Bangkok:Asia-Pacific coastlines are confronting increasing dangers from rising sea levels and more intense floods, as highlighted in a recent report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The report emphasizes that investing in resilience could yield benefits up to 20 times greater than the associated costs.

According to NAMPA, the report titled "Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2026 Coastal Risks on the Rise-Actions for a Resilient Future" indicates that annual coastal flood damages in the region could surge more than sixfold by 2050 and nearly twentyfold by 2100 if adaptation measures are not implemented. Current annual flood damages, estimated at approximately 27 billion U.S. dollars, could balloon to between 172 billion and 199 billion U.S. dollars by 2050 and escalate further to between 520 billion and 739 billion U.S. dollars by 2100.

The report outlines that maintaining flood damages at current levels would necessitate an annual investment of 9 billion to 19 billion U.S. dollars in coastal protection. This investment could potentially avert 178 billion to 360 billion U.S. dollars in flood damages each year.

ADB highlights that over 400 million individuals reside within 10 kilometers of the sea in the region. Coastal areas serve as vital hubs for ports, trade, and tourism. Without sufficient adaptation strategies, larger economies face significant economic losses in absolute terms. Atoll nations, in particular, could experience severe relative impacts, with annual flood damage potentially reaching 30 percent to 60 percent of GDP by 2100.

The report also warns that in major coastal cities such as Bangkok, Jakarta, Kolkata, and Mumbai, floods that historically occurred once every 100 years could become annual events by the end of the century.