<p>Recent research published in <em>Nature Ecology & Evolution</em> warns that by 2085 more than one‑third of terrestrial wildlife habitats could face multiple <span class="key-term" data-definition="Extreme weather events – rare, high‑intensity weather phenomena such as heatwaves, floods or wildfires that cause severe ecological and socio‑economic impacts (GS1: Environment)">extreme weather events</span> if global warming continues on its present trajectory. The study, led by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) – a German research institute specializing in climate‑impact modelling and policy advice (GS3: Environment)">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)</span>, examined 34,000 vertebrate species under a medium‑high emission scenario.</p>
<h3>Key Findings</h3>
<ul>
<li>By <strong>2050</strong>, <strong>74% of animal habitats</strong> on land are projected to experience heatwaves, <strong>16%</strong> to face wildfires, <strong>8%</strong> droughts and <strong>3%</strong> floods.</li>
<li>Hotspots such as the Amazon, tropical Africa and Southeast Asia will see the sharpest rise in event frequency.</li>
<li>Native species are generally more vulnerable than non‑native species, and repeated events compound biodiversity loss.</li>
<li>Some species may gain short‑term benefits; for example, the ornate chorus frog faces reduced predation during droughts.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Statistics & Concepts</h3>
<p>The study links rising <span class="key-term" data-definition="Heatwave – prolonged period of excessively high temperatures that stresses ecosystems and human health (GS1: Environment)">heatwaves</span> to habitat degradation, while the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Climate Risk Index (CRI) – an annual ranking that measures a country's economic and human losses from climate‑related extreme events (GS3: Environment)">Climate Risk Index (CRI)</span> places India at <strong>9th</strong> globally for disaster impact over the past 30 years. According to the <span class="key-term" data-definition="IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN body that assesses scientific knowledge on climate change and its impacts (GS3: Environment)">IPCC</span>, a 1 °C rise in average temperature allows the atmosphere to hold ~7 % more moisture, intensifying precipitation and storm severity.</n<p>Natural climate variability—such as <span class="key-term" data-definition="El Niño – a periodic warming of the central Pacific that influences global weather patterns, often amplifying extreme events (GS1: Environment)">El Niño</span> and La Niña—complicates attribution of single events to climate change, but modelling shows that a warming world makes such events more likely and more intense.</p>
<h3>UPSC Relevance</h3>
<p>Understanding the nexus of climate change, biodiversity loss and disaster risk is essential for GS 1 (Environment) and GS 3 (Economy). The data illustrate how cl