Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Asian cities at high risk from rising seas: Study

MAJOR Asian cities, including Tokyo, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai, are most at risk from rising sea levels, researchers warned on Thursday, urging authorities to invest more in flood defences and plan to relocate assets and people.

A study by UK-based risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft analysed 500 cities worldwide with more than a million residents and identified places likely to experience sea level rise of 67 cm to 2 metres (26.4-78.7 inches) by 2100, in line with scientific estimates if global warming increases at its current pace.


It found that 11 of the 15 highest risk cities are in Asia, with Dubai, Alexandria and New York also featuring.

The report came at a time when Indonesia was reeling under severe floods, which killed at least five people and displaced about 4,000 families.

"As a species we tend to like to live by coasts - with all the resources and transport it provides," said Rory Clisby, a climate change analyst at Verisk Maplecroft in Singapore.

In Asia, cities with high population densities "tend to develop land that other parts of the world might leave", he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Many of Asia's rapidly expanding cities are coastal and low-lying, making them vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather such as flooding and cyclones.

This week, torrential rains flooded Jakarta for the second time in 2020, while Bangkok last month trucked in drinking water after the encroaching ocean increased salinity.

To lower flood risks, countries should combine "hard and soft engineering options", such as building sea walls and tidal barriers and restoring mangroves, said Clisby.

Sea defences would need to be reinforced every decade or so, he added, noting "it's not a one-off expense".

Building in flood-prone areas and "ill-conceived" land reclamation projects should be stopped, he said, adding that some cities should consider moving key assets to safer places.

"Sponge city" schemes in China which incorporate sustainable drainage systems into infrastructure - like water-absorbing asphalt and green spaces to prevent water from pooling - could also work across the region, he added.

The highest-risk cities globally are Guangzhou and Dongguan in China's Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, which generates 20 per cent of the country's GDP and 3.8 per cent of global wealth, the report said.

"It is a massive global manufacturing hub," said Clisby, adding that both cities should look at relocating key assets and investing in large-scale engineering projects.

Across China, $348 billion of GDP and nearly 8 million people are located in areas at high and extreme risk of sea level rise, the report noted.

While China and Japan have the resources to put in place measures to mitigate flood risks, Clisby said, Vietnam, India and Indonesia have more limited resources and institutional capacity to meet the challenges posed by rising seas.

Indonesia is already planning to move its capital to the island of Borneo, as Jakarta - on the north coast of Java island - is slowly sinking and suffers regular flooding.

More For You

Minouche Shafik

Shafik served as deputy governor for markets and banking at the Bank of England between August 2014 and February 2017.

Reuters

Starmer appoints Minouche Shafik as chief economic adviser in reshuffle

Highlights:

  • Minouche Shafik named chief economic adviser to Keir Starmer.
  • Darren Jones moves into Downing Street role; James Murray replaces him.
  • Wider reshuffle includes changes in Starmer’s private office and communications.
  • Appointment comes ahead of a budget expected to include further tax rises.

Prime minister Keir Starmer has named Minouche Shafik, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, as his chief economic adviser. The appointment comes as he looks to strengthen his team ahead of what is expected to be a difficult end to the year.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi putin

Before their formal meeting, Putin offered Modi a ride in his Aurus limousine.

X/@narendramodi

Six key takeaways from the SCO summit

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.

Modi pressed for ending the Ukraine conflict at the earliest, reaffirmed India’s long-standing ties with Russia, and discussed trade and border issues with Xi.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghanistan earthquake

Afghan volunteers and Taliban security personnel carry an earthquake victim evacuated by a military helicopter from the Nurgal district of Kunar province onn September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

Afghanistan earthquake kills more than 800, thousands injured

A MAJOR rescue operation was underway in Afghanistan on Monday after a powerful earthquake and several aftershocks destroyed homes in a remote mountainous region, killing more than 800 people, according to Taliban authorities.

The quake struck just before midnight and was felt as far as Kabul and in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ganpati festival

The Ganpati festival celebrates Ganesha as the god of new beginnings, and the god of wisdom and intelligence. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hindu community centre in London damaged in fire after Ganapati Visarjan event

A HINDU community centre in east London caught fire on Saturday evening, causing major damage to the building. The London Fire Brigade brought the fire under control and confirmed that no injuries were reported.

The incident took place at the Shree Sorathia Prajapati Community Centre on Cleveland Road in Ilford, which had been decorated for a Ganapati Visarjan event attended by members of the Hindu community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi ,Xi & Putin

Narendra Modi talks with Vladimir Putin and Xi jinping ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre in Tianjin on September 1, 2025.

Getty Images

SCO declaration slams Pahalgam attack, calls for united action on terror

Highlights:

  • SCO condemns terror attack in Pahalgam and echoes India’s stance on “double standards”.
  • Leaders call for justice for perpetrators of attacks in Pahalgam and Balochistan.
  • Declaration criticises Israeli military strikes in Gaza causing civilian casualties.
  • SCO stresses UN’s central role in global counter-terrorism strategy.

THE SHANGHAI Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and agreed with India’s position that “double standards” in tackling terrorism are not acceptable.

Keep ReadingShow less