Annual coastal flood damages in Asia and the Pacific could reach between $520 billion and $739 billion by the year 2100. Current flood-related losses in the region stand at approximately $27 billion per year.
By 2050, these yearly damages are projected to rise to a range of $172 billion to $199 billion. More than 400 million people reside within 10 kilometres of the sea across the region.
Coastal floods that occur once every 100 years could happen every year by the end of the century in Mumbai, Kolkata, Jakarta and Bangkok. Atoll nations face a high-emissions scenario where annual flood damages could reach 30% to 60% of their gross domestic product by 2100.
Disruptions to regional ports put approximately $40 billion to $45 billion at risk annually. The region's coastlines generate $7 trillion in annual economic output.
Yevgeniy Zhukov, Director General of ADB’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, said, "Coasts are the overlooked engine-room of Asia and the Pacific’s growth but are retreating in the face of rising seas and escalating hazards." Zhukov added, "We are at a turning point and must act now with long-term, adaptive, and risk-informed solutions to create resilient coasts that keep people safe and economies running."
Maintaining current damage levels would require an annual investment of $9 billion to $19 billion in coastal protection. Such investments could potentially prevent $178 billion to $360 billion in flood damages each year.
International adaptation finance for coastal economies in Asia and the Pacific averaged $11.4 billion annually between 2022 and 2023. This figure rose from approximately $5 billion in 2015.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was established in 1966 and is owned by 69 members, 50 of whom are from the region.
