2024 was the hottest year on record globally with most countries in Asia and the Pacific having experienced episodes of extreme heat. Extreme heat risk in the region is accelerating and increasingly impacting food systems, public health, cities, rural livelihoods, infrastructure and oceans, according to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2025: Rising Heat, Rising Risk.
As countries experience more intense and prolonged heat events which spill across borders, the need for coordinated, forward-looking policy responses has become urgent. The report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is expected to serve as a shared reference for policy action at national and regional levels.
The report will be released next week during the ninth session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction, which brings together senior policymakers and experts to review the expanding disaster risk landscape and explore areas of cooperation to strengthen the region's resilience. This year, discussions will also spotlight three strategic fronts for action: placing heat at the centre of multi-hazard planning; designing cooler, more liveable cities through both technology and nature-based solutions; and deepening regional cooperation on data, early warning systems and innovation.
What: Ninth Session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction
When: 26 – 28 November 2025
Where: United Nations Conference Centre, Ratchadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok
Full programme: https://www.unescap.org/events/2025/committee-disaster-risk-reduction-ninth-session
Full report (available 26 November onward): https://repository.unescap.org/items/7937ad24-14e7-4cf6-8306-9cc03596da6d
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