Earthquakes destroy buildings and infrastructure and often cause heavy loss of life.
Agriculture may be affected through burst dams, tidal waves or damage to standing crops or irrigation systems. Volcanic eruptions result in deposits of ash and mud flows which can affect agriculture over a wide area, destroying crops and grazing land and clogging irrigation channels. They may force people to evacuate the immediate vicinity of a volcano, leaving standing crops and sometimes livestock behind. Damage to standing crops, farm structures and livestock requires agricultural rehabilitation services that FAO is often best placed to provide.