Overview
- Researchers estimate 2,718 monsoon-linked deaths per year in 2006–2015, roughly an order of magnitude higher than Maharashtra’s official records for comparable years.
- The toll accounted for about 8% of all deaths during monsoon months, with a mortality cost valued near $1.2 billion annually, or about $12 billion over the decade.
- Many fatalities were missed in official tallies because indirect causes such as electrocution, waterborne disease and disrupted access to care rarely appear on death certificates as rain-related.
- Risk was concentrated in informal settlements, with children, women and adults over 65 most affected, and about 80% of those affected living in slum areas.
- The findings are informing COP30 debates on loss-and-damage finance as a new fund issues its first call for proposals and experts estimate developing countries may require at least $250 billion a year by 2030.