Who is at particular risk? How many power plants are there around the world, how old and how safe are they? GLOBAL 3000 examines nuclear power facilities in earthquake-prone regions.Most Europeans think of earthquakes as disasters that happen elsewhere in the world and forget that Europe can also experience tremors.
The Belene nuclear power project in Bulgaria, for example, is very controversial. Nuclear reactors have to be able to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 8 on the Richter Scale. Like Japan, America's west coast could be hit by a severe earthquake and a tsunami, while the area surrounding North and South Korea is also vulnerable.