Citation

Crittenden KS. Nat. Hazards Rev. 2001; 2(2): 72-79.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, American Society of Civil Engineers)

DOI

10.1061/(ASCE)1527-6988(2001)2:2(72)

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Since the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines, the surrounding communities have incurred recurrent threats to life, livelihood, and property when heavy monsoon and typhoon rains trigger flowing mixtures of volcanic debris and water called lahars. The extreme costs of such natural disasters have highlighted the need for hazard mitigation strategies to minimize the disruptive effects on human settlements. Based on the concepts of sustainable hazard mitigation, the disaster resistance community, and civic capital, the author considers the experience, recovery process, and prospects for sustainability of a town, Bacolor, that has been severely affected by the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo volcano and its aftermath. A discussion of street and highway repair projects is included. Lahars have buried almost the entire town at least once in deposits up to 9 m thick. Most of the residents have abandoned their homes, but several hundred families, whose homes have been buried up to the second-story level or higher, have stayed in the town proper. Attempting recovery without outside assistance and learning from their experience with lahars, residents made several adaptations that may enhance the sustainability of the town. Elevation of ground level by lahar deposition has made Bacolor less vulnerable than nearby towns to flooding and lahars. The town needs support from the national government to engage in comprehensive planning to guide further reconstruction as a disaster resistant community.