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"A powerful earthquake hit the Sichuan province of China near Ya'an city over the weekend reportedly killing some 200 people. Thousands of rescue workers have been deployed to help feed, treat, and house the displaced residents and help clear roads blocked by landslides in the remote area. The quake comes just short of five years after a massive quake in the same region killed some 70,000 people. -- Lloyd Young ( 46 photos total)"

"At least 16 people have died after Mount Sinabung erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The 8,530ft peak spewed out lava and gas, sending burning ash on to its slopes. Thousands fled on foot and in vehicles to escape the deadly clouds. The volcano had been rumbling for months and people had only recently moved back to their homes after it was believed the seismic activity was diminishing"

"Three-and-a-half years after a devastating earthquake that killed 200,000 people, Haiti is slowly returning to normal. There used to be 1.5 million people living under tents in the immediate aftermath of the quake - that number has now dropped to 320,000."

"An earthquake of magnitude 8.2 has jolted northern Chile, triggering a tsunami alert and the evacuation of thousands of people from coastal areas. At least five people were killed and more than 300 women escaped from a coastal prison."

"It is three and a half years after Haiti's devastating earthquake - and the country is still recovering. Although the number of people living in camps in the centre of the capital city is getting smaller, on the outskirts of Port au Prince a huge slum city is springing up."

"Around three-quarters of all deaths in earthquakes are due to building collapse - and poor people bear the brunt. As rescue efforts continue in Nepal, Robin Cross argues for safer, more resilient reconstruction"

Today, there are more people at risk from natural hazards than ever before, with those in developing countries particularly at risk. Whilst achieving the correct response to such disasters is critical, so too is forecasting events and planning to minimise their impact. The field of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) plays a critical role in this process, and this report seeks to draw on the excellent work already being done on DRR around the world. The project has been guided by a group of experts from a range of disciplines, and was informed by the best current research across the physical sciences, health, social sciences and economics. Its findings will help UK and international policy-makers navigate a challenging and uncertain future. Download the report or the executive summary below.  You can find all supporting evidence and documentation here.

Ageing populations and urbanisation could leave the world's poorest countries increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, the UK's chief scientific adviser warned on Tuesday. "Vulnerability will go soaring," said Sir John Beddington. "Extreme events will happen every five years instead of every 20. Vulnerability will come from changing climate, demography and most people living in cities."

"A powerful earthquake struck the steep hills of China's south-western Sichuan province on Saturday , leaving at least 156 people dead and more than 2,600 injured, nearly five years after a devastating quake wreaked widespread damage across the region."

President Otto Perez Molina told the BBC that 22 people were still missing and as many as 10,000 houses may have been rendered uninhabitable

Eruption that has not impacted on people. Also use Hawaiin eruptions

"Volcanic ash shrouds a large swath of Java, the country's most densely populated island, after the overnight eruption killed two, forced 100,000 people from their homes and closed international airports"

"Ash cloud from Java island's Mount Kelud forces 100,000 people to flee their homes and international airports to close"

"Mt Kelud spews ash and sand over six-mile radius, grounding flights and affecting 200,000 people"

"The 2011 Japan tsunami, which killed up to 20,000 people and caused the partial meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant, was made worse by an underwater landslide, according to scientists."

"It has been four years since the Italian medieval city of L'Aquila was hit by an earthquake. More than 300 people died and thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed. Of the 70,000 left homeless, around 20,000 have been unable to return to their original homes."

"Provincial official puts death toll from magnitude 7.7 quake in Awaran district in Baluchistan at 210, with 375 people injured"

"Following the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the UN and other humanitarian organisations scrambled to provide sufficient housing for 1.5 million Haitians. At the end of 2013, around 150,000 people were still living in temporary structures and makeshift tents. Progress to rebuild the country has been slow."

"Hundreds of people living in the shadow of the Colima volcano in western Mexico are evacuated after a spectacular smoke and lava show raised concern the eruption could become the biggest in a century. Half a dozen hamlets in Colima state are affected. The Colima volcano, also know as the Volcano of Fire, has erupted more than 40 times since the 16th century"

"More people are thought to be buried and a further 13 have been injured after heavy overnight rains; rescuers are still making their way to the region"