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Volcanic risk management in Colombia 40 years after Armero

Nature Geoscience volume 18, pages 1074–1076 (2025)Cite this article

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The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia in November 1985 killed an estimated 25,000 people in the town of Armero. Forty years on, Colombia has transformed its geological risk management in the wake of this disaster, recognizing the importance of institutions, knowledge sharing and engagement with local communities.

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Fig. 1: Location map of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, towns, rivers, lahars that occurred in 1985.
Fig. 2: Timeline of warning signals of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano and actions taken before the 1985 eruption.

Daniel Steeves / Alamy

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  1. Independent consultant, Bogota, Colombia

    Marta Calvache

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  1. Marta Calvache
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Correspondence to Marta Calvache.

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Calvache, M. Volcanic risk management in Colombia 40 years after Armero. Nat. Geosci. 18, 1074–1076 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-025-01830-0

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