Attachments
Abstract
The “Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2024” highlights the growing severity of climate-related disasters in South and South-West Asia, driven by climate change and impacting millions of lives, economies, and ecosystems. Over the past five decades, the region has endured over one million fatalities, $485 billion in damages, and three billion affected lives. Climate hazards such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, and surface winds are emerging and intensifying. Areas like the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin, Indus basin and parts of Türkiye, Bhutan, and Nepal consistently emerge as hotspot for intensifying multi-hazard across all climate scenarios. Biodiversity, including critical mangrove ecosystems, faces increasing pressure, further jeopardizing regional resilience. Despite progress in sustainable development, the region struggles with regressing performance on climate-focused SDG 13. Addressing these challenges necessitates transformative adaptation strategies, integrating risk-informed investments, technology-driven innovations, and robust policy reforms. It also emphasizes the need for enhanced climate adaptation strategies, disaster risk reduction, and early warning systems (EWS) to protect vulnerable communities. Through transformative adaptation, including investments in resilient infrastructure, technology-driven EWS, and cross-border cooperation, the report calls for regional collaboration to improve disaster preparedness, support sustainable development, and mitigate economic impacts.