Kuwait ranks sixth in terms of risk of extreme temperatures

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‘Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE among hottest countries’

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: Fitch, the credit rating agency, has ranked Kuwait sixth in the world in terms of risks of exposure to extreme temperatures and drought, reports Al-Rai daily. According to its report, the physical risks of climate change in the world represent an increasing threat to countries and governments. Kuwait was ranked the hottest country in the world during the period between 2011 and 2020. In the index related to the ability to adapt to climate change, it was ranked 71st globally out of 121 countries, indicating that the lower the country’s rating, the less adaptive it was

Countries’ current exposure to natural disasters and extreme weather conditions provides a strong indication of which countries are most vulnerable to the physical risks of climate change. The countries with the highest current average annual temperatures are Bahrain, Qatar, Benin, UAE and Ghana (2011-2020). Based on the hottest month, the hottest countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In general, Fitch suggested that increasing temperatures would be more harmful to countries that are already suffering from high temperatures. It stated, “For example, high temperatures make working outdoors less productive or even unbearable, and the increasing costs mitigate its effects”.

In addition to the foregoing, the agency highlighted that Kuwait is among the countries that are most vulnerable to rising temperatures during the period between 2040 and 2059. Based on certain models, Fitch expects the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Bahrain to witness the highest increase in the number of extremely hot days (maximum temperature exceeding 40 degrees Celsius) during the period between 2040 and 2059, with Kuwait experiencing the hottest months among them.

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