These judgments validate many locals' beliefs that the flooding of 80 percent of New Orleans and the billions of dollars in damage were caused more by massive engineering failures than a natural disaster.

CNN: New Orleans is storming back

As a key component of the UNESCO s Project "Strategic Strengthening of Flood Warning and Management Capacity of Pakistan", the workshop was organized at NUST Institute of Civil Engineering from 20-23 Dec, 2011 in cooperation with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD), SUPARCO and other partner organizations.

UNESCO: NATURAL SCIENCES

While there are a number of ongoing investigations, including an independent review by the National Academy of Engineering, the purpose of this commission is to consider both the root causes of the disaster and offer options on what safety and environmental precautions are necessary.

WHITEHOUSE: Deepwater BP Oil Spill: Presidential Press Conference

While there are a number of ongoing investigations, including an independent review by the National Academy of Engineering, the purpose of this Commission is to consider both the root causes of the disaster and offer options on what safety and environmental precautions we need to take to prevent a similar disaster from happening again.

WHITEHOUSE: Weekly Address: BP Oil Spill Independent Commission

He said GM developers might think they would be successful by having "one form of clever genetic engineering after another", but he believed "that will be guaranteed to cause the biggest disaster environmentally of all time".

BBC: Charles in GM 'disaster' warning