Excessive heatwaves have emerged as a significant threat to Bangladesh’s economy, impacting various sectors and exacerbating socio-economic vulnerabilities.
As heatwaves become more frequent and severe, the economic repercussions are profound, affecting agriculture, industry, health, infrastructure, and overall productivity.
According to the latest Lancet Countdown report 2024 released on Tuesday (October 29), the heat exposure had severe economic consequences for the country last year, leading to an estimated income loss of $21 billion due to reduced labour capacity.
However, the previous year, the figure stood at $19 billion. Agricultural workers were particularly affected, experiencing 63.5 percent of the potential hours lost and 54 percent of the associated income losses.
Mentionable heatwaves are typically found to occur in our country during the summer and monsoon seasons. Changing climatic patterns is accelerating the intensity and severity of the heatwave.
It causes mayhem and harms human health, producing heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heat stroke.
The report found exposure to high temperatures threatens people’s lives, health, and wellbeing, leading to death and heat-related disease, and increasing healthcare demand during heatwave episodes.
Besides, air pollution is believed to have caused more than 2.12 lakh deaths in Bangladesh in 2021, the report said, adding around 40 percent of these deaths were caused by fossil fuel usage.
It has calculated the monetized value of the premature deaths at $52.6 billion. Arguably, the prevailing severe heatwave highlights concerns as climate change is spinning out of control.
Although the country contributes only a tiny fraction of global carbon emissions, it is suffering disproportionately from their effects.
Experts predict temperatures in Bangladesh will rise even more in the coming decades.
The primary reason for record heatwaves is a heat dome, which is a self-reinforcing, sprawling area of a persistent and strong high-pressure system that traps hot air in the upper atmosphere.
As the high pressure forces the stationary air in the dome to sink, it gets compressed and heats up, pushing temperatures upwards.
At the same time, the dome squeezes clouds away, giving the sun an unobstructed view of the ground, which then bakes in the sunlight.
To address the economic challenges posed by excessive heatwaves in Bangladesh, a multifaceted approach is essential, encompassing climate adaptation, resilience-building measures, policy interventions, and stakeholder collaboration.
By investing in climate adaptation, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, public health, and stakeholder engagement, Bangladesh can navigate the challenges posed by heatwaves and build a more resilient and prosperous future of its economy and society.
