For centuries, the Dutch have been trying to keep their heads over water by barricading out the sea and the rivers. But there comes a point when the environment has to be considered when reclaiming land and strengthening dykes

Volcanic activity in the Zambales range, of which Mount Pinatubo is a part, started 7 million years ago and Pinatubo itself has been active for 1.1 million years. Pinatubo last erupted about 400 years ago.

On Monday the 15th January 1934 Calcutta experienced an earthquake shock of fair intensity which lasted for over three minutes. News from the country was available only next morning, showing that Patna, Monghyr and Jamalpur had suffered severely. News from the most affected region arrived only two or three days later. It was then learnt that the area enclosed by the Ganges, the Gandak and the Kosi, in which lie the districts of Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur had suffered most severely.