Is Asia  the worst affected region by climate change ?

While participating in the Nikkei Forum in Japan recently, the President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, talked about global climate change and its impact on Asia. While elaborating on the various aspects of climate change and how it influences Asia, he concluded that it is the world’s worst affected region by global climate change. Below is the extraction of his speech.

“Climate change is a planet-defining challenge, and the stakes are particularly high for Asia.

Temperatures are rising twice as fast in Asia than the global average, which is also related to the escalation in weather severity and the frequency of natural disasters. Rising sea levels from global warming are eroding land and coastlines; imposing severe pressure on rural incomes, food security, and commodity exports.

By mid-century, rising waters will impact nearly a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region. It is regrettable that as many as eight of the fifteen countries affected by climate change are from Asia: Maldives, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam.

Ironically, the region is also a key cause of the climate change crisis. We produce about half of the world’s carbon emissions and have 5 of the largest greenhouse gas emitting countries.

One cannot emphasise the urgency for policies and actions to curb emissions on the part of these countries.

Meanwhile, much of Asia is already responding to mitigate the challenges of climate change; with virtually all countries having made updated commitments under the Paris Agreement.

For instance, China has pledged its goal of carbon neutrality before 2060, with Japan and Korea by 2050. In addition, many countries in the region have been in the forefront of adaptation efforts. Hence all is not lost.

However, it would be appropriate if Asia could agree on a common timeline for achieving carbon neutrality, based on the shorter period upheld by some of the industrialized countries in our region. This is possible if an agreement is reached amongst China, India, Japan, Korea and Indonesia.

Considering the magnitude of loss and damage due to impending climate change, exacerbated by inadequate funding, Asia alone will require US $1 trillion up to 2050 to finance these challenges. Therefore, it is essential that all Asian countries work together in addressing the climate change issues.

A single Asian voice devoid of disharmony needs to be present at COP 28. The success of this conference will depend on the ability of the key Asian nations to come to an agreement.”

President`s Media Division | Archived 

Is Asia the worst affected region by climate change? We decided to fact-check the issue.

While Asia is indeed one of the regions highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, it is essential to note that climate change affects different regions in various ways. Everyone is concerned about which part is on the frontline. First, we investigated the population density of Asia, where we can get to know how many people will be affected by climate change. 

 Asia is the most populous continent. J Store research organisation states that the population of Asia today is five times what it was three centuries ago. In 1950 the world population was 2.5 billion people, and that of Asia was 1.4 billion. Rates of growth have been high. Also, a large concentration of people living in coastal areas and low-lying regions. This puts many individuals at risk from rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of storms, and other climate-related hazards.

Highest extreme weather events record from Asia in past 20 yrs!

 According to a new report from the United Nations. From 2000 to 2019, there were 7,348 major natural disasters worldwide, killing 1.23 million people and resulting in $2.97 trillion in global economic losses.

Asia experiences extreme weather events, including typhoons, cyclones, floods, and droughts. Climate change is expected to intensify these events, leading to more significant destruction of infrastructure, displacement of communities, and loss of lives.  The report “The Human Cost of Disasters 2000-2019” found that Asia experienced the highest extreme weather events, with 3,068 over the 20 years. China had the highest number of any single country, suffering from 577 major natural disasters. The United States came in second, with 467 events, followed by India with 321 events, the Philippines with 304, and Indonesia with 278 disasters.

Economic losses in Asia in 2021 from disasters, compared to the 20-year average (2001–2020)

Source: ESCAP calculations based on EM-DAT,

 The report, which was produced jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), was presented at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27). This highlights that floods were the most frequent disaster in Asia from 2001-2021, which is 18.3%. Storms and high temperatures also cause much damage and assume a 14% loss of economy on average. The findings indicated the urgent need to prioritise the development of multi-hazard early warning systems and climate forecasts for tackling natural hazards in Asia.

Water scarcity issues in Asia!

Many parts of Asia already face water scarcity issues, and climate change exacerbates this problem. Changes in precipitation patterns, melting glaciers, and changing monsoon patterns cause floods, droughts, and flash floods. It mainly increases the risk of deficiencies. Asia development bank (ADB) stated that in the past two decades, almost 500 million people in the Asia and Pacific region do not have access to basic water supplies, while 1.14 billion lack basic sanitation.  

Poor water quality contaminates water sources, at a significant cost to health, and in the process, holds back human potential and economic progress and affects food production in Asia. A substantial portion of Asia’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods. “Agriculture accounts for 70% of Asia’s freshwater consumption,” ADB says, which is relatively high. 

  A research paper (ADB. 2009) says that more than 2.2 billion people in the region rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Also,  rice is considered the most critical crop throughout Asia because 90% of the world’s production and consumption occurs in this region. Therefore climate change’s impact on fresh water in Asia also affects the world.  

Asia’s GHG emission

When considering Asia, India and China mainly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions while others are involved. It resulted in dangerously high levels of particulate matter in the air (McKinsey Global Institute 2020). When analysed city-wise, Delhi, Dhaka, Ulaanbaatar, Kathmandu, Beijing, and Jakarta are among today’s ten most polluted cities. Most of the cities are from our neighbouring country India. Unfortunately, the problem of air pollution is affected in those countries, the neighbouring countries, and the entire world. The best example is the polluted air that came to Sri Lanka with winds through the most polluted cities of neighbouring countries. Fossil fuels must be contained to make a severe dent in air pollution, a significant contributor to mortality and respiratory diseases in developing Asia.  

WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air. More than 90% of air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas. More can be read here Archived 

Health Risks in Asia with climate change

Climate change poses significant health risks in Asia, affecting physical and mental well-being. Extreme heat is the most challenging one.  Rising temperatures increase the frequency and intensity of heat waves. Heatwaves lead to heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, are particularly at risk in Asia. Air pollution in Asia also happens due to frequent wildfires and the formation of ground-level ozone. This leads to respiratory diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) commonly identified in Asia. Vector-borne conditions are also identified soon after extreme events such as floods and droughts. Dengue fever, malaria, and Zika virus are on the frontline.

Due to frequent floods and drought, Cholera, typhoid fever, and diarrheal diseases from contaminated water sources are also significant health concerns in Asia. As well as, Changes in rainfall patterns and extreme weather events disrupt food production and distribution systems, potentially contributing to malnutrition and foodborne illnesses.

“Recent industrialisation and globalisation have raised new challenges for the region’s health systems. Modern medical technology is available in the world market but at costs higher than most of the region’s population can afford. Many traditional health practices persist alongside new medical technologies and pharmaceutical products, presenting regulatory problems regarding safety and quality.” Says NCBI. You can read the full article here Archived 

Climate change-related events, such as natural disasters and prolonged heatwaves, can cause psychological distress, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Displacement and loss of livelihoods due to climate-related events can also contribute to mental health issues.

Environmental migration is also happening in Asia. According to the 2022 Global Report of Internal Displacements (GRID) by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) in Geneva, there were 38 million individual instances of displacement in 2021 globally, with 14.3 million (37.6%) coming from East Asia and Pacific region.

These numbers include people who were displaced more than once. More than half of these displacements (23.7 million) globally and 95% in the East and Pacific region were due to weather-related disasters.

This movement of people results in overcrowded living conditions, inadequate sanitation, and an increased risk of infectious diseases in displaced populations and host communities, leading to mental issues such as stress and anxiety.  

Biodiversity loss rate in Asia due to climate change

Climate change has significant implications for biodiversity in Asia, leading to habitat loss, species extinction, and disruptions in ecosystem functioning. “Southeast Asia contains the highest mean proportion of country endemic bird (9%) and mammal species (11%). This region also has the highest proportion of threatened vascular plant, reptile, bird, and mammal species” (Sodhi et al., 2010a, p. 317)

Climate change affects the timing of biological events, such as flowering, migration, and reproduction. However, different species may respond differently to these changes, leading to ecological mismatches. For example, if plants bloom earlier than the arrival of their pollinators, it can disrupt the pollination process, impacting both plant and pollinator populations.

Rising sea temperatures and increased ocean acidification, driven by climate change, pose severe threats to coral reefs in Asia. Coral bleaching occurs when corals expel their symbiotic algae due to stress, leading to their death if conditions persist.

Changes in rainfall patterns and water availability impact freshwater ecosystems in Asia, such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Alterations in water flow, temperature, and nutrient levels can affect aquatic species, including fish, amphibians, and aquatic plants. Loss of these habitats and species can disrupt the balance of these ecosystems and impact dependent communities.

The Living Planet Report 2020 (LPR) shows that global biodiversity loss is at its worst. It categorised five significant threats to biodiversity, including climate change. So, compared with data, it shows Lattin America and Caribbean biodiversity as most threatened by climate change. So the second most vulnerable party represent Asia. You can see the data here.

Country	Percentage of climate change impact on biodiversity loss (LPR Report, 2020)
North America	5%
Europe and Central Asia	4%
Latin America and the Caribbean	12.5%
Africa	4.1%
Asia Pacific	5%

 The LPR report also reveals that more than 80% of East and Southeast Asia’s wetlands are classified as threatened due to human activity, and also In India, 3% of bird species face extinction; 19% of amphibians are threatened or critically endangered; over 12% of wild mammal species are threatened with extinction, which is relatively high. Therefore, it can be said that Asia is at the top, although it is not the first place in terms of loss of biodiversity.  

Climate change is a planet-defining challenge, and Asia’s stakes are particularly high.

It is essential to acknowledge that while Asia is highly vulnerable, climate change is a global issue that requires collective action and cooperation from all regions to mitigate its impacts and adapt to the changing conditions.

Temperatures are rising twice as fast in Asia than the global average, which is also related to the escalation in weather severity and the frequency of natural disasters. Rising sea levels from global warming are eroding land and coastlines; imposing severe pressure on rural incomes, food security, and commodity exports.

By mid-century, rising waters will impact nearly a billion people in the Asia-Pacific region. It is regrettable that as many as eight of the fifteen countries affected by climate change are from Asia, Maldives, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam.

Ironically, the region is also a key cause of the climate change crisis. We produce about half of the world’s carbon emissions and have 5 of the largest greenhouse gas emitting countries. One cannot emphasise the urgency for policies and actions to curb emissions on the part of these countries.

Meanwhile, much of Asia is already responding to mitigate the challenges of climate change; with virtually all countries having made updated commitments under the Paris Agreement. For instance, China has pledged its goal of carbon neutrality before 2060, with Japan and Korea by 2050. In addition, many countries in the region have been in the forefront of adaptation efforts. Hence all is not lost. However, it would be appropriate if Asia could agree on a typical timeline for achieving carbon neutrality, based on the shorter period upheld by some of the industrialized countries in our region. This is possible if an agreement is reached amongst China, India, Japan, Korea and Indonesia.

Considering the magnitude of loss and damage due to impending climate change, exacerbated by inadequate funding, Asia alone will require US $1 trillion up to 2050 to finance these challenges. Therefore, it is essential that all Asian countries work together in addressing the climate change issues. A single Asian voice devoid of disharmony needs to be present at COP 28. The success of this conference will depend on the ability of the key Asian nations to come to an agreement. That is because it is only possible to solve the current problem with government intervention.If you have any queries or come across suspicious content related to climate change or the environment and want us to verify them for you, then send them to us on our WhatsApp hotline: +917045366366