Maharashtra Listed In World’s Most Vulnerable 50 Places Facing Climate Threat

According to a latest report titled ‘Gross Domestic Climate Risk’ released by the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) on Monday, February 20, nine Indian states, including Maharashtra, are listed among the top 50 places across the world facing high climate risk.

Maharashtra is one of the top provinces in Asia that are most vulnerable to harm, coming in at number 38. The "asset level, bottom-up approach" used in the ranking used more than 320 million data points to represent the built environment of the terrestrial world.

The nine most vulnerable states in the country include Bihar (22nd spot), Uttar Pradesh (25), Assam (28), Rajasthan (32), Tamil Nadu (36), Maharashtra (38), Gujarat (48), Punjab (50), and Kerala (52). Besides, the index has identified that the economic capital Mumbai will also be at notable risk.

The international report exclaimed that these places have eight climate change threats which are most likely to cause harm to the built environment.

The physical climate risk to the built environments such as buildings and properties in more than 2,600 states and provinces worldwide in 2050 was assessed by the global organisation specialising in climate risk analysis for regions, banks and companies.

It is pertinent to note that based on projected damages from change in extreme climate to buildings and other properties, the territories were evaluated.

According to the study, 11 out of Maharashtra's 36 districts are "extremely vulnerable" to harsh weather conditions, droughts, and decreasing water security. Many of the economies at the top of the XDI ranking are already feeling the effects of climate change and extreme weather on a global scale. The majority of damage is brought on by surface and riverine flooding, or flooding coupled with coastal inundation.

Sindh province, which was affected by disastrous flooding between June and August 2022, is one of the top 100 provinces in Pakistan. The economically crucial states of California, Texas, and Florida in the US are anticipated to be the hardest hit.

Asia, according to XDI CEO Rohan Hamden, has the most to gain from increasing climate-resilient investment and mitigating the worsening of climate change as extreme weather increases.