The less developed countries suffer far more from storms, floods and weather extremes than industrialized nations, according to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) presented Tuesday by environment and development organization Germanwatch and the Munich Reinsurance.
Germanwatch views the results of the Index released at the ongoing U.N. climate change conference in Bali, a resort island of Indonesia, as further evidence that a central task of the climate conference in Bali is to agree on a negotiation mandate that limits the risks of climate change.
Sven Harmeling, senior advisor for climate and development at Germanwatch and author of the study, said, "The most affected countries in 2006 were the Philippines, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Indonesia, the host of the ongoing climate change conference.
According to the Index, there were almost 1,300 deaths and damages ranging in the billions due to storms and floods in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Thomas Loster, managing director of the Munich Re foundation, emphasized that people in developing countries are most affected by weather catastrophes. Long-term studies reveal that about 80 percent of the victims come from poor countries.
"The ten natural disasters with the highest number of victims in 2007 occurred in poor countries," said Loster.
"Climate change entails more frequent weather extremes and poor people are particularly vulnerable. This will increase the challenge that we face in preventing disasters and in development cooperation," he said.
During the ongoing climate conference, rich countries are urgedto take the lead and shoulder greater responsibilities in reducinggreenhouse gas emissions and helping the poor countries to adapt to climate change.
Germanwatch is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental North-South Initiative founded in 1991.
Source: Xinhua
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