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 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 . ...

Between 2019 and 2024, Eritrea recorded the largest improvement in water risk of any low-income country in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019, it held the fourth worst water risk score globally; by 2024 it had improved to 25th. Although still classified as high risk, sustained government initiatives have expanded water access nationwide and reduced some exposure to water scarcity . In recent decades, access to safe drinking water has risen dramatically, from just 13% of the population in the early 1990s to nearly 85 per cent in 2024. More than half of schools now have access to drinking water and sanitation facilities, and infrastructure investment has expanded the number of dams from 138 in 1993 to nearly 800 today. A further 17 dam projects have been planned for the country, demonstrating the government’s continued commitment to improving water security . Despite these new dams, Eritrea remains heavily dependent on groundwater, which supplies freshwater for nearly 80 per cent of the popul...