October 21, 2010
A new report, released as the 2011 Maplecroft Climate Change Risk Atlas, calculates the vulnerability of 170 countries to the impacts of climate change over the next 30 years.
Nepal is listed as #4 in the “extreme risk” category.
The new Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI), evaluates 42 social, economic and environmental factors to assess national vulnerabilities across three core areas:
1) exposure to climate-related natural disasters and sea-level rise
2) human sensitivity, in terms of population patterns, development, natural resources, agricultural dependency and conflicts
3) future vulnerability assessed by considering the adaptive capacity of a country’s government and infrastructure to combat climate change.
The ten highest “extreme risk” countries are:
1) Bangladesh
2) India
3) Madagascar
4) Nepal
5) Mozambique
6) Philippines
7) Haiti
8) Afghanistan
9) Zimbabwe
10) Myanmar
No surprisingly, Nepal’s worrisome ranking is partially based on the country’s dire levels of poverty, poor general health and high dependency on agriculture. What makes this report interesting is that also figures in the Nepali government’s low capacity to adapt to predicted changes in the climate.
Since the government of Nepal cannot be prodded to move forward in something as basic as agreeing on who should become prime minister, it is little wonder that Maplecroft took into account Nepal’s politicians’ inability to address global issues. Party leaders in Kathmandu may think they have all the time in the world, but Mother Nature most certainly will take another view in the upcoming decades.
For more information about Maplecroft’s report and how it arrives at its listings, click on link below:
2011 Maplecroft Climate Change Risk Atlas
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