Japan, Germany and the Philippines topped the list of the most affected countries in 2018.
Rabat – Morocco ranked 135th out of 181 countries in the 2020 Global Climate Risk Index (CRI), with a score of 125.
The report evaluates the extent of risk facing countries and regions affected by impacts of extreme weather, including storms, floods, and heatwaves.
The analysis looked at recent data for 2018 as well as from 1999 to 2018 for comparison.
NGO Germanwatch carried out the survey, ranking Morocco 115th in terms of “Fatalities” in 2018, and 115th in” fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants.”
The report also ranked Morocco 104th in terms of losses in millions of US dollars and 135 in losses per unit gross domestic product (GDP) in percent.
CRI measures extreme weather events in terms of fatalities and economic losses that occurred based on “data from the Munich Re NatCatSERVICE, which is considered worldwide as one of the most reliable and complete databases on this matter.”
Last year, Morocco experienced floods in several regions. Severe floods hit several regions of Morocco in late September in Rhamna and Al Haouz, Sidi Ifni, Meknes, and Guelmim, causing up to five deaths.
The floods also caused extensive property damage and agricultural casualties, from flooded houses to drowned livestock and blocked roads.
This year, similar floods killed several people.
On Sunday, September 8, a bus connecting Casablanca and Rissani, a town in Errachidia Province, fell off the Oued Damchan bridge. The accident was caused by floods.
Additionally, flooding in the Taroudant region killed eight people after the river burst its banks onto a football pitch in August.
Heavy rains also led to floods in the Khenifra province on September 2. The floods killed a teenage girl and an old man.
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 ranked Morocco 2nd out of all countries.
Morocco ranks first in Africa and the MENA region. The index takes into consideration “Greenhouse Gases” (GHG) emission, renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy.
The ranking is mainly ascribed to Morocco’s different ecological initiatives and projects, including Morocco’s “Green Plan”, Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA) initiative, and the “Noor” project.
