India has been placed ninth globally in long-term vulnerability to extreme weather, according to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026 released by Germanwatch at COP30 in Belém. The assessment, covering the period from 1995 to 2024, shows the scale of escalating climate impacts across the country.
Over these 30 years, India endured nearly 430 major extreme weather events, from heatwaves and cyclones to catastrophic floods. These disasters resulted in more than 80,000 deaths, affected 1.3 billion people, and caused USD 170 billion in economic losses (adjusted for inflation). Frequent, consecutive shocks have made rebuilding increasingly difficult. “Entire regions can hardly recover before the next disaster hits,” noted report co-author Vera Künzel.
Among the most severe events were the Uttarakhand floods of 2013 and cyclones such as Amphan (2020) and Hudhud (2014). Extreme heat has also intensified, with temperatures climbing to 50°C in several states and heatwaves stretching longer across the pre-monsoon months.
The report underscores a wider inequity: nations in the Global South—including India—face disproportionate climate losses despite contributing the least to historical greenhouse gas emissions. The CRI findings highlight the urgent need for stronger adaptation planning, resilient infrastructure, and expanded international support.
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