Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City facing extreme risks from climate change by 2050

A young Vietnamese woman is walking along the Bai Chay beach in Ha Long city of northeastern province of Quang Ninh, Vietnam on Sunday (May 17). Vietnam's Ho Chih Minh City and Indonesia's Jakarta are set to facing extreme climate change problems by 2050. - AFP

JAKARTA/SINGAPORE: A recent study has identified Asean cities Jakarta (Indonesia) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) as among the world’s major metropolitan areas on the brink of sinking as a result of rising sea levels and extreme weather caused by climate change.

Global strategic and risk consulting company Verisk Maplecroft reported in its 2020 Environmental Risk Outlook issued during the weekend that 11 of the 15 cities most at-risk of sinking are Asian cities that are significant financial and trade centres, including Jakarta abd Ho Chi Minh City, which is especially threatened due to its location in the lowlands.