Global Climate Risk Index 2020 Published
The Global Climate Index 2020 has been released by the international environmental thinktank ‘Germanwatch’. This is an annually published risk index that analyses the extent of loss suffered by countries due to weather-related events like storms, floods, heatwaves, etc. Germanwatch is based out of Bonn and Berlin in Germany and is an independent organization that works on environmental matters towards sustainable development goals.
Where does India stand in this report?
India finds itself facing particularly bad news as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change. In 2020, our rank has worsened from 14th spot in 2017 to 5th in 2018. India has also been found to have suffered the highest number of fatalities and second-highest monetary loss due to the impact of climate change. The rank is a reflection on severe rainfall, heavy flooding, and landslides that have killed over 1000 people.
What is the global scenario reflected in this report?
Across the globe, Japan has been worst hit last year, with Germany and Canada slipping into the bottom 10. The results reveal frightening progress in climate change due to the increase in heatwaves.
How is climate change changing the global weather patterns?
The relation between climate change and worsening weather is quite obvious. Global warming leads to the intensification of the water cycle as temperatures rise. This leads to more droughts or floods, as areas dry out or become extremely humid, and every time to an extreme scale. The global mean for precipitation changes as areas faces either intense rainfall or none at all. The surface temperature of the sea rises, leading to storms, changes in wind speed and further precipitation. There are degradation and desertification of land. There is also a huge loss in biodiversity.
Way Forward
Climate change is a fact. No amount of denying it will change it to fiction. The sooner we accept it and concentrate on combatting the problem, the better the planet will be. India already takes many measures to curb further pollution. We also have shifted our focus towards clean energy. However, better enforcement of pollution laws and better conservation of forests and wetlands is necessary. Apart from that, India needs better disaster management to prevent the loss of life in case of a fringe climate phenomenon. The world must come together to prevent the devastation due to climate change and India must lead from the front.
Topics: GS-I: Important Geophysical Phenomena • GS-III: Conservation Environmental Pollution Degradation