Natural and Environmental Disasters

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is included in the Comoros Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and is also institutionalized into the policies of the Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications and Tourism; Ministry of Health, Solidarity and Gender; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Industry, Craft and Environment; Ministry of National Education, Research, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports; and the Ministry of Land-Use Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Energy. Natural Risk and Vulnerability Assessments have been partially conducted in the Comoros.

The Comorian population is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, both ecological and anthropogenic, and its resources do not enable it to respond to disasters effectively. The Comoros is at risk for volcanic eruptions, cyclones and floods. As the majority of the population lives near the coast the effects of a tsunami would also be catastrophic, though one has yet to occur. There are neither early warning nor evacuation plans in place to mitigate damage in the case of a tsunami. Cyclones are the most common environmental hazard, occurring typically between November and April each year and creating 1,000 disaster victims on average annually. Volcanic eruptions have also occurred semi-regularly, and a government-sponsored National Volcanic Observatory has been established to monitor the country’s most active volcanoes. Eruptions occurred on Grande Comore in recent years, and such eruptions are often accompanied by earthquakes , landslides and explosions, often causing a shower of sand and ash that invades almost three quarters of the island. There have also been rapid movements of the population in response to these disasters. Hurricanes or tropical storms come every year with varying degrees of magnitude and cause enormous damage. They are the origin of floods that leave some families without shelter or sustenance. Cholera epidemics are common in the Comoros. Malaria is endemic and is the leading cause of mortality. Shipwrecks and airplane accidents are also common, with at least 100 people loosing their lives each year in illegal crossings between Anjouan and Mayotte.