Puerto Rico was one of the 10 countries most affected by the climate crisis in 2022, according to a scientific index that analyzes the effects of extreme weather, climate, and hydrological events in terms of both economic and human losses.
The latest Climate Risk Index (CRI) by the international organization Germanwatch ranked Puerto Rico sixth. The study examines how these extreme events cause loss of human lives, leave people injured, and deprive families of their homes.
Germanwatch considers data from the two years prior to the publication of the Index, so this edition evaluated information from 2022. The countries more affected than Puerto Rico were Pakistan, Belize, Italy, Greece, and Spain. Following Puerto Rico on the list are the United States, Nigeria, Portugal, and Bulgaria.
The document states that Hurricane Fiona in September 2022 caused the worst flooding in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria in 2017. It notes that as a result, a million people lost potable water service, more than 20 lost their lives, and damages were estimated at over $2.6 billion.
According to the latest World Bank data, the report states that Puerto Rico was among the 10 high-income countries most affected by climate change in 2022. The World Bank defines high-income countries as those jurisdictions with a Gross National Income of more than $13,846 in 2024.
According to the document, the presence of high-income countries in the CRI indicates that despite having more resources to reduce their vulnerability to the climate crisis, they are not more protected due to the lack of concrete damage mitigation measures. The document also warns that high-income countries must commit to reducing carbon dioxide emission levels to keep global warming below 1.5°C and take adaptation measures against the climate crisis.
The study also analyzes the countries most affected by the climate crisis over the past three decades, from 1993 to 2022.
Dominica, China, Honduras, Myanmar, and Italy led the index for that period, followed by India, Greece, Spain, Vanuatu, and the Philippines.
“These countries occupy the top positions in the ranking and should consider the CRI results as a warning regarding the risk they face from either frequent or rare but extreme and extraordinary events,” says the report published this week by Germanwatch. “If there is no significant change (…) in mitigation and financial support, human losses and economic costs due to climate impacts will continue to rise.”
The United States — the world’s second-largest producer of carbon dioxide in 2023 — also appears on the list alongside Puerto Rico. Home to nearly 6 million Puerto Ricans, the U.S. was hit by hurricanes Ian and Nicole, as well as storm Elliot, in 2022. Together, the three events caused the death of 250 people. The report also mentions a recent heatwave that shook the country, resulting in 136 deaths and $23 billion in economic losses, as well as six tornadoes, which caused an additional $11 billion in losses.
The rise of climate denialism (the refusal to accept scientific evidence) among U.S. officials after President Donald J. Trump’s election has made the United States and Puerto Rico more vulnerable to the climate crisis, said CRI co-author Laura Schafer at a press conference.
“Human-induced climate change leads to more frequent and intense extreme events and more significant climate impacts,” the report states. “Between 1993 and 2022, the frequency and intensity of storms, floods, heatwaves, and droughts increased with devastating consequences for human lives and economies.”
Photo by Ricardo Arduengo | Centro de Periodismo Investigativo
According to another CRI author, Lina Adil, low-income families — especially in rural communities — find adapting to the climate crisis more challenging.
The study also found a correlation between poverty, social inequality, and vulnerability to the climate crisis, Adil revealed.
Thousands Die Worldwide Due to Climate Crisis
The CRI also reports that between 1993 and 2022, more than 765,000 people worldwide died due to the climate crisis. More than $4.2 trillion in economic losses were recorded during that period due to 9,400 extreme weather events, such as cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and droughts.
Storms (35%), heatwaves (30%), and floods (27%) caused the most fatalities, according to the report.
The report does not specify how many people have died specifically due to the climate crisis in Puerto Rico. However, it notes that nearly 31,000 people were affected by the multiple weather events that hit the island from 1993 to 2022. This represents a loss of 2.99% of Puerto Rico’s Gross Domestic Product.
According to the report, Puerto Rico ranks 46th among the 171 territories and countries most affected by the climate crisis over the past three decades.
However, in the 2021 CRI, Puerto Rico ranked first among the 10 jurisdictions most affected by the climate crisis after analyzing data from 2000 to 2019.
The index draws from the international disaster database EM-DAT, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. It examines the impacts of extreme weather events that have shaken them to rank countries according to indicators such as economic losses, fatalities, and affected people, both in absolute and relative terms.
