http://www.exercisewatermark.co.uk/en/homepage.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12661471

The largest flood defence exercise ever held in the UK is getting under way - and will last all week.

Exercise Watermark will involve thousands of people from the emergency services, councils and utility firms.

The practical test comes in the wake of heavy criticism of failings in the official response to the floods which hit several areas in 2007.

A series of scenarios across England and Wales will test the authorities' ability to co-ordinate.

One third of the buildings in central Christchurch were so badly damaged in last week's earthquake they may need to be demolished, authorities inNew Zealand have warned, as the death toll from the country's worst-ever disaster reaches 145, with 200 still missing.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/26/christchurch-earthquake-new-zealand-rescue

http://www.news.com.au/world/christchurch-cathedral-before-and-after/story-e6frfl00-1226010081646

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12534181

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/02/christchurch_earthquake.html

http://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2011/02/23/on-the-causes-of-the-high-levels-of-loss-in-the-christchurch-earthquake/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12565923

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/25/new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch-louise-amantillo

Australia's third largest city, Brisbane, is experiencing some of the worst flooding in the city's recent history. The water level was expected to peak at 1800 (GMT) on Wednesday and to remain high for about 12 hours. Thousands of people have fled their homes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12173960

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/qld-floods-disaster-worst-in-history-20110116-19sja.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/15/australian-floods-queensland-germaine-greer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12190895

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html

The tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit at 9:42 p.m., local time, on Monday near the western island of Sumatra. The resulting waves killed more than 300 people. (See an Indonesia map.)

A few hours later the 9,700-foot (3,000-meter) volcano Mount Merapi, on the eastern island of Java, blew a pillar of hot ash and debris into the sky, killing at least 30 people living on its slopes. (See pictures of Mount Merapi erupting.)

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/10/dual_disasters_in_indonesia.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/101027-indonesia-tsunami-volcano-eruption-mount-merapi-world-science/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11699866