India has been ranked sixth in the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2025, highlighting its high vulnerability to extreme weather events. 

About Climate Risk Index (CRI)

• The Climate Risk Index (CRI) is an annual report that assesses the impact of extreme weather events on countries worldwide. 
• It has been published by Germanwatch since 2006. 
• The index ranks countries based on human and economic losses due to climate-related disasters such as storms, floods, heatwaves, and droughts.
• Source of the Data: Extreme weather event data from the International Disaster Database (Em-dat) and socio-economic data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 
• Methodology: The CRI methodology involves analysing extreme weather events’ impacts via three hazard categories: hydrological, meteorological, and climatological. 
  • The index visualises these events’ impact on countries both two years prior to publication and over the preceding 30-year period.
• Indicators: The index considers absolute and relative impacts, using six key indicators: economic loss, fatalities, and affected people – each in absolute and relative terms.

Key Findings from the Climate Risk Index 2025

• India’s Ranking: India is ranked 6th among the countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1993 and 2022.
• Global Impact: India accounted for:
  • 10% of global deaths caused by extreme weather events.
  • 4.3% of global economic losses (in dollar terms) due to such events.
• Extreme Events: India faced over 400 extreme weather events during this period, including floods, heatwaves, and cyclones.
• Human and Economic Toll:
  • 80,000 deaths were recorded due to these events.
  • Economic losses amounted to $180 billion.

India’s Extreme Weather Events (1993-2022)

• Floods: Major floods occurred in 1993, 1998, and 2013, with the Uttarakhand floods of 2013 being particularly catastrophic.
• Heatwaves: Severe heat waves were recorded in 2002, 2003, and 2015, with temperatures reaching nearly 50°C.
• Cyclones: Destructive cyclones like the 1998 Gujarat cyclone, 1999 Odisha cyclone, Cyclone Hudhud (2014), and Cyclone Amphan (2020) caused widespread damage.

Global Findings

• Top Affected Countries: The countries ranked above India in the Climate Risk Index are Dominica, China, Honduras, Myanmar, and Italy.
• Global Toll: Worldwide, extreme weather events caused:
  • 800,000 deaths.
  • $4.2 trillion in economic losses.

Why is India Vulnerable?

• Geographical Factors: India’s diverse climate and geography make it prone to a variety of extreme weather events, including floods, cyclones, and heatwaves.
• Population Density: High population density increases the human and economic impact of disasters.
• Inadequate Infrastructure: Limited infrastructure and preparedness exacerbate the effects of extreme weather events.

Climate Finance and Global Response

• The report highlights the inadequacy of global climate finance to address the escalating climate crisis:
• Climate Finance Gap: The $300 billion promised annually by 2035 is seen as the bare minimum needed to tackle climate challenges.
• Loss and Damage: The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance failed to include measures to address loss and damage, a critical gap that needs urgent attention.

Key Recommendation

• Call for Action: High-income and high-emission countries must accelerate mitigation and adaptation efforts to reduce future human and economic costs.
• Loss and Damage Action: Providing financial and technical support to vulnerable communities affected by extreme weather events.
• Warning for High-Risk Countries: Nations ranking highest on CRI must consider these findings as a warning.\
  • They need urgent preparedness measures to reduce risks and protect communities from future climate disasters.
• Rising Human and Economic Costs: Climate-related human losses and economic damage will continue to increase unless:
  • Stronger mitigation policies are implemented.
  • Financial and technological support is provided to vulnerable nations.

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