This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(August 2022) |
The Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) is a measurement devised by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the United Nations Environment Program and others [1] to characterize the relative severity of various types of environmental issues suffered by 243 enumerated individual nations and other geographies (such as Antarctica). The results of the EVI are used to focus on planned solutions to negative pressures on the environment, whilst promoting sustainability.
The beginning stages of the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) were developed to be appropriate for Small Island Developing States (SIDs), this theoretical idea at the time was presented by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) on February 4, 1999. The ideas and plans for The Environmental Vulnerability Index were worked on further with the creation of a (EVI) Think Tank that took place from September 7–10, 1999 in Pacific Harbour, Fiji. Expanding the (EVI) to other SIDS was aided by a meeting of experts convened in Malta on November 29 – December 3, 1999 by (SOPAC) and the Foundation for International Studies (of the University of Malta's Islands and Small States Institute) with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
During the second phase of the development, the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) was tested in five different countries. A workshop was made to expand the application of the Environmental Vulnerability Index to a demonstrative set of countries from around the world. The workshop was hosted by UNEP in Geneva, Switzerland on August 27 – August 29, 2001. Continuation of work and development on The Environmental Vulnerability Index, lead to a presentation of the first functional results with the Demonstration EVI.
To be able to calculate an Environmental Vulnerability Index it requires the compilation of relevant environmental vulnerability data for the 50 indicators. Once compiled then this data must be used to calculate each indicator. As the indicators are heterogeneous, include variables for which responses are numerical, qualitative and on different scales (linear, non-linear, or with different ranges) they are mapped onto a 1–7 vulnerability scale. Where data is not available, no value is given for the indicator and the denominator of the average adjusted down by one value. Where an indicator is considered 'non-applicable' in a country (such as volcanic eruptions in Tuvalu which has no volcanoes), the lowest vulnerability score of 1 is attributed to that indicator. The vulnerability scores for each indicator are then accumulated either into categories or sub-indices and the average calculated. An overall average of all indicators is calculated to generate the country EVI. The EVI is accumulated into three sub-indices: Hazards, Resistance, Damage
The 50 EVI indicators are also divided up in the issue categories for use as required: Climate change, Biodiversity, Water, Agriculture and fisheries, Human health aspects, Desertification, and Exposure to Natural Disasters.
Rank | Country | Index | Bracket |
---|---|---|---|
1 | French Guiana | 174 | Resilient |
2 | Western Sahara | 175 | Resilient |
3 | Botswana | 181 | Resilient |
4 | Central African Republic | 193 | Resilient |
5 | Namibia | 200 | Resilient |
6 | Zimbabwe | 200 | Resilient |
7 | Guyana | 207 | Resilient |
8 | Mongolia | 208 | Resilient |
9 | Niger | 208 | Resilent |
10 | Djibouti | 210 | Resilient |
11 | Zambia | 210 | Resilient |
12 | Gabon | 211 | Resilient |
13 | Suriname | 211 | Resilient |
14 | Kazakhstan | 215 | At risk |
15 | Mali | 215 | At risk |
16 | Svalbard | 215 | At risk |
17 | Chad | 217 | At risk |
18 | Congo | 219 | At risk |
19 | Falkland Islands | 223 | At risk |
20 | Mozambique | 225 | At risk |
21 | Angola | 227 | At risk |
22 | Cameroon | 229 | At risk |
23 | Burkina Faso | 229 | At risk |
24 | Qatar | 229 | At risk |
25 | Mauritania | 233 | At risk |
26 | Kyrgyzstan | 234 | At risk |
27 | Antarctica | 235 | At risk |
28 | Australia | 238 | At risk |
29 | Belarus | 239 | At risk |
30 | Equatorial Guinea | 243 | At risk |
31 | Greenland | 243 | At risk |
32 | Laos | 243 | At risk |
33 | Swaziland | 243 | At risk |
34 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 245 | At risk |
35 | Panama | 247 | At risk |
36 | Armenia | 247 | At risk |
37 | Bahamas | 248 | At risk |
