Bangladesh is facing an increasing onslaught of extreme heat events, with temperatures rising at an alarming rate.
The economic toll is substantial – up to $1.78 billion, in other words, 0.4% of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
On top of this economic fallout, the heat-related physical and mental health conditions led to a loss of 250 million workdays in Bangladesh last year.
With rising temperatures, Bangladesh is facing physical and mental health risks, along with declining productivity leading to economic loss, says a new World Bank report, the first of its kind, launched in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The "An Unsustainable Life: The Impact of Heat on Health and the Economy of Bangladesh" analyzed national temperature and humidity trends from 1976–2023 and draws from a new two-round 2024 household survey of more than 16,000 people across Bangladesh.
Since 1980, Bangladesh’s maximum temperature has risen by 1.1°C, while the “feels like” temperature has surged by 4.5°C, triggering a rise in health issues such as diarrhea, persistent cough, respiratory diseases, and fatigue.
Heatwaves also caused mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
Health impacts are stark, finds the report co-authored by Iffat Mahmud, a Senior Operations Officer at the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice of the World Bank; Wameq Azfar Raza, a Health and Nutrition Specialist working with the World Bank’s Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice in Bangladesh; and Syed Shabab Wahid, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Global Health at Georgetown University.
In summer, cases of diarrhea and persistent cough double compared to winter. Women are more vulnerable to heat-induced illness such as exhaustion and heat stroke. Depression and anxiety increase with heat and are more prevalent in summer. Depression progressively increases with age, while anxiety peaks around 50-65 age group. Productivity loss, due to increased physical and mental health conditions, are higher in summer than in winter.
The findings reveal a troubling picture: Among the surveyed population, persistent or chronic cough was the most frequently reported condition, affecting 6.0% of the surveyed individuals in summer compared to 3.3% in winter. The elderly population above age 66 years reported the highest prevalence of persistent cough.
The probability of reporting cough increased by 22.7% in days with temperatures above 30°C, compared to days with temperatures below 30°C.
Heat exhaustion affected 2.6% of respondents during the summer. Heat exhaustion was the highest among the working population between ages 36 and 65 years and the older population above 66 years during the summer. During days with temperatures exceeding 35°C, the likelihood of suffering heat exhaustion increased by 26.5%, compared to days when temperatures are below 30°C.
The incidence of diarrhea varies significantly by season. During the summer, 4.4% of individuals reported having diarrhea, compared to 1.8% in winter. The largest burden of the disease is borne by children under age five and women. The probability of having diarrhea increased by 47.7% on days with temperatures over 35°C, compared to days with temperatures under 30°C.
Mental health is similarly affected by rising temperatures. The survey indicated that the prevalence of depression increased from 16.2% in winter to 20.0% in summer, while the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorders rose from 8.3% to 10.0%. During days above 35°C, the probability of reporting depression and anxiety increased by 23.8% and 37.1%, respectively, over days below 30°C.
World Bank report says, when temperatures exceed 37°C, compared with days below 30°C, productivity loss among working-age individuals increases significantly, underscoring the urgency for effective interventions.
As the world moves toward a potential 3°C increase in global temperatures, the implications for health and well-being will be severe, fears the report. It quoted Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to note that – “Projections indicate that by 2030, Bangladesh could lose around 4.9% of its GDP due to the adverse effects of extreme heat.