Attachments
U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
OVERVIEW
Since 1980, volcanic activity has killed more than 29,000 people globally and displaced more than 1 million others. With more than 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, an average of 10 eruptions a year cause significant damage and casualties, while major volcanic events occur several times a decade. Following the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia, which resulted in approximately 23,000 deaths, USAID/OFDA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) established the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) to respond to international volcanic events. Funded by USAID/OFDA and implemented by USGS, VDAP has provided technical assistance to national volcano monitoring organizations since 1986. VDAP staff serve on the only international rapid-response volcano crisis team in the world. VDAP contributes to the enhancement of risk reduction and response capacity in developing countries through donating volcano-monitoring equipment to local volcano observatory staff to track changes at volcanoes, developing early warning plans, and monitoring technology and hazard assessment training. VDAP has supported capacity building programs in many countries, mainly in East Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, where many of the most potentially deadly volcanoes are located. To date, VDAP has responded to 25 major crises and worked to build capacity in 12 countries, helping to save lives and protect property. USAID/OFDA has provided nearly $16.7 million worldwide to VDAP since its inception, including approximately $1.6 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. The success of VDAP underscores the value of preparedness and long-term international partnerships and the establishment and maintenance of national monitoring networks.