INDIA AMONG TOP 10 COUNTRIES IMPACTED BY EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
- According to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) report by the non-profit organization Germanwatch, India ranks 6th among the top 10 countries most affected by extreme weather events over the past 30 years (1993-2023).
- The report highlights that India has experienced over 400 extreme weather events resulting in significant economic losses and fatalities.
ECONOMIC LOSSES & FATALITIES
- Over the last three decades, these events have caused $180 billion in economic losses and resulted in at least 80,000 fatalities in the country.
- These events include devastating floods, heatwaves, and cyclones.
NOTABLE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
- Floods:
- 1993 Floods in northern India
- 1998 Gujarat Cyclone and 1999 Odisha Cyclone
- 2013 Uttarakhand floods
- 2019 severe floods
- Heatwaves:
- India experienced severe heat waves in 2002, 2003, and 2015, with temperatures reaching up to 50°C in some areas, causing significant fatalities.
- Heat-related Fatalities:
- Heatwaves in 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2015 caused a significant number of fatalities, with temperatures reaching extreme levels.
- Cyclones:
- Cyclones Hudhud (2014) and Cyclone Amphan (2020) were among the destructive cyclonic events impacting India.
GLOBAL CONTEXT
- Global Impact:
- The report notes that globally, there have been more than 765,000 fatalities due to extreme weather events since 1993, and economic losses have exceeded $4.2 trillion—equivalent to Germany’s entire GDP.
- Countries Affected by Recurring vs Exceptional Events:
- China, India, and the Philippines were primarily affected by recurring extreme events over the past three decades.
- Dominica, Honduras, Myanmar, and Vanuatu experienced exceptional extreme events.
- Hazards and Fatalities:
- Among different weather hazards, storms resulted in the highest number of fatalities, followed by heatwaves, floods, droughts, and wildfires over the past 30 years.
IMPACT OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS IN 2022
- Countries Most Affected in 2022:
- In 2022, the countries most impacted by extreme weather events were Pakistan, Belize, Italy, Greece, Spain, and Puerto Rico.
- The United States, Nigeria, Portugal, and Bulgaria ranked 7th to 10th.
- Heatwave in Europe:
- Heatwaves were the leading cause of fatalities in 2022. A persistent heatwave across Europe severely impacted Italy (3rd), Greece (4th), Spain (5th), Portugal (9th), and Bulgaria (10th).
- The heatwave caused widespread fatalities and stress on health systems across these countries.
- Distribution of Affected Countries by Income Group:
- From 1993 to 2022, India and four other countries in the top 10 were from the lower middle-income group.
- Dominica and China were in the upper middle-income group, while Italy, Greece, and Spain were in the high-income group.
- For 2022, Pakistan and Nigeria were from the lower middle-income group, while Belize was from the upper middle-income group. High-income countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, Puerto Rico, United States, Portugal, and Bulgaria dominated the list.
CALL FOR INCREASED FINANCIAL & TECHNICAL SUPPORT
- Vulnerability of Developing Countries:
- The report emphasizes that vulnerable countries, especially in the lower middle-income group, are disproportionately affected by climate change impacts.
- These countries often lack the financial resources and technical capacity to effectively adapt to and manage the losses and damages caused by extreme weather events.
- Need for Enhanced Mitigation Actions:
- The report advocates for countries to urgently ramp up their mitigation actions to limit global warming to 5°C or as close as possible. This includes updating their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- The increased occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events highlight the need for stronger global cooperation and financial support to help vulnerable nations adapt to the effects of climate change.
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