A new index has identified 65 nations most at-risk to climate shocks, with over two billion people living in ‘red zone’ countries where disaster risk is high and access to finance is limited.
The Climate Finance (CliF) VulnerabilityIndex, developed by Columbia Climate School and The Rockefeller Foundation, aims to provide a more comprehensive risk assessment, directing aid to those who need it most. Two-thirds of the nations on the list are in Africa, but also includes two European countries: Cyprus and Ukraine.
According to experts, climate shocks, such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts, will increase in frequency and intensity, resulting in significant economic losses and human deaths. The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2050, over 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in global economic losses could occur.
The index reveals that high borrowing costs and limited access to finance trap nations in a cycle of climate disaster response and recovery, hindering their ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Traditional aid models are also inadequate, as they do not capture the unique risks of climate exposure.
Countries such as Cyprus and Ukraine are classified as ‘red zone’ due to non-climate hazards, including earthquakes and conflict. However, European nations, such as Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, and the US, are better represented among the list, indicating they have more capacity to deal with climate shocks.
The CliF VulnerabilityIndex provides a more realistic picture of risk, taking into account access to financing to address climate vulnerabilities. This index will help donors and funders prioritize support for countries most at-risk, potentially preventing them from entering crisis situations.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/06/26/new-index-reveals-countries-in-the-red-zone-of-climate-vulnerability-including-two-in-euro