The East Africa famine calls into question the wisdom of investing in early warning systems without improving take-up, writes Linda Nordling.

The current drought in northern Kenya has deep roots in the current practices of pastoralists that need to be addressed, says conservationist David Western.

Where corruption is rife, poor regulation and building practices can turn a moderate earthquake into a disaster, say Nicholas Ambraseys and Roger Bilham.

Stricter engineering regulations could have averted much of the damage caused by the Haiti earthquake, says US seismologist Roger Bilham.

Soil science and agroforestry can help tackle climate change and boost crop yields, say M. S. Swaminathan and Dennis Garrity.

Volcano expert Geoff Wadge explains how the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters helped manage a volcanic eruption in Montserrat.

Africans need to be more aware of earthquakes to cope with disasters — and there's no better place to start than in schools, says Chris Hartnady.

Everyone — from scientists to the public — has a role to play in preparing for earthquakes, says a Nature editorial.

The Global Earthquake Model is based on a sound foundation and deserves widespread support, says an editorial in Nature Geoscience.

Improved forecasting and mitigation strategies are essential to limiting the damage caused by tropical cyclones, says Peter J. Webster.

Let's encourage the mood of political cooperation on the big issues during the International Year of Planet Earth, says Nasser Ennih.

Better grassland protection and more targeted funding in rural China are needed to reduce the risk of sandstorms, argues Jiang Gaoming.

The Indian Department of Science and Technology's directive that only the India Meteorological Department can publish annual monsoon forecasts could set a dangerous precedent, says R. Ramachandran.

An editorial in Nature welcomes plans for a globally-integrated system of Earth observation, but warns it must support the basic scientific activity of data collection.

Jan Zalasiewicz warns that closing UNESCO's Earth sciences division will have a severe impact on researchers in developing countries.