21st Century Challenges

Natural Disasters Risk Index (NDRI) ranks 229 countries on their vulnearability to natural disasters. Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iran have been rated as the nations most at risk from extreme weather and geophysical events according to a new study ranking 229 countries on their vulnerability to natural disasters. France, Italy and USA feature in highest-rated 50.

Five people are reported to have been killed in the US state of Oklahoma after several tornadoes ripped through the Southern Plains region. Hundreds of homes and businesses were destroyed and some highways were shut down because of wrecked cars and trucks.

Radio 4 Today Programme interview on 100 days of progress since the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010

Assessing lessons learnt from past natural disasters

Thousands of slum dwellers in Rio de Janeiro are facing forced eviction after intense rainstorms triggered the most lethal landslides in Rio's history, leaving at least 224 dead.

The quake's epicentre was 204km (127 miles) northwest of Sibolga on Sumatra's coast, at a depth of nearly 48km, the US Geological Survey said

Donors are to gather at the UN in New York to pledge billions of dollars to kickstart reconstruction in Haiti after January's devastating earthquake.

The world's system of dealing with earthquakes and floods is outdated

International development minister says capacity to respond to disasters is not keeping up with pace of crises

While the aid agencies are trying to make sure youngsters in Haiti have access to shelter, food and water, British volunteers are offering comfort through the medium of film.

Measures ranging from simply attaching shutters to windows to embedding steel bars in new structures can stop buildings from killing their occupants in natural disasters and should be used more widely, experts say.

Two months after more than 200,000 people died in the Haiti earthquake, there are questions about whether many of the deaths could have been avoided. A stronger earthquake in Chile killed a fraction of the numbers, and it is thought the quality of construction could have played a major role in each.

Almost two months after its Jan. 12 earthquake, Haiti no longer dominates the news. But it’s still top of mind for Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr, co-founders of the design services nonprofit Architecture for Humanity (AFH).

Cameron Sinclair and his organization, Architecture for Humanity, are working to help communities rebuild in Haiti.

Port au Prince, Haiti — The earthquake in Chile was far stronger than the one that struck Haiti last month, yet the death toll in Haiti was magnitudes higher. The reasons are simple.

Chile is wealthier and infinitely better prepared, with strict building codes, robust emergency response and a long history of handling seismic catastrophes. No living Haitian had experienced a quake at home when the Jan. 12 disaster crumbled their poorly constructed buildings.

During the crisis in Haiti, a remarkable story has unfolded; of how people around the world could virtually collaborate and contribute to the on-the-ground operations.

Seasonal rains and hurricanes spell trouble for Haiti at the best of times, but with hundreds of thousands of people living in flimsy shelters after last month's earthquake, this year the dangers are much greater.

A British United Nations humanitarian chief has criticised aid agencies working in Haiti for poor coordination and resourcing, which he said weakened confidence in their ability to deliver, according to a leaked email.

An emergency appeal launched by the international aid community within days of the Haiti earthquake has reached more than 95% of its $577m target. But as the rainy season approaches, and then the hurricane season, the situation for hundreds of thousands of people is still precarious and their needs urgent.

The Government of Indonesia, through the Agency for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction for Aceh & Nias (BRR) showed tremendous leadership in coordinating the US$7 billion reconstruction effort in Aceh and Nias.

The scale and magnitude of the earthquake in Haiti has shocked, saddened and horrified us all. But there is a silver lining to this great tragedy. Looking back in history, great natural disasters are often a catalyst for huge, positive change.

Engineers and architects who have worked in or visited Haiti say that substandard design, inadequate materials and shoddy construction practices likely contributed to the collapse of many buildings in the earthquake that struck Tuesday.

Cameron Sinclair who touched down on UK soil yesterday for a talk at the Royal Geographical Society, was on excitable form last night after news of the shortlisting was made public. 

The Haitian government and foreign partners will attend a donor pledging conference in New York on Wednesday, seeking solutions and funds to address continuing humanitarian needs in Haiti following the January 12 earthquake, and to guarantee its future stability and growth.

Heavy rain has caused flooding in Haiti, killing at least 13 and trapping people in their homes and cars