Vulnerable Areas of Nicaragua
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ScribdTranslationsVulnerable Areas of Nicaragua
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ScribdTranslationsVulnerable areas of Nicaragua
The departments with high vulnerable areas to earthquakes are:
San Juan River
Rivas
Carazo
Pleasant
Managua
Chinandega
Estelí
Madriz
New Segovia
Chontales and
Southern Caribbean.
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and at the same time the poorest.
a long history of unequal land distribution, internal conflicts and
political instability. Its geographical position places it in the so-called 'ring of
"fire" that surrounds the Pacific Ocean and outlines the contact zone of the plates
Coco and Caribbean.
It is frequently struck by earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions.
From 1892 to 1998, 39 severe meteorological phenomena originated in the
The Caribbean Sea has affected its territory, including depressions, storms.
tropical and hurricanes.
The capital, Managua, is the city with the highest threat of earthquakes, due to the fact that it
seat in the place where the volcanic chain changes direction and the game of the
tectonic forces are more complex than in other areas. In the last 30 years,
seven important hurricanes and five tropical storms have struck the country, from
which Fifi (September 1974) Joan (October 1988) and Mitch (October of
1998) were tremendously devastating.
In most cases, the orographic features of the territory
Nicaraguan, with mountain ranges in the center of the country, have contributed to
significantly reduce the strength of hurricanes, but the heavy rains that it
These phenomena usually cause serious floods.
Droughts, associated with the El Niño phenomenon, generally damage the regions.
Pacific, northern and central. Like the rest of the countries in the area, the
economic imbalances, poverty, and the abuse of natural resources
they increase the risk of natural disasters.
Vulnerabilities and Threats from Earthquakes
Nicaragua is a seismic country throughout its entire territory; however, the
the greatest risks of earthquakes are found in the macro region of the Pacific,
They are reduced in the macro region of the center of the country and even more in the regions
autonomous Caribbean.
Read more
The Pacific macro region has the highest seismic activity, both due to its proximity to
the subduction zone, as well as the number of existing local seismic faults
and the presence of volcanoes which can also generate seismic events.
About 1,797 communities with a population of 1,700,000 people located
mainly from urban areas, are exposed to a high risk of the effects
of earthquakes, with fragility being the main factor of vulnerability
constructive of their homes as well as other aspects of their conditions
economic and cultural.
The central area of the Pacific region and mainly the Capital constitutes the
area with the highest risk, both due to the geological characteristics of the area,
presence of volcanoes as well as the concentration of population it represents
almost 35% of the total population of the country.
Vulnerabilities and Danger from Volcanoes
Nicaragua has a volcanic chain consisting of 18 volcanoes, among
which six show different degrees of permanent activity during the
last 50 years: San Cristóbal, Telica, Cerro Negro, Momotombo, Masaya and
Concepción. All active volcanism is concentrated within the geological terrain.
known as the depression of Nicaragua, in the Pacific of the country.
Read more
The highest levels of risk from volcanic eruption have been identified for 293
communities with a population of almost 400,000 people, although it is located
exposed a little over one million one hundred thousand inhabitants. Although in the last two
For decades, the events that have occurred are lesser, it is one of the dangers.
latent in the country.
The departments with the highest risk due to the activity level of the volcanoes are
those from the Pacific. However, due to the danger posed by some of them, they acquire
greater relevance the departments of Chinandega, León, Managua, Masaya and
Rivers on Ometepe Island.
Vulnerabilities and Susceptibility to Landslides
Due to the mountainous topography of the country and the presence of the volcanic chain, there are
conditions for the occurrence of landslides and avalanches
of different magnitudes, mainly during the rainy season, the presence
of hurricanes or other types of extreme weather events, mainly in
the second rainy season of the year, which spans from September to November.
Read more
The highest levels of landslide risk have been identified for 457.
communities with a population of almost 113,000 people; the location in
mountainous or volcanic slopes, proximity to natural waterways or slopes in
urban areas and especially cultural aspects make these populations
they are highly vulnerable to these events.
The regions of the Center of the Country, mainly in the departments of Nueva
Segovia, Madriz, Matagalpa, Boaco and Chontales, the West of the Pacific and Rivas
on the Island of Ometepe are the territories with the highest level of exposure and risks to
slips.
Vulnerabilities and Threats from Droughts
The highest levels of drought risk have been identified throughout the country.
for 596 communities with a population of almost 300,000 inhabitants, which is
can increase due to the presence of meteorological phenomena (El Niño), the
what can
The departments with the highest risk are in the Pacific and Central Regions.
from the country: León, Chinandega, Estelí, Madriz, Nueva Segovia and Matagalpa. Without
embargo, in some months of the year other municipalities are also affected by
those same departments as a result of other meteorological phenomena.
Vulnerabilities and Susceptibility to Floods
Both coasts of the country have conditions for the phenomenon to occur.
floods (due to its height relative to sea level, the presence of rivers of
long and medium range and as well as the culture of settling in the river basins of the
rivers), mainly in the second rainy season of the year that spans between
September and November.
