Sudden, hyper-local cloudbursts are devastating mountain communities across South Asia, unleashing floods and lethal mudslides that kill hundreds in hours. This week alone, disasters in Pakistan’s northwest and Kashmir have left scores dead and villages buried under debris. Scientists warn the warming climate makes these rain bombs more frequent and intense; warmer air holds more moisture, unleashing torrents when it meets steep, fragile terrain.

The region’s dire shortage of weather data and weak early warning systems compound the risk, especially where poverty and deforestation are rampant. Rapid glacier melt is destabilising high-altitude lakes, worsening these flash events. With the monsoon shifting to shorter, more violent rainfall spells, regional co-operation on hazard mapping and infrastructure is critical, but geopolitical tensions threaten progress. As South Asia faces triple the historical frequency of heavy rain events, cloudbursts now rank among the region’s deadliest climate hazards.

Vietnam is forging a new model for climate-resilient health with the E-Dengue Project, a digital early warning system predicting dengue outbreaks up to three months in advance. Developed by Griffith University’s Centre for Environment and Population Health, this technology integrates climate and epidemiological data into accessible risk maps and targeted alerts for frontline health workers.

In a nation where tropical diseases surge with rising temperatures and rainfall, E-Dengue empowers local officials to act preemptively, slashing response times and transforming the country from reactive to proactive stewardship. Beyond dengue, this approach offers a scalable blueprint for forecasting a range of climate-sensitive diseases - a potent example of how data integration and digital tools can embolden global health systems against the growing climate threat.

A Pew global survey finds 67% of adults now label climate change a major threat to their countries, but attitudes are splintering, especially in rich nations. Since 2022, concern has waned in affluent states like the Netherlands and Italy, with ideological splits widening dramatically. In the U.S., liberals are over four times more likely than conservatives to recognise the danger (84% vs 20%). Right-wing populist supporters across Europe similarly dismiss climate risks. The survey also finds that younger adults overwhelmingly view climate as an existential challenge, though in some countries - Sweden, Japan, South Korea and Argentina - older populations are comparatively more alarmed. These findings suggest climate fatigue and polarisation are undermining consensus just as adaptation demands cross-party urgency. The window for brave, ambitious policy, backed by demonstrated public support, may be narrowing.

Mumbai reeled under relentless rains surpassing 800mm in just 4 days - 40% above its total August average, thanks to the convergence of multiple weather systems fuelled by climate change. Experts say the “stacked” effect of monsoon winds, a warm Arabian Sea, and overlapping cyclones have intensified downpours, transforming streets into rivers and submerging crops and vehicles.

With Mumbai’s 22 million residents facing more frequent extreme weather events, the need for a robust, citizen-centric network of early-warning systems for urban flooding is clear, as experts warn that urban infrastructure and evacuation plans remain woefully underprepared. Megacities like Mumbai exemplify the complex, intensity-duration-frequency patterns that adaptation strategies must now confront head-on. Mumbai’s “wettest August in years” is not an anomaly, but a stark reminder of the need to strengthen urban resilience.

The Adaptation and Resilience Fund, backed by ClimateWorks and partner foundations, has opened two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) totalling up to $9 million to tackle extreme heat in urban areas across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

RFP 1 targets innovative finance tools like resilience bonds and community insurance to unlock vital public and private capital for heat adaptation. RFP 2 focuses on strengthening city institutions and civil society to embed heat resilience into urban planning and policy.

Applications close September 19, 2025 and more information can be found here.

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