South Asia, comprising 8 countries including Bangladesh, the Maldives and Nepal, is affected by a range of natural disasters including floods, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), storm surges, droughts, cyclones and heavy precipitation. These disasters take a huge toll as they displace thousands of people every year. The impact of natural hazards is amplified by the following facts: most countries in the region lack strong economies and infrastructure, majority of the population and the industries depend on land resources, and large proportions of the population live in environmentally vulnerable areas.