Dhaka and Chittagong Ranked Among World’s Least Climate-Resilient Cities
Dhaka and Chittagong have been ranked among the 10 least climate-resilient major cities in a new global assessment of 72 cities. The AlphaGeo report shows that both cities have high physical climate risks. Adaptation measures reduce not all but some of that exposure.
In a Nutshell
- Dhaka and Chittagong are both among the 10 least climate-resilient cities assessed by AlphaGeo.
- Dhaka has a resilience-adjusted risk score of 36, while Chittagong scores 30.
- Dhaka has the highest physical climate risk score among the 72 cities, at 60.
- Chittagong’s physical risk score is 46.
- Dhaka’s adaptation measures reduce its physical risk by 24 points, while Chittagong’s reduce it by 16 points.
- The six highest-risk cities in the assessment are all in South Asia.
- AlphaGeo says cities in this group have adaptation rates that remain relatively low compared with the scale of their physical risks.
Context
The findings come from AlphaGeo’s Climate Risk & Resilience Index, which assessed 72 of the world’s largest cities. The index looks at six climate hazards, including heat stress, drought, inland and coastal flooding, wildfire and hurricane winds, and then adjusts the physical risk score based on adaptation measures.
Dhaka recorded a physical risk score of 60, the highest in the assessment. After accounting for adaptation, its score fell to 36. AlphaGeo notes that Dhaka has made significant adaptation efforts, but its remaining risk is still among the highest in the dataset. Chittagong recorded a physical risk score of 46 and a resilience score of 30, which places it ahead of Dhaka but still within the bottom 10.
Why It Matters
Dhaka faces the combined pressure of extreme heat, flooding and rapid urban growth. Chittagong, meanwhile, faces additional exposure associated with its coastal location. Research by The Juggernaut on Bangladesh's major cities has also found substantial heatwave vulnerability in both Dhaka and Chittagong.
What We Think
According to the Juggernaut, Bangladesh's geography makes a degree of exposure unavoidable. Dhaka's physical risk score of 60 was reduced to 36 through adaptation. It shows that investment and preparation can make a measurable difference. But the fact that the city still remains among the least resilient proves that adaptation is not yet keeping pace with the scale of the risk. The question is whether Dhaka and Chittagong are ready to adapt fast enough for the people and economic activity they already carry.