A List You Don't Want to Be On: The Countries Most Vulnerable to Climate Change

The U.K.-based consulting firm Maplecroft just produced a ranked list of countries most vulnerable to climate change-related disasters (and least prepared to deal with them).

Here are the 16 countries that face "extreme" risk, in order from most vulnerable to least.

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1. Bangladesh

2. India

3. Madagascar

4. Nepal

5. Mozambique

6. Philippines

7. Haiti

8. Afghanistan

9. Zimbabwe

10. Myanmar

11. Ethiopia

12. Cambodia

13. Vietnam

14. Thailand

15. Malawi

16. Pakistan

This illustrates one reason tackling climate change at big international conferences has been so difficult. The countries that contribute to the problem reap rewards in the form of economic growth while the consequences are felt elsewhere. The Copenhagen conference might have been more productive if the United States, China, and Russia topped this list.