The most climate-prepared countries in the world are losing ground, according to the latest update of the . Updated annually, ND-GAIN鈥檚 Country Index quantifies the climate vulnerability and readiness of more than 180 countries by aggregating 45 core indicators over 20 years.
This year鈥檚 ND-GAIN leaderboard appears similar to previous years, with Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Singapore, Austria, Germany, Iceland and New Zealand situated as the highest-ranked countries. A closer look reveals that although these countries retained their top standing, there is a general decline of ND-GAIN scores among the leaderboard.
The decline of ND-GAIN leader scores is driven by the index鈥檚 measurement of climate readiness, which consists of economic, governance and social components. At the same time, many of the highest-ranked countries saw an increase in vulnerability to the effects of climate change. ND-GAIN measures vulnerability across six components 鈥� including food, water, health, human habitat, infrastructure and ecosystem services 鈥� for sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity to climate risks.听
According to , the project director of ND-GAIN, there are similarities among leaderboard countries. 鈥淢any do face moderate exposure to climate change, but they have good capacities to deal with the potential climate risks,鈥� Wood said. 鈥淚n general, they are also better prepared for natural disasters and practice good governance, which is essential to adaptation.鈥�
At the same time, Wood noted that the drop of ND-GAIN scores among the highest-ranked countries should serve as a critical reminder. 鈥淭he decline of the top-ranked countries underscores that no country is immune to potentially extreme impacts of climate change,鈥� she said.
Free and open source, the ND-GAIN Country Index helps decision-makers in governments, nongovernmental organizations, corporations and academia prioritize investments for a more efficient response to the global challenges ahead, such as overcrowding, food insecurity, inadequate infrastructure and civil conflicts. To learn about ND-GAIN or the Country Index, visit .
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Contact:听Jessica Sieff,听Assistant Director, Media Relations, 574-631-3933,听jsieff@nd.edu