New York: Europe and the Arabs
A new UN report reveals that nearly 8 in 10 people living in multidimensional poverty—887 million out of 1.1 billion people worldwide—are directly exposed to climate risks such as extreme heat, floods, drought, and air pollution. According to the UN Daily News Bulletin, the report provides new evidence that the climate crisis is reshaping global poverty. By combining climate risk data with multidimensional poverty data for the first time, the findings reveal a world in which poverty is not just a stand-alone social and economic issue, but one inextricably linked to planetary stresses and instability.
The 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index Report, titled "Interlocking Difficulties: Poverty and Climate Risks," was released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford. It explains that exposure to climate risks is likely to exacerbate the daily challenges faced by people living in poverty, intensifying and deepening their plight. It concluded that among those assessed as living in multidimensional extreme poverty—including health, education, and living standards—651 million people experience two or more climate risks, while 309 million face three or four risks simultaneously.
Extreme Heat and Air Pollution
The new report shows that "to tackle global poverty and create a more stable world for all, we must address the climate risks that threaten nearly 900 million poor people," said Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.
He stated that when world leaders gather in Brazil for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) next month, their national climate pledges must revive stagnant development progress that threatens to leave the world's poorest behind.
The report revealed that extreme heat and air pollution are the most prevalent risks affecting the poor globally, with 608 million people affected by extreme heat and 577 million by air pollution. Flood-prone areas are home to 465 million poor people, while 207 million live in areas affected by drought.
Uneven Burden
The report indicated that the burden of exposure to these risks is distributed unequally across regions and income groups.
It stated that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are considered global hotspots for these accumulated hardships, with the largest numbers of poor people living in areas affected by climate risks (380 million and 344 million, respectively).
Across income groups, lower-middle-income countries bear the greatest burden of the poor's exposure to climate risks, both in absolute numbers and in proportion.
The report estimates that approximately 548 million poor people in lower-middle-income countries are exposed to at least one climate risk, representing 61.8% of the world's poor exposed to any climate risk.
The report emphasized that addressing these intersecting risks requires moving from recognition to action, emphasizing the need for poverty reduction strategies that are climate-resilient.