Ireland at 'low risk' from climate change

Ireland has been ranked the fourth least at-risk in the world when it comes to suffering the effects of climate change.

Norway, Finland and Iceland are the safest countries, in that order, according to a new study by British risk analysis firm Maplecroft. Ireland is one of only 11 countries globally ranked as "low-risk." Bangladesh, India, Madagascar, Nepal and Mozambique are at the most risk, in that order, according to the study.

Maplecroft's environmental analyst, Dr Anna Moss, suggests that extreme weather events like this year's floods in Pakistan are the result of climate change.

“There is growing evidence climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of climatic events,” she said.

“Very minor changes to temperature can have major impacts on the human environment, including changes to water availability and crop productivity, the loss of land due to sea level rise and the spread of disease.”

The data is mapped here. The study measured:

1. how vulnerable the country is right now to climate-related natural disasters.
2. human sensitivity in terms of, for example, dependence on agriculture.
3. how capable the country is of adapting to the effects of climate change.

Of the 25 countries ranked as being at "extreme risk", 12 are in Africa.