Nicaragua is subdivided into two main hydrographic basins, the basin
of the Pacific with an area of 12,183 square kilometers, which represent
9% of the national territory, and the Atlantic slope with an area of 117,420
square kilometers, equivalent to 91% of the national territory surface.
The rivers of the Pacific slope constitute the surface drainage of 8
small watersheds, whose rivers do not exceed 80 km in length,
except for the Estero Real River. The rivers of the Atlantic slope are of
long journey and they are distributed in 13 relatively large basins, with a
flow regime rich and permanent.
From a meteorological point of view, most of the country is characterized by the
presence of rains between May and November; however, not only this period
varies between the three macro regions of the country (Pacific: May-November; Center:
May-January; Caribbean: May-February); but also in the average volumes
of precipitation: Pacific, the annual average of precipitation ranges between 1000 mm and
2000 mm; in the North and Center, the annual average fluctuates from 800 mm in the valleys.
intra-mountainous at 2500 mm, on the eastern slopes of the mountain ranges. In the
In the Caribbean, the annual average precipitation is in the range of 2500 mm.
in its northern part, up to more than 5000 mm in the southeasternmost tip.
On the other hand, regarding this behavior of the rainfall regime, it is added
events such as the presence of the El Niño or La Niña phenomenon, as well as others
meteorological phenomena, often of a regional nature, whose presence
It involves an increase in rainfall levels and occurs the
flood phenomenon.
The highest levels of flood risk are found in 700 communities.
with a population of almost 300,000 people; the construction fragility,
proximity to the banks of rivers and natural or urban waterways, located in areas
low coastal areas and especially cultural aspects make these populations
highly vulnerable to these events.
The autonomous regions of the Caribbean, the Department of Río San Juan are the
territories with the highest level of exposure and risks to the direct effects of
hurricanes; however, these events also gain importance in the
departments of Managua, Granada, Rivas, Chinandega, and León in the Pacific.
Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia, Zelaya Central, Boaco and Chontales in the Center of
country.
Vulnerabilities and Susceptibility to Tsunamis
The proximity to the subduction zone off the coast of Nicaragua (150 kms
average) where the continuous activity of the Coco tectonic Plates occurs and
Caribbean, make the entire Pacific coastal area exposed to the presence
of the tsunami; however, recent studies show that the Caribbean coast does not
is exempt from this danger mainly if the populations are taken into account
that inhabit their islands and cays.
Read more
The highest tsunami risk levels have been identified throughout the country for
197 communities with a population close to 200,000 inhabitants; of these,
87 communities correspond to the Pacific coast with approximately
110,000 people.
The departments with the highest risk are in the Pacific and are the following:
Leon, Chinandega, Managua, Carazo, and Rivas. In fact, the last tsunami that
affected the country (September 1992), affected with different degrees of magnitude
communities of these departments.
Vulnerabilities to Hurricanes
The country is a natural corridor for weather phenomena of different magnitudes.
those who travel from the Caribbean to the Pacific; however, in the last three
For decades, the presence of these phenomena from the Pacific Ocean has become
more frequent. In fact, the period with the highest probability of presence of
Hurricanes are between June 1 and November 30.
Read more
Due to the dynamics of cyclonic events, the areas with the greatest risks to
The effects of hurricanes are felt in the Caribbean regions; however, with the
presence of extreme events such as Hurricane Juana (1988) or Mitch (1998) or
the appearance of hurricanes on the Pacific coasts, in which they have been seen
affected populations in the Center and the Pacific of the country can be affirmed that
Practically the entire population is exposed to the effects of these phenomena.
The greatest risk from the effects of hurricanes is found 1,678.
communities with a population of 1,600,000 people; structural fragility
of the homes of the exposed families, their location near the riverbanks
important and in low coastal areas, the practices of artisanal fishing and about
everything, cultural aspects of life practices, make these populations
they are highly vulnerable to these events.
The autonomous regions of the Caribbean, the Department of Río San Juan are the
territories with the highest level of exposure and risks to the direct effects of
hurricanes, which does not negate the importance of the Rivas departments,
Chinandega and León in the Pacific.
Vulnerabilities to Wildfires
Like the rest of the countries in the region, the country's location in the sub-
tropical, the increase in temperature, the presence of volcanic activity, the
traditional practices in agriculture and the extension of the agricultural frontier create
the conditions for wildfires to occur.
The highest levels of wildfire risk have been identified throughout
the country for 531 communities with a population of almost 160,000 inhabitants, the
which can be increased by the presence of meteorological phenomena (The
Child or the effects of hurricanes), which can increase the conditions for
that forest and agricultural fires occur.
The regions where wildfires are recorded with the highest incidence
they are from the western Pacific, the center of the country and the Autonomous Region of
North Caribbean. However, in some months of the year they are also affected.
other municipalities in those same regions as a result of other phenomena
meteorological conditions and population practices.