The United Nations has issued a stark warning about the escalating risks of extreme heat across Asia and the Pacific, highlighting the region’s growing vulnerability to climate-related disasters. The warning comes as part of the newly released Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk, launched by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
According to the report, rising temperatures are reshaping the disaster landscape, affecting food systems, public health, urban living, rural livelihoods, infrastructure, and ecosystems. In 2024—the hottest year on record globally—countries in the region experienced severe heat episodes, including a heatwave in Bangladesh affecting approximately 33 million people and another in India that resulted in around 700 fatalities.
New projections indicate that by 2100, disaster losses in the region could jump from US$418 billion under current scenarios to US$498 billion in a worst-case climate scenario. The frequency of days above critical heat thresholds is expected to increase sharply, particularly in South and South-West Asia, parts of South-East Asia, and northern and eastern Australia, creating conditions of chronic heat exposure.
Urban centres are especially at risk. Densely built cities such as Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Karachi, Dhaka, Manila, Jakarta, and Phnom Penh are projected to become significantly hotter, with the urban heat island effect potentially adding an extra 2°C to 7°C on top of global warming. Vulnerable populations—including children, older adults, and low-wage outdoor workers—face the highest threats.
“Heat knows no borders; therefore, policy responses must anticipate impacts, reduce exposure and vulnerability at scale, and safeguard those most at risk,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary. “With urgency, clarity, and cooperation, lives and livelihoods across the region can be protected.”
The report emphasizes the need for long-term, science-based action and regional cooperation, placing heat at the centre of multi-hazard planning. ESCAP notes that only 54% of global meteorological services issue warnings for extreme temperatures. Expanding heat-health early warning systems in 57 countries could potentially save 100,000 lives annually.
To strengthen regional preparedness, ESCAP is planning three major initiatives: scaling up climate-resilient and inclusive social protection programs, establishing cross-border green cooling corridors, and leveraging space-based technologies for improved heat early warning systems.
The report was unveiled at the Ninth Session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangkok, which runs through 28 November 2025. The committee serves as an intergovernmental forum for reviewing the expanding disaster risk landscape and exploring solutions to enhance regional resilience.
