Natural Disasters

At this stage the New Zealand government says it is not considering sending personnel to Thailand or Myanmar to help with relief.

The pro-democracy government in exile says it has ordered its armed wing to halt all operations in the disaster zone for two weeks.

The 7.7 magnitude quake has crippled airports, bridges and highways amid a civil war that has wrecked the economy and displaced millions. Audio

Myanmar's junta has warned the death toll is likely to rise, after the powerful, shallow quake that shook the already war-torn country, and surrounding nations.

Photos have captured the devastation across the region after a powerful earthquake stuck Myanmar killing more than 140. Audio

An Auckland engineering student said her sister texted from Bangkok to say she was stuck in a mall and wasn't sure if she'd survive.

Much of the devastation was in Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, which lies close to the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake.

MFAT has accounted for all its staff in the area, and Kiwis in Myanmar and Thailand to let their families know they're OK.

Kāinga Ora says stormwater upgrades will reduce the risk of repeat flooding. Audio

New research suggests the phenomenon could double in New Zealand by the end of the century. Audio

Currently, New Zealand has no dedicated disaster loss database. This means we don't know how much extreme weather events and other types of disasters are costing us.

It outlined seven future plans for climate adaptation ranging from status quo to large-scale retreat with total costs ranging between $2 billion and $7.1 billion over the next 75 years.