Australia to host natural calamity talks

Australia will host a conference of neighbouring nations in a bid to reduce natural disaster risk in the world's most calamity-prone region.

Foreign minister Julie Bishop announced on Friday the 2020 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction would discuss the humanitarian, economic and environmental cost of regional disasters.

"As Australians, we are all too familiar with the disruption and devastation caused by drought, bushfires, cyclones and floods. The Indo-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world," Ms Bishop said in a statement on Friday.