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UN-Habitat report: Over 2 bn people in cities could be exposed to 0.5ºC rise by 2040
- UN-Habitat: 136 of largest coastal cities could incur annual losses exceeding $1 trln by 2050
- Cities, other urban areas require an estimated $4.5-5.4 trln annually up until 2030
More than 2 billion people currently living in cities could be exposed to an additional temperature increase of at least 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2040, according to a report issued by the UN-Habitat during the World Urban Forum in Cairo.
The UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2024 “Cities and Climate Action said as much as 36 percent of the
global population in cities could experience mean annual temperatures of 29 degrees Celsius or above.
By 2040, more than 2,000 cities will be located in low elevated coastal zones of less than 5 meters
above sea level, rising to 2,620 cities for less than 10 meters above sea level. The current population
in these exposed cities is already 1.4 billion and expected to increase further by 2040.
As of 2025, areas prone to riverine flood events with 100-year return periods host about 1 billion people;
of these, half are based in cities.
By 2030, at least 517 million people living in cities will be exposed to riverine flooding with a 100-year return period,
which is 14 percent of the global population living in cities.
About 136 of the largest coastal cities could incur annual losses exceeding $1 trillion by 2050 assuming moderate levels of sea-rise, without additional investment in adaptation and risk management.
On average, the share of green spaces in urban areas globally decreased from 19.5 per cent in 1990
to 13.9 percent in 2020.
Cities and other urban areas require an estimated $4.5-5.4 trillion annually up until 2030 to invest
in new or retrofitted climate-resilient infrastructure across transport, energy, water and waste, and
telecom projects. In 2021-2022, cities only secured $831 billion per year for climate action.
In 2021-22, only $10 billion or just over 1 per cent of the tracked $831 billion – for urban climate action went towards adaptation.
However, despite the complex barriers cities face amid the deepening climate emergency, the report also highlights the importance of seeing urban areas not just as part of the problem, but part of the solution too.
“With bold investments and good planning and design, cities offer immense opportunities to slash greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the effects of climate change and sustainably support urban populations,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the report’s foreword.
He noted that hundreds of cities are “leading the way by expanding inclusive green spaces, reducing emissions through smart planning and building and investing in renewable energy to power civic services like transportation networks”.
The report is calling for a sharper urban focus to advance ambitious national commitments, highlighting the importance of aligning climate action with broader development goals, such as improved services, settlement upgrading, poverty reduction and public health.
However, despite the complex barriers cities face amid the deepening climate emergency, the report also highlights the importance of seeing urban areas not just as part of the problem, but part of the solution too.
“With bold investments and good planning and design, cities offer immense opportunities to slash greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the effects of climate change and sustainably support urban populations,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the report’s foreword.
He noted that hundreds of cities are “leading the way by expanding inclusive green spaces, reducing emissions through smart planning and building and investing in renewable energy to power civic services like transportation networks”.
The report is calling for a sharper urban focus to advance ambitious national commitments, highlighting the importance of aligning climate action with broader development goals, such as improved services, settlement upgrading, poverty reduction and public health.
While climate action in cities is failing to match the scale of the challenges faced, those most at risk are “also those already facing persistent and chronic structural inequalities”, said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
“Informal settlements and slums – typically situated in environmentally sensitive areas and lacking in protective infrastructure – often bear the brunt of climate related disasters or extreme events,” she emphasized.
She added that these vulnerable communities are not only more exposed to risk in the first place but also less likely to receive support once a shock does occur.
“Accelerated transformation of slums and informal settlements, as well as addressing the needs of the most vulnerable territories in cities is thus a priority,” she underscored.
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