The UN ESCAP Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025 warns that megacities in Asia—including Delhi, Karachi, Dhaka, Manila, Shanghai, and Seoul—could experience 2–7°C additional heat due to the urban heat island effect, significantly exceeding global warming averages.
Key Findings:
1Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect:
oCities may heat up by +7°C locally even if global warming stabilises at 1.5–2°C.
oDense concrete, low green cover, and waste heat from vehicles/ACs amplify temperatures in urban areas.
2Chronic Heat Exposure in South Asia:
oIndia, Pakistan, Bangladesh: 300+ days/year with heat index >35°C, over 200 days >41°C in some regions.
oHeat index accounts for humidity, reflecting the “felt temperature.”
3Extreme Heat Events:
o2024 was the hottest year on record in South Asia.
oBangladesh heatwave (Apr–May 2024) affected 33 million people.
oIndia’s long 2024 heatwave caused ~700 deaths, the second deadliest in the region.
4Population Exposure:
oOver 40% of South Asia’s population will face extreme heat (>35°C or >41°C) in medium- and long-term scenarios.
oUrbanisation ensures exposure will worsen, even with climate mitigation policies.
5Compounding Risks – Heat + Pollution:
oHeat exacerbates wildfires, droughts, particulate matter (PM10/5), and VOC emissions.
oCombined effects increase cardiovascular and respiratory risks.
6Sectoral & Economic Impacts:
oHeat-related working-hour losses projected to rise from 75 million to 8.1 million full-time job equivalents by 2030.
oAnnual climate-related economic loss may reach $498 billion under high-emission scenarios.
Why South Asia is Highly Vulnerable
- High humidity + high temperature amplify felt heat.
- Dense urbanisation traps heat in megacities.
- Large outdoor workforce in agriculture and construction faces unavoidable exposure.
- Limited adaptation capacity (cooling, electricity, water, shelters).
- High population density and poverty exacerbate vulnerability.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
