THE Philippines is among the top countries in the world that are the most vulnerable to global warming in the world, according to UK-based USwitch.
In its latest study, the Philippines ranked 5th out of nearly 200 countries with an overall score of 9.59 out of 10. The score is based on the natural disasters experienced by countries, affected people, and the cost of damages.
The data (found here: https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/global-warming-and-natural-disasters/) also showed that these disasters cost the Philippine economy $42.929 billion. This translates to $360.75 million in costs annually between 1902 and 2021.
“Global climate change causes increased air and water temperatures which lead to rising sea levels and higher wind speeds. These factors increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters like prolonged droughts, wildfire seasons, heavy precipitation, supercharged storms and flooding,” USwitch said.
The research analyzed historical global data of over 15,000 disasters from 1902-2021. USwitch created a points-based index to determine the countries most likely to suffer from natural hazards.
Based on the analysis, the Philippines experienced a total of 671 natural disasters between 1902 and 2021. This includes 377 storms and 156 floods as well as 40 earthquakes; 31 landslides; and 29 volcanic activities.
Other disasters experienced by the Philippines during the 119-year period were 22 epidemics; 10 droughts; three mass movements (dry); two insect infestation; and one wildfire.
USwitch said disasters that were not experienced by the country during the period included extreme temperatures; fog; and glacial outbursts. These were all part of the natural disasters included in the report.
Further, a total of 239 million people were affected by the disasters experienced by the country between 1902 and 2021. This does not include the 71,961 fatalities that occurred due to these disasters.
Energy expert Will Owen says reducing one’s carbon footprint is one way to help slow the rate of global warming. “Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas—as it builds up in the Earth’s atmosphere, it traps sunlight that is reflected back into space, warming the planet. ‘Global warming’ refers to these issues, as well as the potentially harmful effects of a warmer planet.”
China is the country most vulnerable to global warming with a score of 9.978, having been ranked first for both total number of people affected at over 3.3 billion and second-highest estimated economic damage at almost $800 billion.
Global warming has contributed to China’s suffering from more droughts than any other country on our list, with 39 recorded events since 1902.
India is in second place among the countries most affected by global warming with a score of 9.912. There are 60 cases of extreme temperature events recorded in India which makes it the only country in the top 10 to experience glacial lake outbursts.
Bangladesh comes in third with a score of 9.720. Out of the 356 natural disasters recorded, almost 80 percent have been either floods or storms. In total, 464 million people have been affected by these events and cost $39 billion in damages.
In fourth place is the USA with a score of 9.648. This nation experiences more natural disasters than any other country and the highest amount of economic impact at $1.7 trillion or about 8 percent of its GDP. The USA suffered from 685 recorded storm events which is the most in the world.
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