Recently India was ranked 5th in Global Climate Risk Index. The report is released by the Environment think tank, German watch
Key highlights of the Index
Status of India
- As per the report India is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change
- India’s rank has worsened from the 14th spot in 2017 to 5th in 2018 in the global vulnerability ladder
- The report mentions that India has also recorded the highest number of fatalities due to climate change and the second-highest monetary losses from its impact in 2018.
- India’s high rank is due to severe rainfalls, followed by heavy flooding and landslide that killed over 1000 people.
Global scenario
- It states that extreme weather, linked with climate change, is not only affecting poorer countries like Myanmar and Haiti, but also some of the world’s richest countries.
- Japan is the worst-hit country in 2018 (the last year covered by the data), while Germany and Canada were both also in the ‘bottom 10’, that is, the most affected.
- The results reflect the increasing damage caused by heatwaves, which scientists have found are being worsened by climate change.
- Other countries ranking in the bottom 20 in the overall climate risk categories are US, Vietnam, Bangladesh and France at 12th, 6th, 7th and 15th respectively.
- It also mentioned some issues to be addressed by CoP25.
About Germanwatch
- It is based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany)
- It is an independent development and environmental organization which works for the sustainable global development
- Its motto is Observing, Analysing, Acting for global equity and the preservation of livelihoods
