Context
Recently, a report titled “Mapping India’s Climate Vulnerability – A District-level Assessment” has been released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) (not-for-profit policy research institution).
Key-Points
- The report also introduced the first Climate Vulnerability Index.
- The index analyzed 640 districts in India and found that 463 of these were at risk of severe floods, droughts and cyclones.
- Affected Countries: 27 Indian states and Union territories are at risk of extreme weather events that often disrupt local economies and displace vulnerable communities.
- The provinces of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar are the most vulnerable to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and cyclones in India.
- The magnitude of the Impact of Climate Change: More than 80% of Indians live in districts at high risk of climate change.
- Seventeen out of 20 people in the country are at risk of climate change, with all five Indians living in high-risk areas.
- More than 45% of these regions have had “unsustainable changes in the environment and infrastructure”.
- Low adaptability: More than 60% of India's regions have medium to low adaptive in dealing with extreme weather events.
- The Role of Anthropogenic Activities: Anthropogenic activity has already put vulnerable districts at greater risk for the effects of natural disasters. Some of the activities have resulted in:
- Loss of wetlands and loss of mangroves can act as a natural barrier, making it extremely vulnerable.
- Land degradation such as the disappearance of a forest hole, over-construction, has led to damage to the natural environment.
- Monitoring the Financial Crisis: Combating the rising frequency and rate of extreme weather events is costly in developing countries such as India.
- Investments in infrastructure such as housing, transportation, and industry will be threatened by these events, especially along coastal areas, adding that increased climate-related insurance losses could lead to the next financial crisis.
Other Indices Related to Climate Change
- Climate Change Performance Index (Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network)
- Global Climate Risk Index 2021 (Germanwatch)
- Environmental Performance Index (Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum).
- Hunger Hotspots Report (FAO and WFP)
- Children’s Climate Risk Index (UNICEF)
