Recent giant quakes in the Pacific region and Indian Ocean are most likely random, finds a study of statistical and physical data.

New research in the debate about the protection coastal forests offer against tsunamis finds community location is a more important factor.

Using GPS stations could greatly reduce the time needed to issue a tsunami warning, say scientists.

Bangladesh’s proneness to major earthquakes is to be studied under a new five-year project.

Several science initiatives funded by UNESCO, including the Caribbean tsunami alert system, may be affected by the US funding freeze.

Japan is one of the first case studies for FORIN, a forensic approach to understanding the underlying causes of disasters.

Deadly tsunamis could be detected more quickly using the existing array of coastal radar stations.

Researchers on Pacific islands will be trained on the science behind hazards such as storm surges and tsunamis.

The World Risk Report 2011 uses a novel index that shows Afghanistan and some African countries to be most vulnerable to hazards.

The discovery that tsunamis leave a distinct 'airglow fingerprint' in the atmosphere could yield a faster, more efficient detection system.

India will help primitive tribes in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands patent their traditional medicines.

Homes with floating foundations made from discarded plastic bottles could cut homelessness in flood-prone regions.

Chile and Japan have signed a US$3 million agreement to set up a joint programme for early warning of tsunamis and damage mitigation.

Buried mangrove forests act as earthquake-resistant foundations for buildings, a study in the Caribbean has found.

High-resolution satellite images could be used for long-term disaster recovery plans, say researchers.

A simple computer model can identify which earthquakes might cause unusually large tsunamis.

The crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power station has reignated the debate over India's mega nuclear project at Jaitapur.

Indonesia may have lifted its alert too early; the Philippines evacuated over 200,000 people and Papua New Guinea trialled its new SMS alert.

Indonesia will lead an attempt to coordinate disaster research and action on a regional scale.

Up to a fifth of people in Bangladesh do not understand media cyclone warnings, and others fail to heed them and take shelter.