Background
Urban extreme heat is an escalating climate risk across the Asia-Pacific region, driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, and existing social and economic vulnerabilities. Rising temperatures in cities are associated with adverse health outcomes, reduced labour productivity, and increasing pressure on health systems and urban services, with impacts that are unevenly distributed across populations.
Emerging research shows that pregnant women, postpartum women, newborns, and infants are among the groups most vulnerable to extreme heat exposure. Physiological changes during pregnancy reduce heat tolerance, while thermoregulation in early infancy is underdeveloped. Quantitative evidence indicates that each 1 °C increase in ambient temperature is associated with an estimated 4 per cent increase in the risk of preterm birth, while heatwave exposure is linked to substantially higher risks. However, evidence on urban-specific exposure pathways, appropriate heat metrics, and the applicability of existing findings to hot-humid and densely built cities in South and South-East Asia remains uneven.
Strengthening the science–policy interface on urban extreme heat and maternal and neonatal health is therefore critical to support evidence-based urban planning, health protection, and climate adaptation. This online research symposium provides a platform for researchers to present recent studies, examine methodological approaches, and identify priority evidence gaps relevant to Asia-Pacific cities, with the aim of informing ESCAP’s ongoing analytical and policy-oriented work on urban climate resilience and heat adaptation.
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For more information on the event please visit: https://www.unescap.org/events/2026/3rd-online-research-symposium-impacts-urban-extreme-heat-focus-maternal-and-neonatal
