The Republic of Moldova is considered highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. Socioeconomic costs of climate-related natural disasters such as droughts, floods and hailstorms are significant, and both the intensity and frequency of such events are expected to further increase as a result of climate change. Socioeconomic vulnerability to these events and their aftermath is high given that the Republic of Moldova is one of the least advanced countries in the Europe and Central Asia region; in 2011, it was ranked fourth-lowest on the Human Development Index among 30 countries in the region.