Swept away by mudslides, entombed in lava or suffocated under ash, nearly 280,000 people have died in volcanic eruptions during the past four centuries, but only now has humanity managed to quantify the risk posed by these fiery phenomena. The first detailed assessment of global volcanic risk—part of a larger international hazard assessment released on March 4 by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction—aims to save lives by providing better information for risk planners and by showcasing effective response measures.
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