Bangladesh will be among the six countries most severely affected by extreme heat by 2050 due to rising temperatures, a new study has said.
Lead author of the study Dr Jesus Lizana of University of Oxford, UK, said national average temperatures can mask the real risks in countries like Bangladesh. University of Oxford in the United Kingdom conducted the research that was published on Monday.
Based on this threshold, countries with the largest populations living under extreme heat include Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
"In reality, most people in the country live in areas where annual cooling demand exceeds 3,000 "Cooling Degree Days" (CDDs). This means prolonged and dangerous exposure to heat, which affects human survival, productivity, and health," he said.
Rising temperature in Bangladesh is fuelling a surge in heat-related illnesses, leading to the loss of 250 million workdays in 2024 and economic losses estimated at $1.33-$ 1.78 billion, representing about 0.3 to 0.4 percent of Bangladesh's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, according to a new World Bank report.
Bangladesh is already considered one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, and the study adds a new dimension of heat stress to that risk.
While attention has long been focused on sea-level rise, cyclones and flooding, extreme heat is emerging as a silent yet equally deadly threat.
The research warns that the global heat wave crisis is deepening, with severe consequences for daily life, economies, and public health systems.
Using high-resolution climate and population models, the researchers assessed heat wave risks through the "Cooling Degree Days" (CDD) index.
Regions experiencing more than 3,000 CDDs per year were classified as "extreme heat-prone." The index measures the amount of cooling required to maintain safe indoor temperatures.
