For Asia, living with scorching air temperatures of over 40 -50°C is no longer a forecast for the future; it is the new reality. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the world’s most populous continent is warming at nearly double the global average. In April-May 2024, West, South, and Southeast Asia saw daily temperatures exceeding 40°C for days in a row, and in July 2023, China hit an all-time national high of 52°C.
Extreme heatwaves appear to be becoming the new norm. Furthermore, during the summer months, rising sea levels threaten coastal communities, and rapid glacier melt endangers freshwater supplies that are vital for both people and wildlife. The accelerated warming is linked to more frequent and intense natural and human-induced weather extremes, which have devastating effects on health, agriculture, living conditions and ecosystems.
What is driving the extremes?
Analysis of temperature records spanning from 1991 to 2024 reveals a stark reality: Asia is experiencing a warming trajectory that is nearly double that of the rest of the world. Several interrelated factors contribute to this disparity.
- The sheer expanse of Asia allows its land surface to absorb and release heat more quickly than the oceans, causing significant regional temperature fluctuations.
- Asia is home to 22 of the world’s 27 megacities as well as vast number of cities. Urban heat island effects – where densely populated cities trap heat – intensify this warming in metropolitan areas, leading to extremes that affect not just urban cores but also the surrounding regions as heat radiates outwards.
- As rural-to-urban migration intensifies – driven by the search for better livelihoods – populations move towards regions with more reliable water and energy resources, further straining urban infrastructure.
Health toll
These record-breaking heat events do more than simply cause discomfort; they pose serious health risks. The implications extend beyond immediate heat-related illnesses to long-term effects, which may include a heightened risk of cardiovascular and respiratory problems.
A global study published in Lancet Planetary Health attributes 224,000 annual deaths in Asia to abnormally high temperatures. However, it has been repeatedly noted that the official statistics miss the true scale of heat mortality. In India, researchers warn that heat-related deaths are likely to be undercounted with vulnerable groups – the elderly, children, and outdoor workers – bearing the brunt.
Food security undermined
A study by the Singapore-based Yusof Ishak Institute warns that extreme heat is poised to become Southeast Asia’s most serious climate threat for food security and social stability, as it slashes rice yields and degrades food quality.
Food supplies have already been repeatedly disrupted. Indonesia, one of the continent’s major rice exporters, has reported disruptions to rice supply chains, causing shortages and price hikes.
Water sources under severe threat
Asia’s water resources are increasingly coming under mounting pressure as rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns affect hydrological systems. Rivers that depend on glacial melt and monsoon rains are experiencing changes in flow patterns, marked by devastating seasonal floods during heavy rainfall and acute water shortages in dry seasons.
- 347 million children under 18 in South Asia face seasonal water shortages, according to UNICEF.
- Glaciers in the Himalayas, which feed 10 of Asia’s main rivers, are retreating at an accelerated rate of up to 1 meter per year, threatening water supplies for 1.9 billion people, according to the World Bank’s South Asia Climate Roadmap.
- Floods worsened by abnormal monsoon rains displace millions annually. In 2022, Pakistan reported that 8 million people had been displaced and US$30 billion in damages were required in the aftermath of floods.
What of heat adaptation measures?
Asian countries have been observed to blend innovative technologies and traditional wisdom to counter the soaring heat. In India’s Ahmedabad, the implementation of the Heat Action Plan, which mainly involves building cool roofs, has helped to reduce health-related deaths by about 1,100 per year since its launch in 2013.
Nature-based and regional adaptation programs are scaling up resilience. Pakistan has witnessed a “community-led water revolution” with almost 20 villages and 16,0000 people benefitting from community-built ice stupas – conical artificial glaciers put in place to ensure seasonal water, enabling earlier irrigation and cropping cycles thus bolstering food security.
Adaptation funds
However, Asia’s adaptation needs exceed the available funds. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the continent will require up to US$431 billion a year until 2030 for adaptation purposes. Yet, in 2022, only US$34 billion or less than 10% of the required amount was committed. Moreover, most of those funds were channeled towards coastal and river flood protection.
Experts note that, to bridge the gap, Asian countries will have to increase domestic budget lines to secure prompt access to multilateral funds and regional facilities.
