Half of city dwellers may face extreme heat risk, UN adviser warns

Those contributing the least to the climate crisis will pay the highest price, Selwin Hart, the Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action, delivered a stark warning during the ministerial meeting on urbanization and climate change, held as a part of COP29, Report informs.

Hart emphasized that no continent, region, or country is immune to the consequences of climate change. He highlighted that as the world approaches the 1.5°C threshold, the price of climate chaos continues to rise.

According to him, approximately 500 million city dwellers reside in coastal areas, facing the threat of intense storms and more frequent sea-level rise.

The UN adviser further cautioned that in about 25 years, half of the world's urban population may be exposed to extreme heat risk. "Collaborations at all levels are necessary to combat climate change," he stressed.