Climate change is a growing issue for every person in the world. From melting glaciers to certain natural disasters becoming more intense, scientists predict that by 2025 global greenhouse emissions will increase by 50%, and parts of the world may be so hot that people may not be able to work, or even go outside without risking their lives.

As climate change continues to grow and become a more imminent threat to us, some countries will be hit harder than others. Many factors can cause one country to be more vulnerable than others, but one major one is how developed the country is. If the country is in constant violent struggles and doesn’t have the means to combat climate change, it would be more at risk than a peaceful, prepared country. The location of a country also determines how climate change may affect a country, like latitude, elevation, and how inland or near the coast they are.

Here are some of the countries that will be most affected by climate change:

Somalia: This country is quite underdeveloped, which causes it to be more at risk of severe climate damage. Somalia has been suffering from the dry season for almost 13 years. This severe drought has caused many Somalis to be displaced from their homes. This country in the Horn of Africa has been hit so hard by the dryness and lack of water that they have been very close to famine. But recently, Somalia has been overcome by flash floods, displacing even more people. This has been because of the strong El Niño this year. These floods reached a death toll of almost 100. These severe climate changes have heavily damaged the Somalis’ lives, and many families are struggling.

Chad: Similar to Somalia, Chad does not get much rain. Their largest lake, Lake Mega Chad, has shrunk 90% from its size in the 1960s. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index, Chad is thought to be the most vulnerable country in the world to climate change. Malnutrition is growing in Chad, making it even more vulnerable to the changing climate. The forecast for this country does not look bright in terms of weather, as it is projected to become even hotter and drier in the coming century. This will affect the farming and agriculture of Chad, as approximately 80% of Chadians depend on them.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index DRC is the fourth least ready country for combating climate change. As for multiple of the countries on this list, DRC has been suffering from little rainfall and severe droughts. This is especially bad for this country, as much of the agriculture depends on rain. According to the United Nations, DRC is one of the most fragile and least developed countries in the world, which only heightens the damage that climate change could bring to this country. DRC is trying to adapt to these climates, though, focusing on the water shortage, sanitation, and health especially.

Afghanistan: Since 1950, the temperature in Afghanistan has increased by 1.8 degrees Celcius (2.4 in the south), which has caused many negative impacts in this country. Afghanistan is one of the most vulnerable countries when it comes to climate change, but it is one the lowest-producing countries of fossil fuel emissions, only accounting for about 1% of global production. In July of 2023, Afghanistan has deadly flash floods from their monsoon rains, with the death toll from them reaching 31. Afghanistan has also been in a persistent drought for many years, and just like Somalia, it has caused many families to be displaced from their homes. The funding to help with this climate change crisis is not being used, either, in this country.

Eritrea: This country is very vulnerable to climate change because they have had significant land loss due to land mines. The temperature of this country has risen 1.7 degrees Celcius since the 1960s. Throughout East Africa, including Eritrea, there has been varying precipitation, which has caused natural events differing from severe droughts, to heavy flooding, causing havoc to the lifestyle of many Eritreans. Tensions with Ethiopia have also raised the vulnerability to climate change in this country, as military operations have started to heighten again.