Asia’s economic engines are overheating—literally. Its megacities are now buckling under climate stress, aging citizens, and chaotic development. The future looks fragile. Seven of the ten largest cities globally are in Asia. Tokyo, Delhi, and Shanghai lead, but their promise of prosperity is beginning to fade.
Urban expansion once meant opportunity. Now, unplanned growth and poor resilience strategies threaten social stability and economic strength.
The UN’s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has sounded the alarm. Its latest report outlines urgent threats and necessary reforms. ESCAP says rising heat, demographic shifts, and informal housing are converging to stress cities beyond their limits.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, ESCAP’s Executive Secretary, called for a bold urban reimagining. “Cities are ground zero for the Sustainable Development Goals,” she wrote. “Inclusive, decisive action is the only way forward.”
RECORD-BREAKING HEAT IS STRAINING CITIES
In 2024, South and Southeast Asia faced historic temperatures. Dhaka, Phnom Penh, and Delhi sweltered under record-breaking heat waves.
This heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s deadly. The urban heat island effect intensifies city temperatures. Concrete traps heat, while tree cover vanishes.
This hits vulnerable communities first—especially the elderly and poor in dense slums. Public health systems are stretched thin.
Between 2000 and 2019, Asia-Pacific recorded nearly half of global heat-related deaths.
SHANGHAI SHOWS A WAY FORWARD
Shanghai’s Pudong New District is a climate-risk hotspot. It floods regularly. But innovation offers hope. City planners launched a real-time flood prediction system. It spans 1,200 square kilometres. This system uses weather and hydrology data to simulate floods in advance. It gives emergency teams vital preparation time.
This is resilience in action.
AN AGING CRISIS IS QUIETLY UNFOLDING
Asia is aging—fast. By 2050, older adults in Asia-Pacific will reach 1.3 billion. That’s nearly double today’s numbers. Fewer babies are being born. Migration from rural areas is slowing. Cities are growing older—and in some places, shrinking altogether.
East Asia now sees “shrinking cities,” a once unthinkable trend. Decades of growth are reversing. Older residents often live alone. Many face health challenges. Public systems are lagging behind the demographic shift. Cities remain unprepared for this tidal wave of aging.
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS SPREAD FAST
Another rising threat is the growth of unplanned housing. Soaring rents and stagnant incomes push millions into informal settlements—dense, chaotic, and underserved areas.
These zones are first to suffer from climate disasters. Yet they’re last to get help—if any at all. The report warns that housing must stop being a commodity.
“When shelter is profit-driven,” it says, “urban economies face systemic risks with ripple effects nationally and globally.”
TURNING CRISIS INTO OPPORTUNITY
Despite grim warnings, the report sees opportunity. Asia’s cities can still lead the sustainability agenda. But it requires integrated planning, smarter data systems, and better financing options.
Cities must build infrastructure that adapts, protects, and includes. ESCAP urges regional cooperation, too. Cities can’t fix this alone—they need to share tools and strategies.
POLICY AND POWER AT THE TABLE
This week, ministers and senior officials gather in Bangkok for ESCAP’s 81st session. The future of urban Asia is on the table.
The focus: turning warnings into action, and risks into resilience. It’s a crossroads moment. The decisions made now will shape billions of lives.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR URBAN ASIA
Asia’s megacities are more than places—they are living systems. When they fail, whole countries feel it.
From climate extremes to aging populations and informal housing, the risks are mounting. But so is the potential for transformation. With bold policies, smart data, and inclusive planning, cities can shift course. But time is short.
As ESCAP warns: the road to 2030 runs through cities. And the path forward must start today.