The Philippines must adopt a clear and long-term heat resilience plan as extreme temperatures increasingly threaten public health, productivity and key economic sectors, according to the latest Asia-Pacific Disaster Report released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The 2025 report, “Rising Heat, Rising Risk,” warns that climate-driven heat extremes are accelerating disaster risks across the region, affecting food systems, public health, urban centers, rural livelihoods, infrastructure and ecosystems. ESCAP stresses that the implications are no longer environmental alone but deeply economic, with heat exposure capable of disrupting industries, depressing labor productivity and straining public resources.
The document highlights that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded globally. Most Asia-Pacific countries experienced episodes of extreme heat, including the Philippines, which saw its hottest months on record in March and April 2025. During this period, heat disrupted fisheries and agriculture, affected 26 areas and forced school closures nationwide.
Heat Exposure Rising Across the Philippines
Extreme heat has become a rapidly intensifying risk in Southeast Asia, and parts of the Philippines are shifting from low exposure to significantly higher and more dangerous levels. ESCAP notes that this transition signals new vulnerabilities for communities, local economies and critical sectors that depend heavily on outdoor labor.
Urban areas face even higher risks due to the urban heat island effect, which can add an additional 2°C to 7°C on top of global warming. Major cities across the region—including Manila—are projected to experience rapidly worsening heat conditions in the years ahead.
Economic Losses Expected to Escalate
By 2100, disaster losses in the region could rise from US$418 billion to as high as US$498 billion under the worst-case climate scenario. Days above critical heat thresholds are also projected to increase sharply, with Southeast Asia among the most affected subregions.
Heat stress is expected to significantly reduce labor productivity. Working hours lost to heat across Asia and the Pacific are projected to more than double from 3.75 million full-time job equivalents in 1995 to more than 8.1 million by 2030. Sectors reliant on outdoor work—agriculture, construction, fisheries, transport—will be hit hardest.
Agriculture faces unprecedented pressures as rising temperatures lower crop yields, reduce livestock productivity and weaken labor capacity, further entrenching rural poverty. The energy sector is also vulnerable, with heat driving surges in cooling demand while simultaneously reducing the efficiency of power generation and transmission.
Call for Coordinated, Science-Based Action
“Heat knows no borders; therefore, policy responses must anticipate impacts, reduce exposure and vulnerability at scale and safeguard those most at risk,” the report states. ESCAP urges countries, including the Philippines, to place heat at the center of multi-hazard planning and to invest in heat-ready early warning systems supported by AI, interoperable alerts and strong last-mile communication.
The report emphasizes that heat resilience requires long-term, coordinated action grounded in science, innovation and regional cooperation. Strengthening local preparedness, protecting vulnerable communities and safeguarding economic productivity will be essential as temperatures continue to rise.