Extreme weather events are generally expected to increase in frequency and intensity due to global climate change. They have the potential to significantly undermine progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Global Climate Risk Index 2009 analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weatherrelated loss events (storms, floods, heatwaves etc.). These analyses are based on the wellknown assessments of the Munich Re database NatCatSERVICE®. The figures for 2007 reveal that poorer countries dominate the ranking of the most affected countries (the Down10), while in the past decade hurricanes in the Caribbean region caused significant losses and deaths and thus impact on the decadal ranking.
