1. With a population of 156 million people (July 2009 est.), the most disaster prone country in the world is Bangladesh. This country is at risk from extreme weather and geophysical events. The geographical settings of Bangladesh makes it prone to natural disasters. The disasters include floods, cyclones, tornadoes, drought, flash-floods, hailstorm and lightning, erosion, landslides and earthquakes. Notable in history is the Bangladesh Cyclones-2007.
2. Indonesia is second at risk from tsunamis and earthquakes. In the past few years, Indonesia has had its fair share of natural disasters ranging from volcanic eruptions to tsunamis to earthquakes. The country has always been vulnerable to huge earthquakes. Recently, on the the 4th of April, 2012, A magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurred offshore of Banda Aceh on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 02:38:37 PM local time, not far from the location of the 2004 M9.1 event which triggered a tsunami killing almost a quarter of a million people across the Indian Ocean.
3. Iran lies at the third position. Prone to seismic events. On the 11th of August, 2012, two earthquakes measuring 6.3 and 6.4 struck 11 minutes separately northeast of Tabriz and southwest of Ahar, Iran. 250 people were reportedly killed and over 2000 injured.
4. Pakistan- Landslides and earthquakes. Home to 187,343,000 (2011 est.) people, Pakistan, apart from its social and economic problems, is vulnerable to most of the world's natural disasters. The history of the country is clouded with natural disasters ranging from the 1935 Balochistan Earthquake to the August 21, 2012 Monsoon.
5. Ethiopia- Famine and extreme recurrent drought. Also at the risk of volcanic eruptions, Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world. The dry lands periodically experience heavy seasonal rainfalls, which cause flooding leading to internal displacement and increased risks for diseases related to inert water such as malaria, diarrhea, cholera and typhoid.
6. Sudan- Drought, floods and famine. With decades of armed conflicts. tense political status, economic changes and natural disasters, Sudan is known to have one of the highest rates of internally displaced people in the world. Heavy rains lead to flood and drought is also recurrent.
7. Mozambique- Floods. In addition to flood risks from high rainfall in the river catchment areas, Mozambique is prone to tropical cyclones that travel up the Mozambique Channel, particularly in the period of January to March each year.
8. Haiti- Prone to earthquakes. This country has the history of tragic natural disasters. Still fresh on our minds is the January 12, 2010: Magnitude-7.0 quake in Port-Au-Prince, that killed tens of thousands of people. Not only is Haiti vulnerable to magnanimous earthquakes, it also stands at the risk of fierce hurricanes. In 2008, four storms--Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike--dumped heavy rains on the impoverished nation. The rugged hillsides, stripped bare of 98% of their forest cover thanks to deforestation, let flood waters rampage into large areas of the country
9. The Philippines- Typhoons, landslides, major floods and other related disasters. In 2011, the country topped the list of world’s most disaster-hit countries. Based on the report, a total of 431 natural and human-induced disasters were reported in the Philippines in the past year. These killed 1,774 people, and affected more than three million families or 15.3 million people, and caused over P26 billion in economic damages.
10. Colombia- Vulnerable to hurricanes, landslides and earthquake, Colombia is strategically located in an area prone to various natural disasters. The history of Colombia is full of happenings in which catastrophic natural disasters cost thousands of people their lives.
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