A CROSS-NATIONAL EMPIRICAL STUDY ON CLIMATE DISASTER RISK AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEVEL

Against the backdrop of intensifying global warming, climate disasters pose severe challenges to socio-economic systems worldwide, and the issue of "Climate Inequality" is becoming increasingly prominent. To deeply investigate the correlation between economic development levels and the capacity to withstand climate disaster risks, this study selects a sample of 20 representative countries, covering different income levels and geographical regions. The Global Climate Risk Index (CRI, 2019-2023 average) published by Germanwatch is used as the proxy variable for disaster risk, and the GDP per capita (PPP) provided by the World Bank for the same period is used as the indicator of economic development. Visual analysis was conducted using scatter plots, linear trend lines, and grouped box plots, and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for statistical testing. The research results indicate a significant positive correlation between GDP per capita and the Climate Risk Index (r = 0.91, P < 0.001). That is, the higher the level of economic development, the larger the Climate Risk Index value, indicating lower vulnerability to climate disasters and stronger coping capabilities. Group analysis further reveals that the median Climate Risk Index of the low-income country group is significantly lower than that of the high-income country group. These empirical results confirm the objective existence of "Climate Inequality" and emphasize that the level of economic development is a key factor affecting a country's climate resilience. This study provides a quantitative basis for the international community to formulate more targeted climate aid and adaptation policies.