World Bank report:
In Bangladesh, huge working hours are lost every year due to extreme heat. The financial losses are also huge. A new World Bank report says that in Bangladesh, about 250 million working days were lost due to increasing heat-related illnesses in 2024 alone. This has caused economic losses of 1.33 billion to 1.78 billion dollars, which is about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of GDP. In terms of taka, this loss amounts to more than 21 thousand crores.
The report, titled ‘An Unsustainable Life: The Impact of Heat on Health and the Economy of Bangladesh’, was released on Tuesday at a hotel in the capital.
A World Bank report says that when temperatures exceed 37 degrees Celsius, worker productivity drops significantly. Bangladesh is suffering economically as the heat increases.
The study analyzed the country’s temperature and relative humidity from 1976 to 2023. It also used data from a two-phase survey conducted on more than 16,000 people in 2024.
It shows that since 1980, Bangladesh’s maximum temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius and ‘feels like temperature’ by 4.5 degrees Celsius. This has led to an increase in health problems such as diarrhea, chronic cough, respiratory diseases and fatigue. Heat waves have also caused mental health problems such as depression.
“Extreme heat is not just a seasonal problem. Its impact is far-reaching. We are seeing in Bangladesh that rising temperatures are affecting our health, productivity and the country’s economy,” said Jean Pesme, World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
He said that it is possible to deal with the effects of heat waves in Bangladesh through coordinated action. He gave the example of Singapore in this regard.
Currently, Bangladesh ranks second in the world among countries at risk of high temperatures. The capital Dhaka has been hit hardest by the heat, with the heat index rising about 65 percent above the national average.
The report says that diarrhea and chronic cough are twice as common in summer as in winter. Women are more likely to suffer from heat-related illnesses. Depression and anxiety increase during the hot months, which increases with age. However, heat-related problems are most common among those aged 50-65.
These physical and mental health problems cause greater financial losses in summer than in winter.
“Our analysis shows a clear link between heat-related health problems and reduced productivity,” said Iffat Mahmud, a senior operations officer at the World Bank and co-author of the report.
The World Bank has called for urgent and coordinated action to protect lives, livelihoods and economies from the risks of rising heat.
The report recommends enhancing national preparedness through a multi-sectoral approach to heatwave management and equipping health systems to combat heat-related illnesses. It also emphasizes greening in urban areas.
