| By Neil Marks in CopenhagenA leading report which analyses the impacts of weather-related events that produce losses, such as floods, has ranked Guyana at 93 among the 191 countries and Europe negotiating a new climate change deal in Copenhagen.The report was released at the UN Climate Summit yesterday. It was published by the climate and development organization Germanwatch. The report ranks Bangladesh, Myanmar and Honduras as the countries most severely affected by extreme weather events from 1990 to 2008. Haiti is the only country in the Caribbean which falls among the Top 10 most affected countries.According to the report, an average of 2.19 of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was lost in Guyana annually over the past 18 years.When only considering the year 2008, Myanmar, Yemen and Viet Nam have been hit hardest. According to Germanwatch, the Index, based on data made available by the NatCatSERVICE database of Munich Re, underlines the need for the current climate summit to step in and to help those countries to adapt to climate change.The Global Climate Risk Index of 2010 analysed the impacts of weather-related loss events – mainly storms, floods and heat waves – for all countries currently negotiating in Copenhagen.The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) is made up of 191 countries, plus Europe.“Weather extremes are an increasing threat for lives and economic values across the world, and their impacts will likely grow larger in the future due to climate change. Our analyses show that in particular poor countries are severely affected,” said Sven Harmeling, author of the Index at Germanwatch.Christoph Bals, Political Director at Germanwatch, weighed in on the findings of the report, saying,Ryan Switzer Jersey, “It is first and foremost the duty of industrialised countries to implement an adaptation framework for the most vulnerable developing countries.”He suggested that one key element should be an internationally financed insurance mechanism for those countries at risk, financed primarily by those who have caused climate change.” Such a mechanism has been developed by Germanwatch together with the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative.Saleemul Huq, adaptation expert from the Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and originally from Bangladesh,Gustav Nyquist Red Wings Jersey, said the Index clearly shows the devastating impacts of extreme weather events on many poor countries…”“What is remarkable is that many of these countries are already taking action now to prepare for the effects of climate change; they are not just sitting back and waiting. Nevertheless the richer countries have a clear legal and moral responsibility to scale-up adaptation finance,Lionel Messi Jersey, in addition to their commitments to provide development aid of 0.7 percent of their Gross National Income,Andy Pettitte Astros Jersey,” Saleemul Haq added.Between 1990 and 2008,Russ Grimm Redskins Jersey, the report claims that almost 600,000 people died directly from more than 11,000 extreme weather events, and losses amounted to US$1.7 trillion.The number of large catastrophes and their impacts increased significantly and the same has been true for small and medium-sized disasters.This is especially challenging for humanitarian aid, since climate-related losses have grown rapidly, while low public attention to small- and medium-sized events results in limited funding,Ben Gedeon Jersey, said Germanwatch. |
