With temperatures reaching unbearable levels, there have been calls from public health experts and meteorologists to officially declare the heatwave a disaster and to establish a comprehensive action plan to address its impacts.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief says it is indeed considering the ongoing heatwave in Bangladesh as a “disaster”.
This summer, the country has been experiencing a prolonged period of heat, causing widespread disruption to daily life.
Heatstrokes have led to fatalities and numerous hospital admissions, while heat has caused significant damage to crops and fruit trees.
In response to inquiries about whether heatwaves should be declared a disaster like droughts, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Mohibbur Rahman said: “I certainly would call this extreme heatwave a disaster.”
The ministry is actively gathering data on the severity of the heat, which has caused various forms of damage, including deaths from heatstroke, illness and agricultural losses.
This information will guide their decision on whether to extend financial and other forms of assistance to those affected, the state minister said.
Disaster Management Ministry Secretary Md Kamrul Hasan said while the government declared lightning a disaster in 2016, suggestions to categorize heatwaves similarly are under consideration.
The ministry is collecting data on the highest temperatures and their impacts to determine the next steps.
Public health expert and former director of disease control at the Directorate General of Health Services, Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, warned that the current extreme temperatures pose a serious health risk, potentially leading to outbreaks of diseases like cholera.
Be-Nazir advocated for strategic planning to prevent heatwave-related deaths and suggested that such a strategy should aim to make the heat more tolerable, including increasing vegetation and maintaining water bodies as cooling measures.
Dr Md Zillur Rahman, dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Dhaka University, stressed that preparation is crucial as average temperatures have risen by 1°C from 2011 to 2020.
He noted that the country is experiencing hotter summers and emphasized the need for strategies to adapt to these increasing temperatures.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, a heatwave is categorized based on temperature ranges, with the highest category being "severe" when temperatures exceed 42°C.
Schools remained closed due to the extreme heat following the Eid holiday break.
The ministry and experts are considering implementing national strategies to mitigate the effects of heatwaves, emphasizing the need for a proactive approach to protect public health and ensure economic stability in the face of increasing temperatures.