A newly released Climate Risk Index (CRI) highlights the devastating impact of extreme weather events worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for stronger climate adaptation and risk management policies. Unlike the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which evaluates countries’ mitigation efforts, the CRI ranks 171 nations based on the human and economic toll of climate-related disasters. The 2025 report, published by Germanwatch confirms that lower-income nations bear the brunt of climate change, despite contributing the least to global emissions.
Over a 30-year analysis (1993-2022), five of the ten most affected nations were lower-middle-income countries including India, Myanmar, and the Philippines while high-income nations like Italy and Spain also made the list. The year 2022 alone saw an alarming shift, with European nations among the worst-hit due to extreme heatwaves and wildfires. Scientists warn that such climate extremes will become more frequent, with Europe warming at twice the global average since the 1980s.
The findings reinforce a key injustice: wealthier nations, historically responsible for the majority of emissions, continue to have greater resources to adapt, while Global South countries struggle with mounting climate debt. While mitigation remains critical, experts stress that adaptation and addressing loss and damage must be prioritized alongside emission cuts. Without urgent climate action, even high-income nations face escalating disasters, proving that no country is immune to the climate crisis.