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Tropical cyclone frequency
Tropical cyclones, or hurricanes or typhoons, are storm weather systems, characterized by a low pressure centre, thunderstorms and high windspeeds. As the name testifies,…
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Conflicts and disasters – potential powder kegs (landmines and other explosives)
The planet is scattered with hazardous or explosive leftovers from a succession of technical breakthroughs – be they military or industrial – just waiting…
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APELL (Awareness and preparedness for emergencies at local level) sites in India
Awareness and preparedness for emergencies at local level (APELL). APELL achieves its aims through community participation in emergency planning, via a structured dialogue between…
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No shelter – refugees, sanitation and slums
In the face of any calamity we instinctively take refuge under a roof. This is little use against a chemical or nuclear accident, but…
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Industrial hot spots Tisza river basin
On 30 January 2000 a tailing dam at the Aurul Mine in Romania overflowed and released 100,000 cubic metres of effluent containing cyanide into…
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Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In the DCR, thousands people earn their living from digging with bare hands and simple shovels to extract ore. They live with the constant…
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Fish catch and production
Fishing activities have various negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The greatest cause for concern is the rapid depletion of fish population due to extensive…
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Trends in natural disasters
With growing population and infrastructures the world’s exposure to natural hazards is inevitably increasing. This is particularly true as the strongest population growth is…
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Early warning systems
Every year, disasters caused by weather, climate and water-related hazards impact on communities around the world, leading to loss of human life, destruction of…
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Global costs of extreme weather events
The loss data on great natural disasters in the last decades show a dramatic increase in catastrophe losses. A decade comparison since 1960 is…
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Threat of bad bugs
Locust invasions are a major threat to the agriculture, pasture, food security and social stability of rural populations occupying a very large area from…
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Barren Lands
Deforestation is well known for aggravating erosion. Bare soil has no protection against heavy rain, washing away immediately. On hillsides, it readily turns into…