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Mumbai, Kolkata, and Dhaka ate among major cities where the consequences of rising sea levels could not only affect the economy, but also severe causes massive human displacement
UN report warns that coastal cities including Mumbai are at a risk of permanent inundation from rising sea levels (File image credit: AFP)
Mumbai is among the South Asian megacities facing a mounting risk of permanent inundation from rising sea levels, with a new United Nations report warning that over 14 million people across the region are likely on the verge of getting displaced.
The report, titled ‘Challenges related to sea level rise and ways and approaches to address’was presented before the UN General Assembly on August 31. The report named Mumbai, Kolkata, and Dhaka as major cities where the consequences of rising sea levels could not only affect the economy, but also severe causes massive human displacement.
“In the low-lying deltas of South Asia, in cities such as Kolkata and Mumbai in India, and Dhaka, the defining impact is human displacement, with more than 14 million people at immediate risk of losing their homes to permanent inundation,” the report said.
“This divergence underscores the need to strengthen and broaden the indicators used to assess coastal vulnerability and exposure, ensuring that social risks measured in human lives and displacement receive the same level of urgency as those quantified in financial terms”, it said.
It highlighted growing global sea levels, outlining that it rose at a record rate of 5.9 mm in 2024, compared to an annual average rise of 4.7 mm between 2014 and 2023.
According to the report, global sea levels could rise by at least 0.5 metres by 2100, even under the most ambitious emissions-cutting scenarios. However, under worst-case scenarios involving instability of the West Antarctic ice sheet, the rise is likely to climb up to two metres, posing threat to those residing in coastal areas.
Why Higher Risk For Mumbai?
The report outlined that the risk is even higher for Mumbai, coupled with land subsidence and saltwater intrusion, which can contaminate freshwater aquifers and coastal wells. Sanitation, housing, as well as transport infrastructure could be affected by storm surges.
In 2021, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released Mumbai’s Climate Action Plan (MCAP), warning that 80 per cent of the Mumbai’s island city could be submerged by 2050.
It stated that the sea level could see a rise of 0.1-0.3 metres along Mumbai and 11 other Indian coastal cities over the next three decades, with houses and settlements in these regions at greater risk of being submerged.
According to BMC data, the city is also experiencing a significant change in its rainfall pattern. Over the past six years, he average rainfall recorded during very heavy rainfall events has surged from 132 mm to 182 mm.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The primary United Nations report on rising sea levels does not specify which individual areas of Mumbai face the highest risk. However, broader climate projections identify low-lying areas of the city as the most vulnerable, specifically highlighting Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Girgaon, Bandra, Versova, and Dharavi as highly sensitive to future tidal flooding and waterlogging.
Ask News18About the Author
A Journalism graduate, Meemansa Shekhawat is a sub-editor at News18. Driven by a keen interest in news, she is a passionate writer with specialisation in national and international affairs. You can re…Read More
September 04, 2026, 08:36 IST
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