Nagpur: India has accounted for the highest fatalities in the world due to catastrophic climate events which took away lives of 2,081 people in the country last year. It also witnessed the second-highest economic losses of over $37,000 million, which is equivalent to nearly four times the country’s annual budget for the health sector.

The Global Climate Risk Index 2020, released by the environmental think-tank Germanwatch on Wednesday during the ongoing COP 25 meet in Madrid, ranks India as the fifth-most vulnerable country in the world in terms of experiencing extreme weather events. The report also revealed that while in 2018 industrialized countries like Japan and Germany were hit hardest by heatwaves and severe drought, the Philippines was hit by the most powerful typhoon recorded worldwide.

Germanwatch is a Bonn-based independent developmental and environmental organisation. Its report is an annual publication which evaluates the climate protection performance of 56 countries and the European Union, responsible for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The in-depth global analysis says that India was distressed from varied climate change events, majorly including floods, drought, cyclones and heatwaves. The climate risk index analysis quantifies impacts of extreme weather events in terms of both fatalities and economic losses. It analyses four main indicators: Number of deaths, number of deaths per 1,00,000 inhabitants, sum of losses (in $) in purchasing power parity and losses per unit of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In the report which was based on 2017’s data and released in Poland last year, India was ranked as the 14th most vulnerable country. Witnessing a drastic fall in its rank, India reportedly bore absolute losses over Rs2 lakh crores in 2018 due to climate change.

Stating that heatwaves were one of the major causes of damage last year, the report highlights that of the ten most affected countries, Germany, Japan and India were suffering from extended periods of heat. “India suffered from one of the longest-ever recorded heatwave in 2018, with hundreds of deaths. Prolonged drought and widespread crop failures, compounded by a water shortage, brought about violent riots and increased migration,” the report states.

It further pointed out that since 2004, India has experienced 11 of its 15 warmest recorded years. “Since 1992, an estimated 25,000 Indians have died as a result of heatwaves,” stated the report which attributes the calamity to El Nino effect, loss of tree cover and moisture in the soil.

“India is particularly vulnerable to extreme heat due to low per capita income, social inequality and a heavy reliance on agriculture,” the analysis added.

Apart from heatwaves, the yearly monsoon lasting from June to September, took a severe toll on the country in 2018. According to the report, the damage occurred form Kerala flood amounts to nearly $2.8 billion. “Kerala was severely impacted, with 324 people dying because of drowning or being buried in the landslides set off by the flooding. Moreover, over 2 lakh got displaced and 20,000 houses and 80 dams were destroyed,” it added.

Explaining the country’s exacerbating condition, David Eckstein, policy adviser of Climate Finance and Investment at Germanwatch, said, “India's high rank is due to severe rainfalls, followed by heavy flooding and landslides that killed over 1,000 people. The country was struck by two cyclones in October and November 2018 that also nearly killed 1,000 people. India also suffered from extreme heat. While human death doll was kept considerably low due to public measures, the economic damages were quite severe.”

Underlining the importance of loss and damage for vulnerable countries like India, Laura Schaefer of Germanwatch said, “The climate summit needs to address the lacking of additional climate finance to help poorest people and countries in dealing with losses and damages. They are hit hardest by climate change impacts because they lack the financial and technical capacity to deal with them.”

FATAL FACTS

* 2,081 people died in the country last year

* India witnessed second highest economic losses of over $37,000 million

* From 14th in 2017, India’s rank drastically dropped to 5th most vulnerable country in 2018

* Heatwaves, floods, droughts and cyclones led to severe damage

* Since 2004, India has experienced 11 of its 15 warmest recorded years

* 25,000 Indians have died as a result of heatwaves in last 27 years

* Damage occurred form Kerala flood amounts to nearly $2.8 billion

RANKINGS

Country---Ranking 2018----Ranking 2017------Death toll----Absolute losses-----Losses/ unit GDP

Japan-------1------------------------36-----------------1282------------35839.34-----------0.64

Philippines--2-----------------------20------------------455--------------4547.27-----------0.48

Germany-----3----------------------40--------------------1246------------5038.62----------0.12

Madagascar-4----------------------7-----------------------72---------------568.10------------1.32

India------------5---------------------14----------------------2081------------37807.82----------0.36

Sri Lanka------6----------------------2------------------------38---------------3626.72-------------1.24

Kenya----------7----------------------45---------------------113-----------------708.39--------------0.40

Rwanda-------8-----------------------87-----------------------88-------------------93.21--------------0.34

Canada--------9-----------------------42----------------------103------------------2282.17----------0.12

Fiji--------------10----------------------96---------------------8---------------------118.61----------------1.14

Note: Sum of losses is in $ million in purchasing power parity; Losses per unit GDP are in percentage

