India ranks sixth among the top ten countries most affected by extreme weather events over the past three decades, suffering economic losses of $180 billion and over 80,000 fatalities. Notable events include devastating floods and heatwaves, while the report highlights the urgent need for increased financial support and effective climate change mitigation strategies for vulnerable nations.
According to a recent report by the Climate Risk Index (CRI) published by Germanwatch, India ranks sixth among the top ten nations most severely impacted by extreme weather phenomena over the past 30 years (1993-2023). The country has experienced over 400 significant weather events, including catastrophic floods in 1993, 1998, and 2013, as well as heatwaves in 2002, 2003, and 2015. These incidents have collectively resulted in economic losses amounting to $180 billion and have caused at least 80,000 fatalities.
Notable catastrophic occurrences include the 1998 Gujarat and the 1999 Odisha cyclones, the catastrophic floods in northern India in 1993 and Uttarakhand in 2013, and the severe floods of 2019. Furthermore, extreme heatwaves have plagued India, with temperatures soaring to approximately 50°C, leading to fatalities during the years mentioned.
The report highlights that countries like China and the Philippines also faced recurrent extreme weather incidents, while Dominica, Honduras, Myanmar, and Vanuatu were notably affected by exceptional weather events. On a global scale, the report indicates that extreme weather events have resulted in over 765,000 deaths and economic losses exceeding $4.2 trillion, which corresponds to the entire Gross Domestic Product of Germany.
Recent data from CRI analyzed extreme weather events in 2022, identifying Pakistan, Belize, and Italy as the most affected nations, followed by Greece, Spain, and Puerto Rico. The United States, Nigeria, Portugal, and Bulgaria ranked seventh through tenth. In 2022, heatwaves were the most deadly, with Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria enduring significant fatalities due to unusually harsh conditions.
From 1993 to 2022, of the ten most affected countries, five were categorized as lower middle-income, while Dominica and China were classified as upper middle-income. The high-income group included Italy, Greece, and Spain. Among the ten countries most affected in 2022, only Pakistan and Nigeria were lower middle-income, with Belize as the lone upper middle-income representative.
Lina Adil, Policy Advisor for Adaptation and Loss & Damage at Germanwatch, emphasized the need for enhanced financial support for vulnerable nations. “Most vulnerable countries are disproportionately affected by the impacts of climate change partly due to their limited financial and technical capabilities to adapt and manage losses and damages. To prevent further loss and damage, countries urgently need to ramp up their mitigation action with new nationally determined contributions to stay below or as close as possible to 1.5°C warming,” she stated in a recent briefing.
In summary, India has experienced significant challenges due to extreme weather events, resulting in immense economic losses and substantial fatalities over the past three decades. The report underscores the critical need for increased financial support and implementation of effective mitigation strategies, particularly for lower middle-income countries facing disproportionately severe impacts from climate change.
Original Source: www.downtoearth.org.in