38 | Cote d'Ivoire | 248 | At risk |
39 | Turkmenistan | 249 | At risk |
40 | Malawi | 249 | At risk |
41 | Oman | 250 | At risk |
42 | Bolivia | 250 | At risk |
43 | Canada | 251 | At risk |
44 | Papua New Guinea | 251 | At risk |
45 | Bhutan | 253 | At risk |
46 | Eritrea | 254 | At risk |
47 | Guinea | 254 | At risk |
48 | Libya | 256 | At risk |
49 | Andorra | 257 | At risk |
50 | Tanzania | 257 | At risk |
51 | Belize | 258 | At risk |
52 | Uruguay | 259 | At risk |
53 | Ethiopia | 260 | At risk |
54 | Paraguay | 260 | At risk |
55 | Georgia | 261 | At risk |
56 | Kenya | 262 | At risk |
57 | Finland | 265 | Vulnerable |
58 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 265 | Vulnerable |
59 | Somalia | 265 | Vulnerable |
60 | Peru | 268 | Vulnerable |
61 | Cambodia | 270 | Vulnerable |
62 | Latvia | 270 | Vulnerable |
63 | Myanmar | 270 | Vulnerable |
64 | Bouvet Island | 271 | Vulnerable |
65 | Guinea-Bissau | 271 | Vulnerable |
66 | Liberia | 271 | Vulnerable |
67 | Tajikistan | 271 | Vulnerable |
68 | Nicaragua | 272 | Vulnerable |
69 | Honduras | 273 | Vulnerable |
70 | Norway | 273 | Vulnerable |
71 | Russia | 273 | Vulnerable |
72 | Saudi Arabia | 274 | Vulnerable |
73 | Sudan | 274 | Vulnerable |
74 | Algeria | 275 | Vulnerable |
75 | Comoros | 277 | Vulnerable |
76 | Gambia | 277 | Vulnerable |
77 | Senegal | 277 | Vulnerable |
78 | Benin | 278 | Vulnerable |
79 | Ghana | 279 | Vulnerable |
80 | Madagascar | 279 | Vulnerable |
81 | Saint Helena | 279 | Vulnerable |
82 | Lesotho | 280 | Vulnerable |
83 | Estonia | 280 | Vulnerable |
84 | Morocco | 281 | Vulnerable |
85 | Solomon Islands | 281 | Vulnerable |
86 | Cape Verde | 282 | Vulnerable |
87 | Sierra Leone | 283 | Vulnerable |
88 | Uganda | 283 | Vulnerable |
89 | Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 285 | Vulnerable |
90 | Vanuatu | 285 | Vulnerable |
91 | Uzbekistan | 286 | Vulnerable |
92 | Argentina | 287 | Vulnerable |
93 | Chile | 287 | Vulnerable |
94 | Burundi | 288 | Vulnerable |
95 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 288 | Vulnerable |
96 | Afghanistan | 289 | Vulnerable |
97 | Yemen | 289 | Vulnerable |
98 | New Caledonia | 290 | Vulnerable |
99 | Aruba | 291 | Vulnerable |
100 | Venezuela | 291 | Vulnerable |
101 | New Zealand | 292 | Vulnerable |
102 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 292 | Vulnerable |
103 | Togo | 293 | Vulnerable |
104 | United Arab Emirates | 293 | Vulnerable |
105 | Vatican City | 293 | Vulnerable |
106 | Heard Island and McDonald Islands | 294 | Vulnerable |
107 | British Indian Ocean Territory | 295 | Vulnerable |
108 | Colombia | 296 | Vulnerable |
109 | Faroe Islands | 296 | Vulnerable |
110 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 296 | Vulnerable |
111 | Egypt | 298 | Vulnerable |
112 | Iceland | 298 | Vulnerable |
113 | Rwanda | 298 | Vulnerable |
114 | Jan Mayen | 300 | Vulnerable |
115 | United States | 300 | Vulnerable |
116 | Slovakia | 303 | Vulnerable |
117 | Ecuador | 304 | Vulnerable |
118 | Mayotte | 304 | Vulnerable |
119 | Pitcairn | 304 | Vulnerable |
120 | Wallis and Futuna | 304 | Vulnerable |
121 | Nepal | 305 | Vulnerable |
122 | San Marino | 305 | Vulnerable |
123 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 306 | Vulnerable |
124 | Mexico | 306 | Vulnerable |
125 | Tunisia | 306 | Vulnerable |
126 | Antigua & Barbuda | 307 | Vulnerable |
127 | Thailand | 308 | Vulnerable |
128 | Hong Kong | 309 | Vulnerable |
129 | Niue | 309 | Vulnerable |
130 | Jordan | 310 | Vulnerable |
131 | Sweden | 311 | Vulnerable |
132 | Anguilla | 312 | Vulnerable |
133 | Malaysia | 312 | Vulnerable |
134 | Brunei | 313 | Vulnerable |
135 | Iran | 313 | Vulnerable |
136 | Cyprus | 314 | Vulnerable |
137 | Lithuania | 314 | Vulnerable |
138 | Czech Republic | 315 | Vulnerable |
139 | Grenada | 315 | Vulnerable |
140 | Malta | 316 | Highly vulnerable |
141 | Indonesia | 316 | Highly vulnerable |
142 | North Macedonia | 316 | Highly vulnerable |
143 | Ukraine | 317 | Highly vulnerable |
144 | Ireland | 318 | Highly vulnerable |
145 | Moldova | 322 | Highly vulnerable |
146 | Bulgaria | 323 | Highly vulnerable |
147 | Kuwait | 323 | Highly vulnerable |
148 | Netherlands Antilles | 323 | Highly vulnerable |
149 | Dominican Republic | 324 | Highly vulnerable |
150 | South Africa | 324 | Highly vulnerable |
151 | Taiwan | 324 | Highly vulnerable |
152 | Bahrain | 326 | Highly vulnerable |
153 | Luxembourg | 327 | Highly vulnerable |
