*Pakistan has been ranked as the fifth-most vulnerable country to climatechange, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.*

The Global Climate Risk Index, published by *Germanwatch*, elaborated thatPakistan lost 9,989 lives, suffered economic losses worth $3.8 billion andwitnessed 152 extreme weather events from 1999 to 2018, which indicates anincrease in climate-related vulnerabilities.

The report also indicated that the government, in addition to theinternational community, are not taking sufficient measures to cope withthe threats posed by climate change.

According to the report, Pakistan is among the countries that are”recurrently affected by catastrophes [and] continuously rank among themost affected countries both in the long-term index and in the index forthe respective year”.

Other countries on the list include Puerto Rico (1), Myanmar (2), Haiti(3), Philippines (4), Vietnam (6), Bangladesh (7), Thailand (8), Nepal (9)and Dominica (10).

According to David Eckstein, one of the co-authors of this report, “theentire region where Pakistan is located is prone to extreme weather events,in particular, heavy rainfalls e.g. during monsoon season, and floodings asa result.”

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Khan,while commenting on Pakistan’s ranking in the 2020 report, said: “Ourranking over the long-term index went up from eight to fifth because theperiod used amplifies our most climate catastrophic events in 2010/2011when the super floods hit.”

“In terms of economic costs at $3.8 million, we are number three over a20-year period. What this means is that our economy is constantly at riskfrom climate catastrophes and this is not just an environmental challengebut an issue impacting our economy, human health, agriculture andecosystem,” he explained.