ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 (APP):Asia and the Pacific’s coastlines are central to the region’s economic future—generating $7 trillion in annual economic output—but face intensifying threats, some of which if mitigated by investing in resilience could produce benefits up to 20 times greater than the investment required, according to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released on Wednesday.
Coastlines across the region are increasingly exposed to rising seas and intensifying hazards, and the costs are already mounting. Annual coastal flood damages in Asia and the Pacific could increase more than sixfold by 2050 and nearly twentyfold by 2100 without adaptation, according to the Asia–Pacific Climate Report 2026: Coastal Risks on the Rise—Actions for a Resilient Future.
Based on estimates across 30 coastal economies, the report estimates that annual flood damages could reach $172 billion to $199 billion by 2050 and $520 billion to $739 billion by 2100, compared with approximately $27 billion today.
Keeping flood damages near today’s levels would require an estimated $9 billion to $19 billion a year in coastal protection, an investment that could avoid $178 billion to $360 billion in flood damages each year.
“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,” said the Director General of ADB’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Yevgeniy Zhukov.
“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,” Zhukov added.
According to report, more than 400 million people in the region—or more than 1 in 10 in ADB’s developing members with a coastline—live within 10 kilometers of the sea. Coasts are hubs for ports and trade, as well as tourist and heritage spots.
ADB’s report highlights that, without adequate adaptation measures, larger economies could face some of the highest economic losses in absolute terms, while relative impacts are particularly severe in atoll nations, where annual flood damage could reach 30% to 60% of gross domestic product by 2100 under a high-emissions scenario.
In major coastal cities such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Kolkata, and Mumbai, coastal floods that historically occurred once every 100 years could become annual events by the end of the century.
About $40 billion to $45 billion is at risk each year from port disruptions in the region.
To enhance coastal resilience, governments need adaptive planning that links near-term actions with long-term development objectives, while allowing space for policies to evolve.
The report recommends four steps: mainstream adaptive planning into development decisions; strengthen institutions and governance; mobilize financing; and sustain implementation and ownership.
While international adaptation finance to coastal economies in Asia and the Pacific roughly doubled, from about $5 billion in 2015 to an average of $11.4 billion a year in 2022–2023, a large financing gap remains.
Public finance is the bedrock of coastal resilience investments, but closing that gap will require expanding fiscal space and mobilizing additional public, private, and concessional finance for long-term resilience investments.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
