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What countries are most vulnerable to climate risks? - Answers


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What countries are most vulnerable to climate risks?

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World map showing countries with adverse weather conditions

The climate around the globe continues to face grave risks. Continuous increase of temperature, extreme weather phenomenon, crop failure, polar cap melting, and spreading diseases are just a few instances of climate risk. To access to what extent have nations around the world been affected by the consequences of weather-related loss, Germanwatch, a Germany-based independent environmental organization, publishes the Global Climate Risk Index. The index has taken into account data from 2015 and 1996 – 2015.

It has been estimated that between the years 1996 and 2015, losses due to climate risks was rated to be around US$ 3.08 trillion in purchasing power parities. Meanwhile, around 11,000 extreme weather related events have claimed more than 528,000 lives. Among the 10 most affected countries, nine were developing nations. These were placed in the lower-middle income country group. Thailand was the only nation among these worst affected, that is classified as an upper-middle income country.

The Global Climate Risk Index 2017, which is the 12th  edition of the analysis, has rated Honduras, Myanmar and Haiti as the three most affected countries in the 20 year period. Scoring 11.33, 14.17, and 18.17 respectively. While Haiti experienced the devastating Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hondurans was badly affected by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Cyclone Nargis ravaged Mynamar in 2008, claiming thousands of lives. The other countries that were most affected and had scores of less than 40 were India, Thailand, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Pakistan, Vietnam and a few others. These nations have suffered huge damages economically and the deaths per 100,000 inhabitants vary from 0.22 to 14.71 from 1996 to 2015.

Countries that scored between 40 and 80 in the Global Climate Risk Index 2017 were Iran, Cuba, Czech Republic, Belgium, Namibia, the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, Italy and other nations. Countries that are the least affected and rank above 160 on the Global Climate Risk Index 2017 are Timor-Leste, Qatar, Iceland, Singapore, Kuwait, Brunei, Gabon, and Suriname.


To get a better understanding on how the nations stand on the Global Climate Risk Index 2017, refer to the table below.

Country Climate Risk Index
Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste 175.33
Qatar 174.83
Iceland 173.17
Singapore 171.83
Kuwait 170.17
Brunei Darussalam 168.33
Gabon 167.67
Suriname 167
Libya 159.67
Seychelles 159.33
Guinea 158.17
Liberia 158.17
Finland 158
Tunisia 155.83
United Arab Emirates 154.67
Trinidad and Tobago 153.83
Central African Republic 153.67
Malta 152.17
Republic of Congo 150.83
Estonia 149.83
Togo 147
Kazakhstan 146.67
Iraq 144.5
Barbados 144
Egypt 142.67
Cote d’Ivoire 142
Botswana 141.5
Norway 141
Uzbekistan 139.67
Armenia 139.5
Benin 136.17
Belarus 135.67
Azerbaijan 134.83
Sweden 134.67
Cape Verde 134.5
Cameroon 133.83
Democratic Republic of Congo 132.67
Senegal 130.67
Zambia 130.17
Guinea-Bissau 129.67
Lebanon 126.83
Albania 125.5
Bahrain 125
Lithuania 122.83
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 122.67
Sierra Leone 121.83
Jordan 120.17
Lesotho 118.83
Israel 118.67
Comoros 118.17
Denmark 117
Tuvalu 115
Eritrea 114.5
Mali 114.17
Marshall Islands 113.5
Kiribati 112.83
Nigeria 112
Rwanda 111.67
Ireland 111.33
Turkey 110
Kyrgyz Republic 109.83
Swaziland 107.83
Angola 106.67
South Sudan 105.83
Mauritius 103.67
Tanzania 103.5
Ghana 103.17
Luxembourg 103.17
Saudi Arabia 103.17
Latvia 102.17
Guyana 101
Burkina Faso 98.83
Bhutan 98.17
Slovak Republic 97.5
Canada 97
Georgia 96.5
Cyprus 95.5
Sudan 94.33
Malaysia 94
Morocco 93.33
Algeria 93
Chile 91
Chad 89.33
Panama 88.33
Ukraine 88.33
Japan 87.5
Uganda 87.33
Greece 85.67
Puerto Rico 85.67
Argentina 84.67
New Zealand 83.5
Brazil 83.33
South Africa 83.33
Burundi 82.5
Lao People’s Democratic Republic 82.5
Uruguay 82
Kenya 81.17
Netherlands 80
Mauritania 79.17
Malawi 79
Niger 79
Zimbabwe 79
Serbia & Montenegro & Kosovo 78.67
Costa Rica 78
Samoa 77.5
Islamic Republic of Iran 77.17
Korea, Republic of 76.83
The Gambia 76.67
Moldova 75
Antigua and Barbuda 74.5
Solomon Islands 73.67
Bosnia and Herzegovina 72.5
Czech Republic 72.33
Cuba 71.5
Indonesia 70.83
Ethiopia 70.33
Republic of Yemen 70.17
Peru 69.83
Namibia 69.5
Bulgaria 69.17
Belgium 68.67
Poland 68.5
Hungary 67.83
Venezuela 67.5
United Kingdom 66.17
Ecuador 64.83
Papua New Guinea 64.83
Sri Lanka 64.33
Jamaica 63.5
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 63.33
St. Kitts and Nevis 62
Austria 60.83
St. Lucia 60.67
Mongolia 60.17
Colombia 59.17
Paraguay 58.5
Mexico 58
Tonga 58
Slovenia 56.17
Micronesia 55.5
Switzerland 54.67
Vanuatu 54.67
Chinese Taipei 54.17
Djibouti 54.17
Tajikistan 52.5
Bolivia 52.17
Australia 52
China 52
Spain 51.17
Croatia 50.17
Russia 48.17
Oman 47.83
Romania 47.5
United States 47.5
Fiji 47.33
Belize 47.17
Italy 46
Nepal 44.33
Germany 43.5
Mozambique 43.33
Portugal 42.67
Madagascar 42.5
The Bahamas 42.5
France 42.33
Dominica 42
Grenada 40.33
El Salvador 39.17
India 37.5
Cambodia 36.5
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 36.17
Dominican Republic 36
Thailand 34.83
Guatemala 33.83
Vietnam 31.33
Pakistan 30.5
Bangladesh 25
Philippines 21.33
Nicaragua 19.17
Haiti 18.17
Myanmar 14.17
Honduras 11.33

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