Context: The Climate Risk Index 2025 published by Germanwatch, an environmental think tank puts India in the top 10 countries most affected by climate change from 1993 to 2022.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Questions based on the findings of Climate Risk Index.
Key findings about the World
- Extreme events: There have been more than 9,400 extreme events across the world from 1993-2022.
- Life loss: Events like cyclones, droughts and heatwaves have claimed more than 7,65,000 lives in the past three decades.
- Heatwave claimed the most i.e., 61,778 lives (83% fatalities) in the year 2022, followed by floods and droughts.
- Droughts affected the most number of people in 2022, i.e., 59% of people in the past three decades. Maximum impact was witnessed in seven nations of Africa.
- Economic loss: The extreme climate events have cost more than $4 trillion in the past three decades. Storms followed by floods claimed the highest economic loss in the world.
Key findings of the report about India:
- India ranked 6th in the most affected nation by climate change, whereas, the Dominican Republic is 1st in the ranking, making it the most affected nation from climate change.
- Risks to India: India has faced various incidents of extreme weather events, including floods, heat waves, cyclones and drought. Floods and landslides resulting from heavy monsoons displaced millions and damaged agriculture. Notable events include;
- 1998 Gujarat and 1999 Odisha cyclones.
- Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 and cyclone Amphan in 2020.
- Uttarakhand floods of 2013.
- Intense heat waves with temperatures around 50 degree celsius claimed many lives in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2015.
- Frequent extreme events: India witnessed more than 400 extreme events in the last three decades.
- Economic loss: India has faced USD 180 billion loss due to these climate change induced extreme events.
