PORT MORESBY, 09 October 2008 (IRIN) - For a country as disaster-prone as Papua New Guinea, with a history of deadly cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, it is surprising that the Centre for Disaster Reduction was not established until 2002.

COLOMBO, 09 October 2008 (IRIN) - Sri Lanka's struggling tourism industry - hard hit by the conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and government forces, and with security concerns increasing in Colombo, the capital - is banking on the island's traditional attractions to lure tourists back again.

PESHAWAR, 08 October 2008 (IRIN) - Karamullah Khan, aged five, can remember nothing of the day three years ago that changed forever the life of his family. The boy was only two when the devastating earthquake of 8 October 2005 hit North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, bringing the roof of his house crashing down. At least 72,000 were killed.

KATHMANDU , 08 October 2008 (IRIN) - Nepal is becoming a disaster hotspot, with natural hazards increasing over the past two decades, according to aid agencies. Floods, landslides, fire, cyclonic winds, hailstorms, drought and famine are among the disasters gripping the Himalayan nation with increasing ferocity.

MANILA, 08 October 2008 (IRIN) - About 20 typhoons hit each year and earthquakes occur frequently as the island nation lies within the so-called "Ring of Fire" in Asia. The last deadly earthquake struck Luzon Island in 1990, killing about 1,600 people. The country has become more adept at disaster preparedness and mitigation measures that substantially reduced the risk of deaths.

DHAKA , 08 October 2008 (IRIN) - Natural disasters are synonymous with Bangladesh, with floods, cyclones, tornados, epidemics and river bank erosion often occurring simultaneously - and with increasing ferocity.