World Ecology Day

 There is a strong correlation between ecological threats and peacefulness. Figure 1.6 shows the correlation (r=0.58) between the GPI, which measures peacefulness at the national level, and the overall ETR score. The correlation is even higher (r=0.67) for the Safety and Security domain of the GPI. Less peaceful countries tend to have a higher prevalence of ecological threats, particularly food insecurity and water stress.  FIGURE 1.6 Ecological threat vs peacefulness There is a strong correlation between ETR and GPI scores.  The GPI comprises three domains: Safety and Security, Ongoing Conflict, and Militarisation. The prevalence of all four Ecological threats increases where countries are less peaceful in the Safety and Security and Ongoing Conflict domains. Militarisation is the only domain not strongly correlated to ecological threat. Rising ecological pressures driven by climate change carry security risks at both local and national levels. In contexts with low resil...

The map in Figure 1.1 highlights the severity of ecological threats faced by 3,125 subnational areas, with areas in red having an overall ETR score higher than 3.8 out of 5, indicating a very high level of threat. Of these subnational areas, 13.7 per cent face a very high overall level of ecological threat. These areas are home to an estimated 926 million people, or 13 per cent of the global population. By 2050, this figure is projected to rise to 1.4 billion people. There is considerable variation in levels of ecological threat both within and across regions. Europe and North America are the only two continents where no subnational areas face a high or very high level of ecological threat. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest overall average threat level, there are some subnational areas facing only a medium level of threat. While not all of the people in these areas will suffer from the direct impacts of adverse ecological conditions, the indirect impacts will be w...

  The ETR demographic pressure indicator is based on projected population increases between 2025 and 2050. It is a forwardlooking measure that aims to capture the ways in which rapid population growth could exacerbate existing stresses in social and natural environments . Population growth has been strongly linked to environmental degradation , particularly in areas that are already overpopulated and suffering from stretched natural resources. Of the 3,125 subnational areas assessed in the 2025 ETR, 304 have very high levels of demographic pressure , with population growth projected to exceed 50 per cent in the next 25 years. A further 337 subnational areas are facing high demographic pressure, with projected growth of around one-third . The total population in these two categories is projected to increase by more than 646 million, representing over half of the world’s population projected increase by 2050, despite comprising only around 15 per cent of the global population in 202...

 Ethiopia ranks as the fourth highest at-risk country in the impact of natural events indicator , with over 80 per cent of its population residing in very high risk areas. The country’s geography and climate make it particularly vulnerable to droughts , floods , and other environmental shocks , which intersect with existing challenges such as food insecurity, conflict, and poverty. These compounding risks affect communities across both rural and urban areas, straining livelihoods, infrastructure, and essential services. The country’s risk profile is shaped by a combination of factors, including extensive reliance on rain-fed agriculture, high levels of land degradation , rapid population growth, and limited adaptive capacity. Ethiopia has faced recurrent droughts that devastate agricultural production and livestock, leading to widespread displacement and heightened food insecurity. Flooding, particularly in river basins and low-lying areas, further threatens already fragile ecosys...

  The ETR impact of natural events indicator measures how dangerous climate-related disasters – such as floods, storms, or heatwaves – are likely to be for populations. It accounts not only for the severity of environmental hazards but also for how many people are exposed and how well they are able to cope. The measure combines three elements at the subnational level: climate risk , population density , and poverty levels . This approach recognises that the consequences of natural hazards are shaped both by the scale of exposure and by the resources available to respond. Hazardous natural events have caused over 260 million internal displacements worldwide since 2015. The number of such movements has grown over this period, driven partly by more frequent and intense hazards but also by stronger national reporting and improved global monitoring. In 2024 alone, natural hazards caused 45 million displacements across 163 countries – the highest annual total since at least 2008 . ...