Scientist Warned of Tsunami Disaster in Japan

Long before the tsunami hit Japan last year, paleontologist Koji Minoura had been warning of the danger. Minoura found evidence that a huge tsunami hit Sendai in the year 869, and he cautioned that a similar disaster was overdue.

Disaster cleanup in Japan

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Two weeks after the quake and tsunami in Japan, the work of clearing debris and putting up pre-fabricated houses is gathering momentum. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Kathy Mueller of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, who is in the worst-affected area of northern Japan. Download MP3

First-hand account of earthquake

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Anchor Marco Werman finds out what the earthquake felt like from Eric Due, an American who’s lived in Japan for 20 years. Due was working at his job in the newsroom of The Japan Times when the quake struck. Download MP3

Japan quake prompts nuclear emergency

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with nuclear safety expert Charles Ferguson about the nuclear power emergency caused by today’s earthquake in Japan. The quake knocked out the cooling and backup power systems at a nuclear power plant about 150 miles north of Tokyo. Download MP3

Stampede in Cambodia kills hundreds

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Three hundred and seventy five people are now known to have died in the stampede at a festival in Cambodia. Twice as many more were injured after panic spread through the crowds crossing a narrow bridge.The tragedy happened as the annual water festival, the country’s biggest celebration, was coming to a close.The BBC’s Alistair Leithead has the story from Phnom Penh. Download MP3

Cambodia mourns water festival deaths

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Author Loung Ung says the deaths at Cambodia’s water festival represent the first major trauma experienced by Cambodians since Pol Pot.Ung, the author of “First They Killed My Father,” speaks with anchor Lisa Mullins. Download MP3

• Books by Loung Ung

Designers and architects brainstorm Haiti’s future

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In the aftermath of last month’s earthquake, rebuilding Haiti will likely take years. Designers and architects across the globe want to help. In fact, they’ll be holding an series of brainstorming sessions across the globe tomorrow. The World’s Clark Boyd reports on “Global Pecha Kucha Night for Haiti.” Download MP3

• What is a Pecha Kucha night?
• Pecha Kucha for Haiti
• Pecha Kucha Haiti events in your city

Talking Travel: Tourism and Haiti’s recovery

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In this episode of Talking Travel, we talk about Haiti’s past, present and future as a tourist destination. Lonely Planet Haiti guide author Paul Clammer talks about just how much the earthquake has affected the country’s status as an up-and-coming tourist destination, and what role tourism might play in the recovery. (Photo: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images)

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Online mapping helps Haiti relief efforts

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When the earthquake struck Haiti last week, aid workers and geographers alike realized that there were no good maps of the country. A group of volunteers quickly sprang into action. Open Street Maps has been putting together a real-time view of what Haiti looks like on the ground. Aid organizations and rescue teams are actively using their maps to direct and coordinate relief efforts. The World’s Clark Boyd reports. Download MP3

• Haiti Open Street Map
• Ushahidi for Haiti
• Google Person Finder: Haiti Earthquake
• iPhone app for Haiti Disaster Relief

Local radio proves a lifeline in Haiti

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Communications are still disrupted in Haiti, hampering relief efforts. Cell phone service, is, however, slowly being restored, as are Internet connections. But in the aftermath of the earthquake, many Haitians have turned to local radio as a way to get, and share, information. We hear from Mario Viau, director of SignalFM in Port-au-Prince, which has somehow managed to keep broadcasting, on the airwaves and online, since the earthquake struck. Download MP3

• SignalFM website
• Listen online

Text donations aid Haitian relief efforts

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One thing that the ongoing relief effort in Haiti requires is money. And lots of it. US aid groups like the American Red Cross are asking folks to reach into their pockets to help. But they’re not necessarily asking them to reach for their wallets. Instead, they’re offering a service where mobile phone users can simply send a text message to make their donations. The World’s Clark Boyd has more. Download MP3

• More on the Red Cross text campaign
• Mobile Active’s list of text campaigns

Telecommunications critical in Haiti relief effort

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“Telecommunications isn’t a luxury in emergency response. It’s core to the mission,” says Paul Margie (not pictured), US representative for the group Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF). TSF volunteers are currently on the ground in Haiti, trying to set up internet and phone access for humanitarian workers, and for locals. The World’s technology correspondent Clark Boyd speaks with anchor Jeb Sharp. Download MP3 (Photo courtesy of TSF)

• Télécoms Sans Frontières
• Ushahidi: Mapping the Crisis in Haiti
• Latest on Haiti logistics from the World Food Program
• Frontline/World: An interview with head of Haiti’s Multilink Internet Service

Bhopal disaster: 25 years later

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25 years after the world’s worst industrial accident, The World’s Rhitu Chatterjee looks at the legacy in India of the toxic gas release that likely killed more than 20,000 people. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• ‘Waiting for justice’ 25 years after Bhopal disaster
• Photo gallery