Philippines ranked 7th most affected country by extreme weather in 2024

The Philippines was the seventh most affected country by extreme weather events in 2024, up four places from a year ago, according to the Climate Risk Index (CRI) 2026 by non-government development and environmental organization Germanwatch. 

The report was released on Thursday as the Philippines is still reeling from the effects of typhoons Fung-wong (Uwan) and Kalmaegi (Tino), which killed a combined total of over 250 people.

Germanwatch underscored the devastation brought by tropical cyclones Gaemi (Carina), Yagi (Enteng), Trami (Kristine), Man-Yi (Pepito), and the extreme heat wave from April to May during the El Niño phenomenon in 2024.

“The 2024 typhoon season was not ordinary, according to WWA (World Weather Attribution), as six typhoons struck the country within just 30 days,” the report stated.

“Anthropogenic climate change increased the average intensity of these storms by about 2 m/s (7.2 km/h) and boosted the frequency of storms such as Gaemi (Carina) by 30%. The same climate drivers also intensified the heat wave by about 1.2°C,” it added.

Out of 174 countries, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was the most impacted in 2024, followed by Grenada, Chad, Papua New Guinea, Niger, Nepal, and the Philippines.

Malawi ranked eighth, while Myanmar and Vietnam placed ninth and tenth, respectively.

The Philippines was also the seventh most affected in the 1995-2024 period, as it experienced 371 extreme weather events.

“The Philippines (7th) has a high ranking mainly because of its high number of affected people per 100,000 and high absolute economic losses,” the report stated.

It said that the Philippines is “regularly hit” by powerful typhoons due to its geographical location.

These storms include Ketsana (Ondoy) in 2009, Bopha (Pablo) in 2012, Haiyan (Yolanda) in 2013, Mangkhut (Ompong) in 2018, and Goni (Rolly) in 2020.

The report also included the impacts of Haiyan, which was the “strongest typhoon ever recorded in the Philippines and one of the strongest globally.”

“Collectively, these disasters caused more than 27,500 fatalities, affected more than 230 million people, and resulted in more than USD 35 billion in economic losses (inflation-adjusted),” the report stated.

Dominica was the most affected country in the 1995-2004 period, followed by Myanmar, Honduras, Libya, Haiti, and Grenada.

Nicaragua placed eighth, followed by India and the Bahamas.

The rankings were based on these indicators: fatalities, people affected (injured and adversely affected), and economic losses, presented in both absolute and relative terms.

“Countries such as Haiti, the Philippines, and India—all of which are among the ten most affected countries in the CRI—face particular challenges. They are hit by floods, heat waves, or storms so regularly that entire regions can hardly recover from the impacts until the next event hits,” Vera Künzel, co-author of the index, said.

“When more funding to address loss and damage is negotiated here at COP (Conference of the Parties), the focus is on countries like these. Without more long-term support—including for adapting to the climate crisis—they will face insurmountable challenges,” she added.

Meanwhile, John Leo Algo of Aksyon Klima said the Philippines should push developed countries during the COP30 negotiations in Belem, Brazil, to deliver on their promise of at least $300 billion in climate finance to developing nations.

Algo further said COP30 should also aim to adapt goals that would address the needs of vulnerable countries like the Philippines.

“The wrath of Super Typhoon Uwan places a lot of pressure on the Philippine government delegation here at COP30 to deliver concrete outcomes,” Algo said.

“This starts with a stronger showcase of leadership in the climate negotiations in Belem, Brazil, which will become more challenging partially due to a smaller delegation sent to the summit,” he added. —VBL, GMA Integrated News