Extreme heat dealt a major blow to Bangladesh’s productivity in 2024, causing economic losses of $1.3 to $1.8 billion, equivalent to 0.3 to 0.4 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to the World Bank.
In a report released Wednesday, the World Bank said productivity losses rise sharply when temperatures exceed 37°C.
The report noted that Dhaka faces the greatest risk. Each year, extreme heat is reducing about 3 per cent of total working hours in the capital, equivalent to 465,000 full‑time jobs.
If current trends continue, losses in productive working hours in Dhaka could reach 7.4 per cent by 2080, the reports said.
Bangladesh’s ready‑made garment (RMG) industry is also at high risk. Analysis by the International Labour Organization, International Finance Corporation, and Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute found that unless Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Cambodia take effective measures against heat stress, their garment sectors could lose up to $65.8 billion in export earnings by 2030.
The report further said heat stress is increasing risks of violence and harassment against female workers in garment factories, as meeting production targets becomes harder in extreme heat.
According to World Bank estimates, extreme heat is already costing South Asia the equivalent of 31 million full‑time jobs annually, and the region’s economy could shrink by nearly 7 per cent by 2050.
Johannes Zutt, World Bank vice president for South Asia, said that building heat‑resilient cities is not only about saving lives.
The cities are central to the region’s future, but rising temperatures are putting jobs, livelihoods, and economic growth at risk, Zutt added.
