Karachi and Dhaka are projected to receive a combined total of approximately 5.4 million climate migrants by 2050, according to a United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) report.
This report highlights that these two cities will be among the top 10 cities in the Global South experiencing the most extreme influx of climate-induced migration if global warming exceeds 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Specifically, Dhaka is expected to receive about 3.07 million additional climate migrants, while Karachi will see around 2.4 million.
The report also estimates that the urban population in the Asia-Pacific region will grow by 50%, adding 1.2 billion people by 2050. This rapid urbanization intensifies challenges such as climate vulnerability, environmental degradation, and infrastructure stress. Cities like Karachi face governance challenges with fragmented jurisdictions, which complicate coordinated responses to disasters such as floods.
Both Karachi and Dhaka are highly vulnerable to climate impacts like extreme heat, flooding, and water scarcity, exacerbated by the urban heat island effect and extensive groundwater extraction leading to land subsidence.
The report urges governments in the region to enhance regional cooperation to address these environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities through collaborative urban networks, aiming to support sustainable urban development and climate adaptation in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.