hankyoreh

BALI, Indonesia -Amid a United Nations conference on climate change currently taking place in Indonesia, it was reported that North Korea is the second-most climate affected nation in the world.

According to a report released by Germanwatch on December 12, North Korea ranked second, after the Philippines, out of 128 countries in its Climate Risk Index. South Korea ranked 21st on the list, which was compiled by the German NGO based on a database maintained by risk management firm Munich Reinsurance.

The Climate Risk Index, which is calculated based on the number of deaths, the decrease in purchasing power and the gross domestic product, or GDP, following a climate change shows a country’s vulnerability to changes in the weather.

The report cited 549 deaths as a result of the two floods in North Korea. The reclusive nation had the highest death rate in the world with 2.33 per 100,000 people. The North’s purchasing power declined US$668 million and the rate of decrease in its GDP was the second fastest in the world. The communist country ranked seventh place in terms of actual number of deaths.

In South Korea, there were 36 deaths as a result of three floods, 0.07 per 100,000 people, while the nation’s purchasing power was reduced US$825 million and the GDP declined 0.07 percent.

The Philippines and North Korea were followed by Asian nations such as Indonesia, Vietnam and China which ranked third, fourth and seventh, respectively, showing that Asia has suffered the worst amount of damage from weather extremes.

Among advanced countries, the United States, which has witnessed an increasing amount of damage from strong storms and heat waves, ranked 9th, while Japan was ranked 27th.

Costa Rica was the nation least affected by climate changes, followed by The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Denmark.

According to Munich Reinsurance’s data, recent weather extremes caused 12,422 deaths and property losses worth about $47.7 billion in 2006.

Klaus Milke, Germanwatch’s chairman of the board, who is participating in the climate summit in Bali, said that people in developing nations have been most seriously affected by weather extremes and that it was urgent for the world to adapt to the consequences of climate change.