The latest Germanwatch Climate Risk Index 2026 reports that extreme weather events have claimed over 8 lakh lives globally between 1995 and 2024. The data highlights growing climatic vulnerability, especially among developing nations, including India.
What is the Climate Risk Index (CRI)?
- Published annually by Germanwatch, an international environmental organization.
- Ranks countries based on actual impacts of extreme weather, not future projections.
- Provides a real-world assessment of climate vulnerability.
Hazards Covered
- Meteorological events: storms, cyclones, heatwaves
- Hydrological events: floods, landslides
- Climatological events: droughts, wildfires
Indicators (6 total under 3 metrics)
- Human Impact: Total fatalities, Deaths per 100,000 population
- Population Affected: Total number of people affected, Relative percentage affected
- Economic Impact: Total economic losses (USD), Losses as a share of GDP
Purpose
- Identifies highly vulnerable nations.
- Helps direct adaptation planning, climate finance, and Loss & Damage discussions under UNFCCC.
INDIA IN CRI 2026
- Long-term Rank (1995–2024): 9th most affected globally.
- Rank for 2024: 15th.
- Faced ~430 extreme weather events in 30 years.
- Impact: 80,000+ deaths, 1.3 billion people affected, USD 170 billion in economic losses
- Classified as a “continuous threat” country due to frequent cyclones, floods, heatwaves.
- Strengthens India’s case for Loss & Damage financing in global climate negotiations.
Global Findings (CRI 2026)
- Period assessed: 1995–2024, with a deep-dive into 2024.
- 832,000+ deaths and USD 4.5 trillion losses from ~9,700 events.
- Heatwaves and storms caused most fatalities.
- Floods impacted the most people.
- Storms created maximum economic losses.
- Worst-affected (1995–2024): Dominica, Myanmar, Honduras.
- Worst-hit in 2024: St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, Chad.
- Shows a clear disproportionate burden on the Global South, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
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