Bangladesh, Sierra Leone and South Sudan led a ranking of countries facing extreme risks as a result of climate change, exacerbating the chances of civil conflict, according to a study by UK researcher Maplecroft.
A total of 32 countries out of 196 surveyed face that level of threat, the Bath, England-based analyst said today in an e-mailed statement. Nigeria, Chad, Haiti, Ethiopia, the Philippines, the Central African Republic and Eritrea rounded out 10 most at risk.
The threatened nations all depend heavily on agriculture, which accounts for 28 per cent of their combined economic output relying on farm-related revenue, and 65 per cent of the working population employed in the sector, according to Maplecroft.
The climate risk combined with food insecurity act as “threat multipliers” escalating the danger of civil conflict, it said.
“Global business and the military now view climate change as an important risk management imperative,” James Allan, head of environment at Maplecroft, said in the statement. “Identifying future flashpoints will help proactive organizations and governments make strategic decisions.”
Other nations deemed at extreme climate risk included India, Pakistan and Guatemala.
Eleven countries — South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Chad, Ethiopia, Haiti, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Burundi and Afghanistan — faced extreme risk from both climate change and food insecurity, according to Maplecroft.
