Climate Vulnerability: India and Pakistan in the Danger Zone

New Delhi, India – February 18, 2025: India was among the six most exposed countries in the Long-Term Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025, attributing the disastrous impacts of extreme weather phenomena in South Asia. The study, published by Germanwatch, a Bonn-based public policy think tank, analyzed climate disasters between 1993 and 2022 and their impacts on human lives and economies.

The report summarizes that India has witnessed a heightened frequency of storms, heatwaves, and floods, which have claimed more than 80,000 lives and caused losses worth more than $180 billion. China, the Philippines, and Pakistan were, along with India, identified by the report as among the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world.

India's Rising Climate Threats
The study revealed that severe monsoon floods, record heatwaves, and devastating cyclones have made India one of the globe's most disaster-prone countries. The impact of these disasters is widespread, affecting urban and rural communities, infrastructure, and agriculture.

The 2022 heatwave was one of the worst on record, with temperatures crossing 50°C, causing a few heat-related fatalities. Some of the other significant climate disasters in recent years are:

Cyclone Amphan (2020): It is one of the most expensive South Asian tropical storms, leaving devastation in its wake.
Uttarakhand Floods (2013): Devastating flash flood due to heavy rainfall and glacial burst, resulting in massive loss of life and infrastructure.
2019 Monsoon Flooding: Large-scale floods all over India affecting millions of people and involving extensive economic damage.
As unstable weather patterns intensified, India will continue to experience increasing weather extremes in the years to come and so need enhanced adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Climate Risks around the World Surge
A broader image of the way climate catastrophes increased worldwide was revealed in the report presented by the CRI. Over 765,000 people were killed in extreme climate phenomena from 1993 to 2022. Cumulative economic losses came close to $4.2 trillion.

In 2022, the hardest-hit nations were Pakistan, Belize, and Italy as a result of enormous climate catastrophes. Pakistan was hit with its worst monsoon flooding, engulfing one-third of the nation, killing more than 1,700 people, and leaving 8.1 million displaced. The overall economic loss was over $15 billion, with the estimated cost of recovery standing at over $16 billion.

Europe also experienced record-breaking heatwaves, with more than 61,000 fatalities in Italy, Greece, and Spain. The intense heat led to extreme droughts, wildfires, and water shortages that impacted millions of people.

Global South Bears Disproportionate Burden
The report noted the extreme inequality in exposure to climate. While high-income nations are experiencing an increase in climate-related disasters, lower-middle-income nations in the Global South are bearing a disproportionate burden due to lower adaptive capacity.

Other countries like the Philippines, Myanmar, and Honduras remain extremely exposed to chronic climate risks. In addition, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Vanuatu and Dominica are at risk of existential threat from sea-level rise and increased hurricanes.

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index also recognizes that human mortality caused by extreme weather has been 15 times higher in vulnerable countries over the past decade, and therefore there is a pressing need for investment in climate resilience.

Climate Finance Shortage Hobbles Progress
Despite the accumulating crisis, global climate finance remains insufficient. The failure of COP29 to reach a robust financial architecture has further complicated it to assist developing nations. The proposed $300 billion annual climate finance target by 2035 falls short of actual adaptation and loss-and-damage requirements.

Poor nations have always stressed the need for more investment in climate adaptation, disaster relief, and green energy schemes by wealthier countries. Short of more financing, poorer nations will struggle to cope with enhanced climate threats.

Call for Immediate Climate Action
The CRI report highlighted the fact that the world is heading towards a 'new normal' of human-induced climate change-induced extreme weather. With 2024 being the hottest year yet and 2025 forecast to do the same, the world has never before experienced a more pressing requirement for urgent action against climate change.

Experts have called for:

The phasing-out of fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Increased investment in renewable energy to transition to cleaner fuels.
Strengthening international climate finance instruments for protection of vulnerable groups.
With recurrent and intense frequencies of extreme weather events, governments, the private sector, and international institutions must collectively urge enhanced climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. The next few years will determine climate resilience around the world.

Source
Data has been gathered from Germanwatch's Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025, media, and climate research institutions.