Urbanization in East Asia and the Pacific has created enormous opportunity for many. Yet the rapid growth of cities can also create challenges as national and local governments try to keep up with the needs of their growing populations.

This report presents a framework, the Urban Risk Assessment (URA), for assessing disaster and climate risk in cities. It is intended to assist in decision making, urban planning, and designing risk management programs.

This study examines the inter linkages between climate change, disaster risk, and the urban poor. This study calls on cities to take a lead role in proactively addressing the risks of climate change and natural hazards at the local level, with a focus on populations at highest risk.