We need to act to reduce the rising temperature to avoid national disaster
Global temperatures are constantly increasing for various reasons. And Bangladesh is no exception.
Disruption of the environmental balance, including the greenhouse effect, is one of the reasons for the increase in temperatures.
In addition to global warming, several negative activities are responsible for the increase in temperature here.
In recent times, our normal activities are being disrupted due to the increase in temperature in the country.
Following the excessive heat, especially working people are not able to work to their full potential. As a result, productivity is being lost, working hours are being lost. The financial loss is also huge.
A recent study by the World Bank revealed the extent of this financial loss. The survey showed that since 1980, the maximum temperature in the country has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius.
The extreme heat scorching our fields, factories, and streets is systematically crippling our productivity and burning a hole through our economic potential.
The study also showed that Bangladesh is already ranked second in the world in terms of the impact of heat.
During this time, the temperature in the capital Dhaka increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The temperature in the capital is about 65 percent higher than the national average. The reason for this terrible increase in temperature is emission of black carbon and carbon dioxide.
Due to the excessive increase in the number of factories, motor vehicles, brick kilns, etc, the heat in Dhaka has exceeded the limit. As a result, the risk to public health is increasing.
According to the report, a total of about 250 million working days were lost in Bangladesh in 2024 due to the excessive heat. This resulted in a financial loss of Tk 21,000 crore to the country.The amount is not negligible for a developing country like Bangladesh.
Therefore, everyone knows what to do in practice. We need to eliminate the causes that help increase the temperature to rise. It’s easy to say, but almost impossible to put into practice.
What is the way to prevent this self-destructive tendency? Urban expansion cannot be stopped due to population growth. But if urbanization is planned, the amount of damage can be limited to some extent.
That too seems beyond our means. Adaptation and preventive measures like creating urban green space and collecting granular and accurate weather and health data to inform decisions will help reduce exposure and risks. Otherwise, it will be a national disaster.