What countries are most at risk from climate change

Rising sea levels, droughts, extreme weather, wildfires – these are just a few of the consequences of global warming. The climate is changing and those that can’t adapt will not survive; this is true for animal species, plants, humans and possibly entire nations. Based on roughly half a million data points collected over 18 years between 1995 and 2013, scientists at the University of Notre Dame in the US have released the ND-Gain Index which measures vulnerability to the effects of climate change and readiness to adapt in 192 UN countries.

“It shows many countries in Africa and Asia exhibit a dangerous combination of high vulnerability and low readiness,” says Jonathan Whiting at the Eco Experts blog. “The map also shows that countries in the West, who are arguably most responsible for causing climate change, are less vulnerable and better prepared, making them most likely to survive the severe impacts of climate change.”

The map below shows which countries are most at risk and which are most likely to survive. When it comes to the factors measured, vulnerability was split into measurements of ecosystem services, food, health, human habitat, infrastructure, water, adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity. Readiness was measured according to three factors – economic, governance, and social readiness, according to ASAP Science.