There are approximately 1,500 potentially active volcanoes around the world and only one international volcano response team that can deploy to help prevent eruptions from becoming disasters: the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), now celebrating more than 35 years of providing technical assistance worldwide. The former USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and the U.S. Geological Survey established VDAP in 1986 in response to the tragic eruption of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano in Colombia, which killed more than 23,000 people from volcanic mudflows.
With more than $56 million of support from USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, VDAP scientific teams have responded to over 70 major crises at more than 50 volcanoes and strengthened response capacity in 13 countries since the program began. At the request of affected governments, VDAP helps fellow scientists monitor volcanic activity, assess hazards, generate eruption forecasts, and develop early warning capabilities to get people out of harm's way. Below are highlights of some major responses that demonstrate how VDAP has helped save tens of thousands of lives.
