India has improved its standing in the global Climate Risk Index (CRI), but continues to be among the nations most affected by extreme weather events over the past 30 years. The recently released CRI 2026, by the environmental think tank Germanwatch, indicates that while India's ranking has improved, the country remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters.

The CRI assesses the impact of extreme weather events, such as storms, floods, heatwaves, and droughts, on countries, considering both fatalities and economic losses. The index analyzes data from the past 30 years to provide a long-term perspective on climate risk.

According to the CRI 2026, India ranks 9th among the countries most affected by extreme weather events between 1995 and 2024. In the 30-year period examined (1995-2024), India has reported a loss of over 80,000 lives and nearly $170 billion due to 430 extreme weather events. Globally, over 832,000 people have died, and economic losses have surpassed $4.5 trillion due to more than 9,700 extreme weather events in the same period. The most affected countries are Dominica, Myanmar, and Honduras.

However, India has shown improvement in both its long-term and year-wise global CRI ranking. It figured as the 9th and 15th most-affected country globally due to extreme weather events during the 1995-2024 period and in 2024, respectively, compared to the previous year's assessment. The country was the 8th most affected during the 1994-2023 period and 10th in 2023, showing an improvement, as a lower rank means lesser risk. This improvement could be attributed to the country's increasing focus on climate resilience, green energy transitions, and disaster management.

Despite the improved ranking, India faces significant climate challenges. The country's diverse geography makes it prone to recurring disasters like cyclones, floods, droughts, and heatwaves. These events have far-reaching consequences, including damage to infrastructure, loss of crops, displacement of people, and threats to livelihoods and food security.

Several extreme weather events have significantly impacted India in recent decades. These include the Gujarat cyclone in 1998, the Odisha super cyclone in 1999, the Uttarakhand floods in 2013, Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, and Cyclone Amphan in 2020. Intense heatwaves in 1998, 2002, 2003, and 2015, with temperatures reaching around 50°C, have also claimed many lives.

The CRI report emphasizes the urgent need for stronger climate resilience measures and increased financial support from the international community to help vulnerable countries like India cope with the impacts of climate change. It also highlights the importance of mitigation efforts to limit global warming and reduce the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. With the frequency and severity of climate-related disasters continuing to rise, the CRI underscores the need for stronger climate resilience measures and urgent action to mitigate the impacts of global warming.