As of 2000, the Asian urban population at risk of coastal flooding was 1.39 billion people, more than twice the number at risk in Europe, more than four times greater than in Latin America, and almost five times that of Africa.
The report highlights in particular the increasing phenomenon of migration from rural to urban areas, often as a result of drought or flooding in the countryside.
In South-East Asia Bangkok, Manila and Ho Chi Minh City are all low-lying urban areas, yet like Jakarta they have all taken too long to react to the threat of increased flooding.