Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025

Source:  TOI

Context: The Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025 was released, highlighting the increasing global impact of extreme weather events and the need for stronger climate action.

• India ranked sixth among the most affected countries (1993-2022) due to extreme weather events, despite improving its short-term ranking to 49th in 2022.

About Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025:

• What is the Climate Risk Index?

• • The Climate Risk Index (CRI) ranks countries based on their vulnerability to extreme weather events.
  • It assesses the human and economic losses due to climate-induced disasters.

• Released by and Frequency:

• • Published by Germanwatch, an environmental think tank.
  • Annual publication since 2006, with data covering the past 30 years.

• Aim of CRI:

• • To provide a comparative analysis of the impact of extreme weather events.
  • To guide global climate policies and risk mitigation efforts.
  • To highlight the most affected nations and emphasize the urgency of climate resilience.

• CRI Methodology and Criteria:

The CRI ranks countries based on:

• • Fatalities (direct and indirect deaths due to extreme weather).
  • Affected population (injured, displaced, and impacted people).
  • Economic losses (damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and GDP).
  • Number of extreme weather events (floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, etc.).
  • Long-term impact assessment (1993-2022) and short-term impact (2022 alone).

• Key data insights from report:
  • Most Affected Countries (1993-2022):

• • • Dominica, China, and Honduras ranked as the worst-affected nations.
    • India, Myanmar, Italy, and Vanuatu also feature among the top 10.

• Most Affected Countries in 2022:

• • • Pakistan, Belize, and Italy suffered the most damage.
    • Heatwaves, storms, and floods were the primary causes of destruction.

• Top Disasters by Impact (1993-2022):

• • • Storms (35%) caused the highest economic losses (~$2.33 trillion).
    • Heatwaves (30%) caused significant fatalities.
    • Floods (27%) affected the most people.

• India’s Performance in CRI 2025:
  • Long-term ranking (1993-2022):
    • India ranked 6th globally among the worst-affected nations.
    • Over 400 extreme weather events reported in 30 years.
    • 80,000+ deaths and $180 billion in losses due to climate disasters.
  • Short-term ranking (2022):
    • India ranked 49th in 2022, showing improvement from 7th in 2019.
    • Severe floods, cyclones, and heatwaves remained major climate threats.