Asian cities are estimated to contribute around 80% of the region’s GDP, yet they face huge challenges from climate change and rising numbers of poor, all of which threaten to derail progress to build more prosperous and sustainable human settlements. Slums and other marginal areas in cities are highly exposed to climate hazards. Urban services such as water and food supplies, sanitation and electricity will come under increasing strain from floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea-levels.
The Asia-Pacific region has made progress in reducing slum numbers, but it is still home to more than 500 million slum-dwellers or over half the world’s slum population. Urban poor communities, often concentrated in makeshift shelters, in flood-prone areas alongside rivers or even directly on watercourses, are more sensitive to climate change.
Rising Urban Poverty and Inequality Hindering Asian Cities Ability to Tackle Climate Change | UNDP
