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| HMAS Choules (Wiki Info) |
By Anthony Bergin
Japanese researchers have released the findings of a study suggesting that the risk of an earthquake measuring magnitude 7 or above striking the Tokyo metropolitan area within the next four years could be as high as 70 percent. The last time Tokyo was hit by a major earthquake was in 1923, when a7.9 magnitude quake killed more than 100,000 people.
Late last year, devastating flash floods killed over 1,200 people in the southern Philippines, while last month, dozens of villagers died and many more are still unaccounted for after a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea.
These events of the past 12 months have underscored the fact that the Asia-Pacific is the most natural disaster prone region in the world, with floods being the most frequent danger, followed by major storms, earthquakes and problems such as avalanches and landslides. Sadly, a combination of population growth, urbanization and climate change will see the number of lives lost through regional disasters rising in the coming years.
Read the full story at The Diplomat