The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) in partnership with The University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) showcased work and research based on the theme: The 2020-21 eruption of La Soufrière Volcano, St. Vincent.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, who delivered the feature address during the opening ceremony of the country conference, highlighted the resilience of Vincentians when facing adversity.
“With all of these constellation of forces we’re able to have a restoration from our ruins, from our devastation, part of it we are not a people of lamentations. Morning by morning new mercies we seek, all that we need thy hand had provided, great is thy faithfulness; and we believe that very sincerely and we act it out,” he said.
“You may not realize it when you see us in our gaiety, in our dances, in our music, in our joy of life and living. You may say mistakenly “this is an unserious people, this is a people who can’t cope with these things,” well, not only have we coped, we have triumphed over extraordinary adversity,” he continued.
The aim of the conference was to highlight research that has been or is being undertaken on La Soufrière Volcano with particular focus on the eruption that occurred between December 27, 2020 and April 22, 2021.
La Soufriere volcano began erupting effusively in December 2020 with at least thirty-one explosive events recorded between April 9th-22nd, 2021.