Above 80% of Indians live in districts vulnerable to climate risks: Report

More than 80 per cent Indians live in districts vulnerable to climate risks, while Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Bihar are states which are most vulnerable to extreme climate events such as floods, droughts and cyclones in India, said the Climate Vulnerability Index released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).The report 'Mapping India's Climate Vulnerability – A District-Level Assessment', supported by the India Climate Collaborative and EdelGive Foundation, has carried out the study on 640 districts of the country. The study has revealed that 463 of these are prone to extreme floods, droughts and cyclones are affected. Overall, 27 Indian states and Union territories are prone to severe weather activities which frequently disrupt the neighborhood financial system and displace weaker communities.Dhemaji and Nagaon in Assam, Khammam in Telangana, Gajapati in Odisha, Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Sangli in Maharashtra and Chennai in Tamil Nadu are among India’s most climate vulnerable districts, finds the study. The study also highlighted that states in India’s northeast are more vulnerable to floods, while the ones in the south and central are most vulnerable to extreme droughts. Further, 59 and 41 per cent of the total districts in the eastern and western states, respectively, are highly vulnerable to extreme cyclones. The CEEW study also highlighted that states in North East are more vulnerable to floods, while the ones in the south and central are most vulnerable to extreme droughts. Further, 59 and 41 per cent of the total districts in the eastern and western states, respectively, are highly vulnerable to extreme cyclones. The CEEW study also indicated that only 63 per cent of Indian districts have a District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP).India must create a new Climate Risk Commission to coordinate the environmental de-risking mission.