154 | Gibraltar | 328 | Highly vulnerable |
155 | Samoa | 328 | Highly vulnerable |
156 | Tokelau | 328 | Highly vulnerable |
157 | Cuba | 329 | Highly vulnerable |
158 | Albania | 330 | Highly vulnerable |
159 | Sri Lanka | 331 | Highly vulnerable |
160 | Monaco | 332 | Highly vulnerable |
161 | Fiji | 333 | Highly vulnerable |
162 | Puerto Rico | 334 | Highly vulnerable |
163 | Portugal | 335 | Highly vulnerable |
164 | Romania | 335 | Highly vulnerable |
165 | Nigeria | 336 | Highly vulnerable |
166 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 337 | Highly vulnerable |
167 | Guatemala | 338 | Highly vulnerable |
168 | Palau | 338 | Highly vulnerable |
169 | Bangladesh | 340 | Highly vulnerable |
170 | Réunion | 341 | Highly vulnerable |
171 | Montserrat | 342 | Highly vulnerable |
172 | Cayman Islands | 343 | Highly vulnerable |
173 | Croatia | 343 | Highly vulnerable |
174 | Haiti | 343 | Highly vulnerable |
175 | Iraq | 344 | Highly vulnerable |
176 | Denmark | 345 | Highly vulnerable |
177 | Liechtenstein | 346 | Highly vulnerable |
178 | El Salvador | 348 | Highly vulnerable |
179 | Marshall Islands | 348 | Highly vulnerable |
180 | Switzerland | 348 | Highly vulnerable |
181 | Christmas Island | 350 | Highly vulnerable |
182 | Syria | 350 | Highly vulnerable |
183 | Spain | 352 | Highly vulnerable |
184 | Greece | 353 | Highly vulnerable |
185 | Turkey | 353 | Highly vulnerable |
186 | Azerbaijan | 354 | Highly vulnerable |
187 | Costa Rica | 354 | Highly vulnerable |
188 | Poland | 354 | Highly vulnerable |
189 | Seychelles | 355 | Highly vulnerable |
190 | Germany | 357 | Highly vulnerable |
191 | Vietnam | 357 | Highly vulnerable |
192 | Mauritius | 358 | Highly vulnerable |
193 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 359 | Highly vulnerable |
194 | China | 360 | Highly vulnerable |
195 | France | 361 | Highly vulnerable |
196 | Slovenia | 362 | Highly vulnerable |
197 | Hungary | 363 | Highly vulnerable |
198 | North Korea | 363 | Highly vulnerable |
199 | Martinique | 364 | Highly vulnerable |
200 | Tuvalu | 367 | Extremely vulnerable |
201 | Pakistan | 368 | Extremely vulnerable |
202 | Norfolk Island | 368 | Extremely vulnerable |
203 | Austria | 369 | Extremely vulnerable |
204 | Bermuda | 373 | Extremely vulnerable |
205 | South Korea | 373 | Extremely vulnerable |
206 | Brazil | 373 | Extremely vulnerable |
207 | United Kingdom | 373 | Extremely vulnerable |
208 | British Virgin Islands | 377 | Extremely vulnerable |
209 | Northern Mariana Islands | 378 | Extremely vulnerable |
210 | Israel | 380 | Extremely vulnerable |
211 | French Polynesia | 381 | Extremely vulnerable |
212 | Jamaica | 381 | Extremely vulnerable |
213 | Trinidad and Tobago | 381 | Extremely vulnerable |
214 | Cook Islands | 383 | Extremely vulnerable |
215 | Maldives | 383 | Extremely vulnerable |
216 | India | 385 | Extremely vulnerable |
217 | Italy | 386 | Extremely vulnerable |
218 | Belgium | 387 | Extremely vulnerable |
219 | Lebanon | 387 | Extremely vulnerable |
220 | Netherlands | 388 | Extremely vulnerable |
221 | Japan | 389 | Extremely vulnerable |
222 | Guam | 390 | Extremely vulnerable |
223 | Micronesia | 392 | Extremely vulnerable |
224 | Tonga | 392 | Extremely vulnerable |
225 | Saint Lucia | 393 | Extremely vulnerable |
226 | Kiribati | 395 | Extremely vulnerable |
227 | United States Virgin Islands | 396 | Extremely vulnerable |
228 | Philippines | 402 | Extremely vulnerable |
229 | Barbados | 403 | Extremely vulnerable |
230 | Macau | 407 | Extremely vulnerable |
231 | Guadeloupe | 412 | Extremely vulnerable |
232 | Nauru | 421 | Extremely vulnerable |
233 | Singapore | 428 | Extremely vulnerable |
234 | American Samoa | 436 | Extremely vulnerable |
The Comoros archipelago consists of four main islands aligned along a northwest–southeast axis at the north end of the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. Still widely known by their French names, the islands officially have been called by their Swahili names by the Comorian government. They are Grande Comore (Njazidja), Mohéli (Mwali), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Mayotte (Mahoré). The islands' distance from each other—Grande Comore is some 200 kilometers from Mayotte, forty kilometers from Mohéli, and eighty kilometers from Anjouan—along with a lack of good harbor facilities, make transportation and communication difficult. Comoros are sunny islands.
