Manila among Asia-Pacific cities at high risk from rising heat – UN

Manila is among the urban centers in the region identified as highly vulnerable to rising temperatures, with the urban heat island effect expected to add an additional two to seven degrees Celsius on top of global warming, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) reported.

- Ricardo M. Austria

“Rising temperatures are impacting all, everywhere, with expanding and intensifying risks to food systems, public health, urban living, rural livelihoods, infrastructure and ecosystems,” said the UNESCAP report released on Wednesday, Nov. 26, titled “Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk.”

“Vulnerable communities, including children, older persons and outdoor low-wage earners in densely populated areas, face the greatest risks,” the report added. Among the Asia-Pacific cities most at risk are Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Karachi, Dhaka, Jakarta, and Phnom Penh.