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The Climate Risk Index (CRI) analyzes to what extent countries across the world have been affected by impacts of extreme weather effects such as storms, floods and heat waves. The five countries which were the most severely affected -in 2018- by catastrophic weather events are: Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar and India. In the past 20 years 495.000 people died as a direct result of extreme weather events and economic damages exceeded US$ 3.54 Trillion (Re. Germanwatch). Japan was the most affected country hit by extreme summer heat, torrential rainfall and Jebi a powerful tropical typhoon. Philippines ranks second in the CRI due to the very significant losses inflicted by the typhoon Mangkhut. Germany's top ranking is due to the hottest ever April-July period which caused more than 1.200 deaths and to widespread droughts. Madagascar was hit by 2 severe tropical cyclones leading to massive floods. And India suffered from one of its longest ever heat waves which resulted in prolonged droughts and was also very badly affected by exceptionally heavy monsoon rains.The CRI report also underlines that across Europe extreme heat spells are now up to 100 times more likely than a century ago. Finally, the CRI 2020 report which is based on data from the reinsurance company Munich Re and the International Monetary Fund stresses that it is still difficult to distinguish between natural variability and human-induced extremes, but the rising sea level, which is largely caused by climate change, is responsible for the increased intensity of floods, storms and droughts.

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