University of Notre Dame
IN-24: Innovation A

The Global Adaptation Index (GAIN) — the world’s leading Index showing which countries are best prepared to deal with the droughts, super-storms and other natural disasters that climate change can cause — has recently moved to the University of Notre Dame. GAIN, which ranks countries annually based on how vulnerable they are to climate change and how prepared they are to adapt, was formerly housed in the Global Adaptation Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. With an aim to save lives and improve livelihoods, ND-GAIN focuses on sectors crucial to human well-being that can be greatly improved by public and private sector innovation and investment. As people, governments and corporations are increasingly impacted by droughts, superstorms, civil conflicts and other disasters, ND-GAIN helps solve problems that keep leaders up at night by providing assets that transcend risks across sectors – including elements of water, health, food, infrastructure, security, governance, economy and social structures. The flagship asset of the organization is the free and open-source Country Index, the world’s leading index showing which countries are prepared to handle global changes brought about by overcrowding, resource-constraints and climate disruption that ranks countries based on their vulnerability and, uniquely, how ready they are to adapt. An example of a recent project through ND-GAIN is s country analysis of Burundi for Catholic Relief Services. The team also recently created a country analysis of Bangladesh. These studies illustrate the utilization of ND-GAIN as an assessment tool that highlights areas in dire need of improvement so a nation can adapt and cope with the current and future effects of climate change and other challenges.