Though a land of verdant beauty, India is a nation plagued by natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and earthquakes. The states of Assam and Bihar have experienced more frequent and intense flooding in recent years. This is due to a number of reasons including river beds becoming clogged with silt from large-scale deforestation resulting in increased runoff and changed river courses or spill over, often causing massive displacement and loss of resources among the rural poor. Large-scale flooding in 2009 in India killed hundreds, displaced millions, and left many with few if any resources to recover.
