New Delhi:
In a stark reflection of the escalating climate crisis, India has been ranked among the top 10 countries most severely impacted by climate-related extreme weather events over the past three decades. According to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 published by Germanwatch, India experienced over 400 extreme weather events between 1993 and 2022, resulting in nearly $180 billion in economic losses and at least 80,000 fatalities.
The CRI, which analyzes the economic and human toll of extreme weather events, places India sixth in the global ranking, highlighting the devastating impact of floods, cyclones, and heatwaves on the country. This ranking is part of a broader picture where Global South countries, including India, are disproportionately affected by such events due to significant data gaps and insufficient climate finance.
The CRI 2025 is based on a comprehensive dataset that includes information from the EM-DAT international disaster database, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Globally, the report notes that from 1993 to 2022, over 9,400 extreme weather events caused more than 765,000 fatalities and $4.2 trillion in direct economic losses. Dominica, China, and Honduras were the top three countries most affected during this period, followed by Myanmar, Italy, India, Greece, Spain, Vanuatu, and the Philippines.
In India, recurring floods, cyclones, and heatwaves were the primary contributors to the damage. Notable events include the 1993, 1998, and 2013 floods, as well as severe heatwaves in 2002, 2003, and 2015. Cyclones such as those in Gujarat (1998), Odisha (1999), Hudhud (2014), and Amphan (2020) were particularly devastating, displacing millions and severely impacting agriculture.
Floods affected half of the people impacted globally, while storms caused the most significant economic losses, followed by heatwaves and droughts. The report emphasizes that countries in the Global South are often underreported due to data gaps, which could mask even greater economic and human impacts.
The UN Climate Summit (COP29) failed to deliver an ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on Climate Finance, a critical shortfall given the urgent need for additional climate finance to support vulnerable countries. The authors of the report stress that the identified needs and the great urgency of the climate challenges necessitate more than the proposed $300 billion annually by 2035, which is seen as a bare minimum response to the escalating crisis.
Scientists worldwide agree that human-induced climate change has intensified the frequency and scale of extreme weather events. This consensus underscores the critical need for increased climate adaptation finance and measures to address loss and damage. As the climate crisis continues to escalate, the next climate summit in Brazil must prioritize addressing these gaps to support the most vulnerable countries in enhancing their adaptive capacities.
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