A disaster is an event that causes serious harm to people, buildings, economies, or the environment, and the affected community cannot handle it alone. Natural disasters like avalanches, floods, earthquakes, and wildfires are caused by natural hazards. Human-made disasters like oil spills, terrorist attacks and power outages are caused by people. Nowadays, it is hard to separate natural and human-made disasters because human actions can make natural disasters worse. Climate change also affects how often disasters due to extreme weather hazards happen.
Ecuador is a country in western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, for which the country is named. Ecuador encompasses a wide range of natural formations and climates, from the desert-like southern coast to the snowcapped peaks of the Andes mountain range to the plains of the Amazon Basin. Cotopaxi in Ecuador is one of the world's highest active volcanos. It also has a large series of rivers that follow the southern border and spill into the northwest area of Peru.
Japan is an archipelagic country comprising a stratovolcanic archipelago over 3,000 km (1,900 mi) along the Pacific coast of East Asia. It consists of 14,125 islands. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The other 14,120 islands are classified as "remote islands" by the Japanese government. The Ryukyu Islands and Nanpō Islands are south and east of the main islands.
The Geography of Kenya is diverse, varying amongst its 47 counties. Kenya has a coastline on the Indian Ocean, which contains swamps of East African mangroves. Inland are broad plains and numerous hills. Kenya borders South Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, and Ethiopia to the north. Kenya currently faces border disputes with South Sudan over the Ilemi Triangle and with Somalia over Jubbaland where, if the Somalian Government gives it up, it could be a new part of Kenya, which would bring the total land area of Kenya to approximately 692,939 km2.
Laos is a country in and the only landlocked nation in mainland Southeast Asia, northeast of Thailand and west of Vietnam. It covers approximately 236,800 square kilometers in the center of the Southeast Asian peninsula and it is surrounded by Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Uruguay is a country in the southeastern region of South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere on the Atlantic seaboard of South America between 53 and 58 west longitude and 30 and 35 south latitude. It is bordered to the west by Argentina, on the north and northeast by Brazil, and on the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean, which makes up Uruguay's coast.
The geography of Mexico describes the geographic features of Mexico, a country in the Americas. Mexico is located at about 23° N and 102° W in the southern portion of North America. From its farthest land points, Mexico is a little over 3,200 km (2,000 mi) in length. Mexico is bounded to the north by the United States, to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean, to the east by the Gulf of Mexico, and to the southeast by Belize, Guatemala, and the Caribbean Sea. The northernmost constituent of Latin America, it is the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexico is the world's 13th largest country, three times the size of Texas.
Bangladesh is a densely populated, low-lying, mainly riverine country located in South Asia with a coastline of 580 km (360 mi) on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal. The delta plain of the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra (Jamuna), and Meghna Rivers and their tributaries occupy 79 percent of the country. Four uplifted blocks occupy 9 percent and steep hill ranges up to approximately 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) high occupy 12 percent in the southeast and in the northeast. Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate characterised by heavy seasonal rainfall, high temperatures, and high humidity. Natural disasters such as floods and cyclones accompanied by storm surges periodically affect the country. Most of the country is intensively farmed, with rice the main crop, grown in three seasons. Rapid urbanisation is taking place with associated industrial and commercial development. Exports of garments and shrimp plus remittances from Bangladeshis working abroad provide the country's three main sources of foreign exchange income.
