Articles | Volume 26, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-1141-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-1141-2026
Research article
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05 Mar 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 05 Mar 2026

Mitigating Mazuku hazards: implementation and effectiveness of local dry-gas degassing measures in the Goma area (Virunga Volcanic Province)

Blaise Mafuko-Nyandwi

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Differences in volcanic risk perception among Goma's population before the Nyiragongo eruption of May 2021, Virunga volcanic province (DR Congo)
Blaise Mafuko Nyandwi, Matthieu Kervyn, François Muhashy Habiyaremye, François Kervyn, and Caroline Michellier
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 933–953, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-933-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-933-2023, 2023
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Cited articles

Adalbert, S. M., François, K., Moritz, L., Eléonore, W., and Caroline, M.: Spatio-temporal location of population: Strengthening the capacities of sudden hazards risk management in Goma, DRC, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 66, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102565, 2021. 
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Barclay, J., Haynes, K., Mitchell, T., Solana, C., Teeuw, R., Darnell, A., Crosweller, H. S., Cole, P., Pyle, D., Lowe, C., Fearnley, C., and Kelman, I.: Framing volcanic risk communication within disaster risk reduction: Finding ways for the social and physical sciences to work together, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 305, 163–177, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP305.14, 2008. 
Barclay, J., Haynes, K., Houghton, B., and Johnston, D.: Social Processes and Volcanic Risk Reduction, 2nd edn., 1203–1214, https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-385938-9.00069-9, 2015. 
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Editorial statement
This study offers integrated socio-spatial assessments of the mitigation of diffuse carbon dioxide degassing risk associated with Mazuku. The paper reveals how locally developed practices shape household perceptions of safety in Goma’s volcanic environment. The analysis advances community-centred, co-created risk governance for diffuse volcanic gas hazards. These findings provide a novel Global South perspective that bridges social perception with hazard monitoring, informing more inclusive and context-responsive strategies for managing persistent volcanic CO₂ risks.
Short summary
This paper studies how households in Goma (Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo) respond to mazuku – invisible, odourless carbon dioxide gas that accumulates in depressions. Surveys and interviews show that resource-intensive measures are adopted only by those who can afford them, while awareness measures are valued by all. The findings highlight that involving communities in designing risk mitigation that match their economic realities is essential.
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