ABSTRACT
About 500 million people are at risk in view of volcanic hazards. In the past 500 years, over 200,000 people have lost their lives due to volcanic eruptions. An average of 845 people died each year, between 1900 and 1986 as a result of volcanic hazards. In the coming years, these numbers are predicted to rise. The reason is not due to an increase in volcanic activity, but due to an increase in the population in the areas surrounding the active volcanoes. In Europe, this is the case of Naples (Italy), where Vesuvius and Phlegrean Fields, threaten the safety of about one million people. In other parts of the World, metropolitan areas, like Tokyo (Mt. Fuji), Mexico City (Popocatépetl) and Auckland (Auckland Field) are affected by eruptive risk.
