The principal aim of this research was to determine the vulnerability of two national parks (Fruška Gora and Djerdap) along the Serbian Danube region, which are protected areas of great national and international significance, to major natural hazards. An analysis of the potential hazards to the protected natural and cultural- historical values was performed, and the adequacy of the allocation of protected zones was then examined according to the vulnerabilities of these values to natural hazards. The creation of a multi-hazard map is the first important task for the prevention and mitigation of natural hazards in the risk-prone area. This research represents an important step in completing the European database by including data from Serbia, a territory that was a blank area in previous hazard maps.
We investigated damage to mangroves from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Pakarang Cape and Namkem, Thailand. Visual inspection of remotely sensed images revealed that 12 and 20 ha of mangrove forests were damaged, respectively, at Pakarang Cape and Namkem. Field surveys revealed that mangrove trees were destroyed particularly around the river mouths and channels. Numerical simulation indicated that the flow concentrated at the river mouth and inundated mangrove forests through river channels. We concluded that the tsunami flow pattern was largely affected by local river mouth and channel topography. Damage to mangroves might be severe in such areas.