With 10,000 deaths, India alone accounted for more than 80 percent of all the casualties from weather-related disasters in South Asia between 2019 and 2023 and two-fifths of the total toll of 23,525 across Asia Pacific, according to a new report
India bore the brunt of weather disasters in South Asia (2019-2023), suffering a hefty $56 billion in damages - the most in the region. A staggering 54 million people in South Asia were affected, two-thirds in India alone. This translates to a significant 21 percent of the 256 million impacted across Asia Pacific.
South Asia as a whole suffered the second highest damages at $59.2 billion, right below East Asia, consisting of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, which lost $130.7 billion to weather-related disasters.
Of the 11,995 deaths caused by extreme weather events in South Asia, India alone accounted for 10,000, which is two-fifths of the total toll of 23,525 across Asia Pacific.
According to ADB climate envoy Warren Evans, climate change increases the risks posed by natural hazards. The multilateral bank is working with developing countries to understand, reduce, and manage disaster risk. It provides solutions and funds to bolster the capability of communities, services, and financial systems to deal with the challenges posed by weather-related disasters.
India, in its unwavering commitment to address the adverse impact of climate change, has been taking significant steps. It has announced aggressive targets to cut emissions, including a net zero target to be achieved by 2070. This proactive stance is further evidenced by India's updated commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in August 2022, after completing what was committed in 2015.
India had set a target in 2015 of having 40 percent of its installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030 but achieved the target well ahead of time. By 2023, it had crossed 43 percent, the Ministry of Environment and Forests said in its annual report for 2023-24. India had also committed in 2015 to cut down the carbon intensity of its economy by 33-35 percent over 2005 levels and achieved a 33 percent reduction between 2005 and 2019, as per the ministry.
India, despite its minuscule historical contribution to cumulative global greenhouse gas emissions, maintains a strong voice in the climate change discourse. With a share of 17 percent of the world’s population, its per capita annual emissions are about a third of the global average. This disparity underscores India's call for equitable climate action, a plea based on principles of justice and shared responsibilities.