2007; Quito, Ecuador, in July 2007) addressing hazards maps (mostly focusing on volcanic hazards but also landslide hazards). The Puerto Varas workshop involved only scientists, whereas the Quito gathering involved scientists and users of hazards assessments and maps. The workshops were organized to achieve the following objectives: 1) to analyse the development and representation of the hazards maps taking into consideration the users and their experience with these types of maps; 2) to present the latest international advances in the development and representation of hazards maps; and 3) to comment on and make recommendations about the application of hazard maps in territorial land use and emergency response.
The following topics were discussed and recommendations made: criteria for the preparation of maps; map content; map vs. informative material; scale; presentation of hazard zones at greater detail; map with or without explanatory text; maps that display hazard by level or by process; map presentation; cartographic names vs. names used by the public; colours; glossary; inclusion of photos in the map; use of labels; use of isopleths; static and dynamic maps, and scenario maps. The workshops produced 17 recommendations for the preparation of hazard maps. Theses results are published in a special multinational publication series created by the Chilean Government. The paper "Lineamientos para la preparación, representación y socialización de mapas de amenazas/peligros geológicos" appears in The Andean Experience in the Mitigation of Geological Risk/Experiencias Andinas en mitigación de riesgos geológicos. Proyecto Multinacional Andino: Geociencias para las Comunidades Andinas. Publicación Geológica Multinacional, No. 6, 2007, ISSN 0717-3733.
|
