Water Sector Brief

Abstract

The rising threat of climate-related hazards is already being witnessed with increasing severity and frequency of disasters occurring in South Asia. According to the World Bank, between 1990 and 2019, climate-induced disasters in South Asia affected 1.68 billion people, killed approximately 267,000 and caused over US$127 billion in economic losses. The region’s endeavor to achieve sustainable growth and reduce poverty is often hampered due to the impacts of climate change on people’s livelihoods, food security and health. A World Bank study has warned that, without climate change adaptation, 800 million (or 44 percent) people in South Asia will be living in moderate or severe climate hotspots by 2050 which will push millions of people below the poverty line. The negative effects of extreme weather and climate events also undermine productivity in key economic sectors such as agriculture, transport, energy, and manufacturing, with limited adaptive capacity in these countries causing further constraints on their development prospects.