The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) was an inter-governmental regional organisation dedicated to providing services to promote sustainable development in the countries it serves. In 2010, its functions had been transferred to the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), thus ending SOPAC as a separate entity. Today, SOPAC is a division of the SPC with its main office in Suva, Fiji.
Development geography is a branch of geography which refers to the standard of living and its quality of life of its human inhabitants. In this context, development is a process of change that affects peoples' lives. It may involve an improvement in the quality of life as perceived by the people undergoing change. However, development is not always a positive process. Gunder Frank commented on the global economic forces that lead to the development of underdevelopment. This is covered in his dependency theory.
The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of quantifying and numerically marking the environmental performance of a state's policies, highlightning the degradation of the planet's life-supporting systems on which humanity depends. A world economy that continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels translates into ongoing air and water pollution, acidification of the oceans, and rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These changes threaten the survival of species already suffering from widespread habitat loss, pushing them closer to extinction. Recent analyses show that humanity has already transgressed six out of nine critical planetary boundaries that define Earth's safe operating space — and is close to crossing a seventh.
Belford Roxo is a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a part of the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro and was created in 1990. Its population was 513,118 in 2020 and its area is 79 km². Belford Roxo is one of the less prosperous cities in the state, due to its low GDP and relatively large population. Its climate is tropical with an average temperature of 18 °C (63 °F). Bayer and Lubrizol are the biggest companies in the municipality. It was named after Engineer Raimundo Teixeira Belfort Roxo. While serving as General Construction and Building Inspector for the city of Rio de Janeiro, Belfort Roxo, together with fellow engineer Paulo de Frontin, solved the water shortage problems of the area during the summer of 1889.
The Australian environment ranges from virtually pristine Antarctic territory and rainforests to degraded industrial areas of major cities. Forty distinct ecoregions have been identified across the Australian mainland and islands. Central Australia has a very dry climate. The interior has a number of deserts while most of the coastal areas are populated. Northern Australia experiences tropical cyclones while much of the country is prone to periodic drought. This dry and warm environment and exposure to cyclones, makes Australia particularly vulnerable to climate change -- with some areas already experiencing increases in wildfires and fragile ecosystems.
The climate of Ireland is mild, humid and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Ireland's climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification system, a classification it shares with most of northwest Europe. The island receives generally warm summers and cool winters.
Belarus is a landlocked, generally flat country without natural borders, that occupies an area of 207,600 square kilometers (80,200 sq mi). Its neighbors are Russia to the east and northeast, Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, and Ukraine to the south. Its extension from north to south is 560 km (350 mi), from west to east is 650 km (400 mi).
A vulnerability index is a measure of the exposure of a population to some hazard. Typically, the index is a composite of multiple quantitative indicators that via some formula, delivers a single numerical result. Through such an index "diverse issues can be combined into a standardised framework...making comparisons possible". For instance, indicators from the physical sciences can be combined with social, medical and even psychological variables to evaluate potential complications for disaster planning.
Bangladesh is an under-developed nation. Despite rapid economic growth, poverty remains a major issue. However, poverty has declined sharply in recent history. Shortly after its independence, approximately 90% of the population lived under the poverty line. However, since economic reforms and trade liberalization of early 1990s, along with accelerated economic growth since early-2000s, Bangladesh have experienced a dramatic progress in reducing poverty. The remarkable progress in poverty alleviation has been recognized by international institutions. According to World Bank, more than 33 million Bangladeshi people have been lifted out of poverty since 2000; as measured by the percentage of people living on the equivalent of US$1.90 or less per day in 2011 purchasing price parity terms.
Climate change in Algeria has wide-reaching effects on the country. Algeria was not a significant contributor to climate change, but, like other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is expected to be among the most affected by climate change impacts. Because a large part of the country is in already hot and arid geographies, including part of the Sahara, already strong heat and water resource access challenges are expected to get worse. As early as 2014, scientists were attributing extreme heat waves to climate change in Algeria. Algeria was ranked 46th of countries in the 2020 Climate Change Performance Index.
The demographics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region show a highly populated, culturally diverse region spanning three continents. As of 2022, the population was around 493 million. The class, cultural, ethnic, governmental, linguistic and religious make-up of the region is highly variable.