Climate Change Costs and Impact

The extensive inaction on climate change carries significant costs, affecting billions globally.

Global Impact

• In the past three decades, extreme weather events have impacted over 3 billion people, accounting for approximately 40% of the global population.
• These events occurred across 11 countries, including India, involving heat waves, storms, and floods.

Climate Risk Index 2026

• Prepared by the Berlin-based organization Germanwatch, the index covers a period from 1995 to 2024.
• Records show 9,300 extreme weather events with 830,000 fatalities and $4.5 trillion in direct damages (adjusted for inflation).
• Countries most affected include Dominica, Myanmar, and Honduras.

India's Situation

• India ranked ninth on the Climate Risk Index.
• In 30 years, India experienced nearly 430 extreme weather events.
• This affected 1.3 billion people, caused 80,000 fatalities, and led to economic losses approximating $170 billion.

Challenges and Observations

• Countries like Haiti, the Philippines, and India face frequent weather-related challenges.
• These nations experience severe events so regularly that recovery is barely possible before the next incident.
• None of the 10 most-affected nations are part of the high-income group.

Conclusions

• The 2026 index highlights the urgent need to intensify efforts to close the emission gap.