India, Bangladesh face 'extreme risk' from climate change: new study
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The Climate Change Vulnerability Index, that was prepared on the basis of calculated vulnerability of countries to the effects of climate change in the next 30 years, places Bangladesh and India at ‘extreme risk’
UK consultancy Maplecroft has identified Bangladesh and India as the two countries facing the greatest risk to their populations, ecosystems and business environments after ranking 170 countries based on their exposure to climate-related natural disasters and their social, economic and political ability to adapt to a changing climate.
The Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) that has been prepared on the basis of calculated vulnerability of countries to the effects of climate change in the next 30 years also has some bad news for Nepal which ranks fourth in the index.
Other Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Pakistan were also classified as facing ‘extreme risk’ from climate change, while industrial giants China, Brazil and Japan were listed as ‘high risk’. Some states were not listed because of lack of data, including North Korea and small island states like the Maldives that are vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Wealthy European nations made up the majority of low-risk countries, with Norway, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Sweden and Denmark deemed to face the lowest risk from climate-related disruptions. However, Russia, USA, Germany, France and the UK were all rated as ‘medium risk’ countries.
According to Maplecroft, countries facing the greatest risks are characterised by high levels of poverty, dense populations, exposure to climate-related events, and reliance on flood- and drought-prone agricultural land.
Most of the western hemisphere, along with large parts of Eurasia, Africa, and Australia, are threatened by extreme drought this century, the report finds, although drought risk is expected to decrease across much of northern Europe, Russia and Canada, as well as some areas in the southern hemisphere as climatic patterns shift.
“If the projections in this study come even close to being realised, the consequences for society worldwide will be enormous,” said Aiguo Dai who conducted the research.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk, October 22, 2010