The 10 Countries Most Vulnerable to Climate Change Will Experience Population Booms in the Coming Decades

Climate scientists have long warned that the impacts of climate change will hit less developed regions in the global south harder and earlier than wealthier parts of the world. A major consequence of that trend, analysis of the U.N.’s latest population forecasts shows, is that countries experiencing the world’s most rapid population growth over the coming decades will also be on the front lines of climate change. TIME compared data from population forecasts published by the U.N. in June with a ranking of countries who are most vulnerable to climate change compiled by British risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. The Climate Vulnerability Index draws on datasets from bodies like the World Bank and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to assess the physical impacts of climate change on a given country (such as long term changes in weather patterns and precipitation), the sensitivity of the country’s population (based on factors like poverty levels and quality of healthcare and education) and the country’s ability to adapt (based on the strength and stability of its institutions, economy and government). Analyzing those factors, the index ranks 193 countries on their relative risk from climate change. All but one of the 10 most vulnerable countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, a region whose total population is expected to double between now and 2050 and keep on growing long after populations have plateaued or even declined in wealthier parts of...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change data visualization Science Source Type: news