China, US, and India are home to 80 % of the top 50 at-risk states from climate change in 2050, says a new report by climate risk specialists XDI
RH Desk
Delhi Feb 20
China is home to 16 of the 20 global regions most vulnerable to climate change, a new report published on Monday said.
According to data published by climate risk specialists XDI, China’s eastern Jiangsu province ranks as the world’s most climate-vulnerable region, followed by Shandong, Hebei and Henan.
“This is the first time there has been a physical climate risk analysis focused exclusively on the built environment, comparing every state, province and territory in the world,” XDI Chief Executive Rohan Hamden said. “Since extensive built infrastructure generally overlaps with high levels of economic activity and capital value it is imperative that the physical risk of climate change is appropriately understood and priced.”
After China, the US has the most high-risk states with 18 states in the top 100. Florida is the highest-ranking US state, followed by California and Texas, the report said.
It also said that nine areas of India are in the top 50 at-risk regions, with other major economic centres in the top 100 including Argentina’s Buenos Aires, Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, and Indonesia’s Jakarta.
XDI’s Gross Domestic Climate Risk ranks over 2,600 jurisdictions around the world in 2050 according to modelled projections of damage to the built environment from extreme weather and climate change including flooding, forest fires and sea level rise. It also identifies which of these jurisdictions see the greatest escalation of modelled damage from 1990 to 2050.
XDI also said the results show that globally-significant states and provinces in China and the United States will be hit hardest, along with major cities and centres of economic activity around the world.
