Flooding and Extreme Heat Top Climate Hazards for 83% of Reporting Cities

More than four-fifths of the 1,131 cities disclosing environmental data through CDP-ICLEI Track in 2023 reported significant climate hazards, up from 80% in 2022, according to new CDP analysis. Flooding was the most widely reported hazard at 58% of cities, followed by extreme heat at 54%, with two-thirds of cities expecting hazards to intensify and increase in frequency.

Of the cities reporting flooding as a hazard, 98% said low-income households were affected, 77% said the elderly were impacted, and 67% identified marginalised communities as facing heightened risk. For extreme heat, 97% of reporting cities said the elderly were affected, 75% identified low-income households, and 73% said children faced significant impact. Cities reporting hazards are spread across all regions, with North America, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America all registering high rates of climate exposure. Indian cities including Kolkata appear in the list of cities facing flooding.

Around one-third of all climate infrastructure projects reported through CDP-ICLEI Track in 2023 — 727 out of 2,346 — focus on climate adaptation and resilience. These 727 projects are collectively valued at US$47 billion, while cities are seeking approximately US$21 billion in investment to fund them. More than half of these adaptation projects, 55%, are reported by cities in the Global South, highlighting the disproportionate adaptation burden facing developing nations and the need for climate finance flows that match the scale of exposure.

CDP data also captures extreme weather records being broken globally, with 2024 marking the 12th consecutive month of global temperature records being surpassed. India and the Philippines recorded their highest-ever temperatures in May 2024. CDP Director for Cities, States and Regions Maia Kutner said environmental data is the essential link that enables cities to access climate finance and implement effective action. CDP encourages city authorities worldwide to report through CDP-ICLEI Track to gain the insights needed to manage rapidly changing climate risks.

Key figure — US$21 billion in climate financing sought by cities to build adaptation resilience