A new assessment by the United Nations has warned that Karachi is among nine major Asian megacities expected to become significantly hotter in the coming decades due to rapid urbanisation and rising global temperatures.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific reported that dense urban development intensifies the urban heat island effect, trapping heat and raising temperatures far higher than surrounding rural regions.
According to the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025, this effect may increase temperatures by 2 to 7°C, worsening the impact of global warming and increasing danger for millions living in packed neighbourhoods.
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The report notes that children, elderly people and outdoor workers are the most vulnerable groups, as limited access to cooling, water and healthcare in poorer areas increases long-term health threats.
Karachi, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Delhi, Dhaka, Manila, Jakarta and Phnom Penh were listed as high-risk cities where extreme heat will intensify, placing additional pressure on local infrastructure and public systems.
The report projects that between 2041 and 2060, countries including Pakistan, Mongolia, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan will face severe aridity as higher temperatures evaporate surface water and dry out soil rapidly.
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The UN warned that extreme heat has become the fastest-growing climate-related hazard in the region, affecting food production, public health, urban planning, rural livelihoods, and key environmental systems already under stress.
It added that rising temperatures are creating a silent but worsening health emergency, with heat stress projected to rise under all future climate models and mortality potentially doubling by 2050 across the region.
The report highlighted that poorer urban communities face the highest exposure since densely populated areas amplify heat, limiting relief and increasing long-term risks linked to Karachi’s extreme heat risk and similar challenges elsewhere.
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UN-ESCAP stated that the region must act urgently, adopting strong regional cooperation, early warning systems, and long-term strategies focused on managing extreme heat as a growing multi-hazard climate threat.
According to the report, accelerating glacier melt remains one of the most dangerous consequences of global warming, disrupting monsoon patterns while increasing risks of droughts, floods, landslides, and widespread environmental degradation.
The report highlights that glaciers worldwide have already lost around five percent of their volume this century, exposing millions to sudden glacial lake outburst floods across high-risk regions in Asia.
By 2100, disaster losses in the region may climb from $418 billion to $498 billion under worst-case climate scenarios, driven by more intense heat, droughts, storms and overlapping climate hazards.
