Why in News:
The Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026 by Germanwatch (released at COP30, Belém, Brazil) ranked India 9th among countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1995–2024, highlighting the rising human and economic toll of climate change.
Relevance : GS 3 – Environment, Disaster Management, Climate Change
- Climate Change Impacts on India
- Global Climate Reports (Germanwatch CRI)
- Adaptation & Resilience Strategies
- Loss and Damage Fund at COP30
Key Findings (Global)
- Period Covered: 1995–2024
- Extreme Events: 9,700+ globally
- Deaths: 832,000+ people
- Affected Population: ~5.7 billion
- Economic Losses: $4.5 trillion (inflation-adjusted)
- Top Affected Countries: Haiti, Philippines, Pakistan, Myanmar, Mozambique, Puerto Rico, Bangladesh, Thailand, India (9th)
India-Specific Impacts
- Recurring Disasters: Floods, cyclones, droughts, and increasingly severe heatwaves.
- Regional Concentration:
- Floods & Cyclones: East Coast (Odisha, WB, Andhra Pradesh)
- Droughts: Central and Western India
- Heatwaves: Indo-Gangetic Plains, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra
- Economic Cost: Crop losses, infrastructure damage, energy demand spikes, and displacement.
- Recovery Gap: Frequent events occur before full recovery, especially in vulnerable regions.
About Germanwatch & CRI
- Germanwatch: Bonn-based NGO advocating global equity and climate justice.
- CRI Objective:
- Quantifies the impact of extreme weather using mortality, GDP loss, and affected population.
- Highlights loss and damage suffered by developing countries to push for climate finance and adaptation support.
Significance
- Reinforces that developing nations, though least responsible for emissions, bear the highest adaptation burden.
- Strengthens the case for Loss and Damage Fund operationalisation at COP30.
- India’s ranking signals urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure and early warning systems.
Challenges for India
- Inadequate adaptation financing and local resilience mechanisms.
- Urban heat islands intensifying heatwaves.
- Agricultural vulnerability — monsoon variability impacting yields.
- Poor coordination in disaster risk management and relocation.
Policy & Institutional Response
- National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC, 2008) – Mission-mode approach (Solar, Water, Green India, Sustainable Agriculture).
- State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs) – local adaptation.
- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) – India-led global initiative.
- Loss and Damage Fund (COP28–COP30) – under operationalisation; India a key voice for developing countries.
Way Forward
- Integrate climate risk assessment into planning and budgeting.
- Enhance heatwave and flood early-warning systems.
- Expand climate insurance for farmers and coastal communities.
- Prioritise resilient urban design and nature-based solutions.
