Business Report :
Bangladesh suffered an estimated $24 billion loss in labour productivity in 2024 due to extreme heat, according to the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2025 report.
Experts say this is one of the clearest signs that climate change has become a major public health and economic crisis for the country.
The report shows that rising temperatures, worsening air pollution, and increasing diseases like dengue are threatening both health and livelihoods.
People in Bangladesh experienced an average of 28.8 heatwave days last year, of which 13.2 days were caused by human-induced climate change.
These intense heatwaves have sharply reduced productivity, especially for outdoor workers.
Nationwide, 29 billion work hours were lost, a 92percent increase compared to the 1990s.
The agriculture sector was hit hardest, accounting for 64percent of lost work hours, resulting in income losses equivalent to 5percent of Bangladesh’s GDP. Air pollution is another growing concern.
The report estimates 225,000 deaths in 2022 were linked to human-caused air pollution, a 38percent rise since 2010. Household pollution disproportionately affects women and rural families, while fossil fuel combustion including coal contributed to over 90,000 deaths.
Despite the urgent threat, renewable energy supplied less than 1percent of electricity between 2016 and 2022, while carbon emissions rose 30percent during the same period. Bangladesh also spent $8.2 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2023, far exceeding investments in clean energy.
The report highlights a 90percent increase in dengue transmission potential since the 1950s, with urban areas like Dhaka and Chattogram at high risk due to warmer temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.
Experts call for urgent action
At the report’s national launch in Dhaka, experts warned that climate change is already reversing development gains.
“Extreme climate events are already happening in Bangladesh,” said Professor Ainun Nishat of BRAC University. “Health must be a central part of our climate response.”
Shouro Dasgupta, senior fellow at the London School of Economics, said that heat exposure, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases are now among the most urgent health threats linked to climate change in the country.
Government and international responses
Mirza Shawkat Ali, director of the Department of Environment, said the government is working to improve air quality by regulating zones like Savar and banning brick burning there. He also reaffirmed the 25percent renewable energy target by 2035 and announced efforts to introduce electric cookstoves to reduce indoor pollution.
Farzana Misha, associate professor at BRAC University, called for health to be recognized as a core part of climate adaptation, while Nayoka Martinez Bäckström from the Swedish Embassy highlighted support for local solutions to protect isolated communities.
