ABSTRACT

Chapters 11 and 12 report case studies from India, a subcontinent whose unique geo-climatic conditions make it vulnerable to natural disasters. Approximately 57 percent of India is vulnerable to earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 1.7 to 9.3 on the Richter scale; 12 percent and 8 percent are vulnerable to fl oods and cyclones, respectively. In terms of losses of human lives and national assets, the Super Cyclone of October 1999 caused more than 9,000 deaths; the Bhuj earthquake of January 2001 resulted in 14,000 deaths; and the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 accounted for the deaths of nearly 15,000 persons.