The most recent Climate Risk Index ranked India 49th in 2022, and the CRI 2025 report by Germanwatch shows an improvement from the 7th most vulnerable in 2019. This Climate Risk Index placement indicates a reduced immediate exposure to extreme weather events.

The improvement suggests better disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and adaptation measures. However, if we observe the Climate Risk Index in the long term (1993-2022), India consistently remains the 6th most affected country.

Human and Economic Toll of Extreme Weather in India

The climate risk index highlights how, Between 1993 and 2022, India recorded 400 extreme weather events, which is an unprecedented amount. Nearly 80,000 recorded lives were lost, and economic damages totalled to nearly an approximate $180 billion.

Major Climate Disasters Included:

• Floods – 1993, 1998, 2013, and severe flooding in 2019.
• Heatwaves – 2002, 2003, and 2015, with temperatures nearing 50°C.
• Cyclones – 1998 Gujarat cyclone, 1999 Odisha cyclone, Hudhud (2014), and Amphan (2020).

Despite India’s progress in disaster management, its large population and geographic exposure make it highly vulnerable to climate-related disruptions.

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Global Climate Crisis and the Need for Stronger Action

Over 765,000 deaths and $4.2 trillion in damages globally from 1993-2022 have been reported, with these disasters increasing in frequency and becoming less easier to predict and manage as climate change worsens and ecosystems and biodiversity collapse.

The climate crisis is now recognized as a global security threat. COP29 failed to secure sufficient climate finance for vulnerable nations, with calls for $300 billion annually by 2035.

Greenwich reports a shift in the failure of COP29 to deliver a strong, united New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. It now seems that high-income countries like Italy, Spain, and Greece are among the most affected in recent years, signalling now more than ever that climate risks are no longer limited to developing nations.

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