According to the “2023 Gross Domestic Climate Risk Assessment” released by Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI), 9 Indian states are among the world’s top 50 regions at risk of causing damage to the built environment as a result of climate change hazards.
- The 9 states are Bihar (ranked 22), Uttar Pradesh (25th), Assam (28thg), Rajasthan (32nd), Tamil Nadu (36th), Maharashtra (38th), Gujarat (44th), Punjab (48th), and Kerala (50th).
This Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report (GDCR) is the first physical climate risk analysis to compare every state, province, and territory in the world with a specific emphasis on the built environment.
2023 Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report: Key Observations
i.Overall, the “globally significant states” of India, China, and the United States (US) are home to 80% of the world’s top 50 most vulnerable cities and economic centres.
- The Top 50 list covers 29 such regions in China, 9 in India, and 3 in the United States (US).
ii.China is home to more than half of the world’s top 50 provinces.
- Jiangsu and Shandong, two of China’s largest sub-national economies, are ranked first and second in the world, respectively.
- It is followed by the US, which has 18 regions in the top 100 list, including economically important regions of Florida, the highest-ranking US state, followed by California and Texas.
iii.Asia leads the list of provinces at risk by aggregated damage ratio (ADR).
- Asia accounts for 114 (more than half) of the top 200 regions, with special focus on China and India.
- About half of the top 100 states and provinces are collectively from China, India, and the US.
iv.South Asia is home to 24 of the top 200.
v.Pakistan, Jakarta (Indonesia), Beijing (China), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), and Taiwan are among the other Southeast Asian countries vulnerable to climate change.
2023 Gross Domestic Climate Risk Report by XDI
i.XDI, a part of The Climate Risk Group, is a global organisation that specialises in climate risk analysis for regions, banks, and companies.
ii.The XDI GDCR is the second release in the XDI Benchmark Series, ranking the “physical climate risk” to the built environment such as buildings and properties in 2,600 states and provinces around the world in 2050.
- The phrase “built environment” refers to features of our surroundings that have been constructed by man to facilitate human activities, such as homes and workplaces.
- Physical risks include factors like heat waves, coastal flooding (and sea level rise), strong winds, forest fires, soil movement (or other drought-related hazards), free thaw, riverine flooding, and surface flooding.
iii.The index awarded each region an Aggregated Damage Ratio (ADR), which reflects the total amount of damage to a region’s built environment in 2050.
Recent Related News:
i.In January 2023, the World Economic Forum (WEF) published ‘The Global Risks Report 2023’ (18th Edition), which lists the biggest risks for India over the short and medium terms. These risks include cost-of-living crisis, digital inequality, geopolitical competition for resources, natural disasters, and extreme weather events.
ii.The Global Risks Report 2023 summarises the findings of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS).
About the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI):
CEO – Rohan Hamden
Founded – 2017
Headquarters – Sydney, NSW ( New South Wales), Australia
