Heatwaves Put South Asia’s Jobs and Economy Under Growing Pressure: World Bank

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South Asia is already losing the equivalent of 31 million full-time jobs every year due to extreme heat, and the region’s economy could contract by nearly seven per cent by 2050 if current trends persist, the World Bank has warned.

The warning came in a press release highlighting the findings of the World Bank’s latest report, A Livable Future: Protecting Jobs and Growth from Extreme Heat in South Asia’s Cities.

The report states that South Asia’s working-age population is expected to grow by another 280 million by 2050, while rising temperatures increasingly threaten employment, labour productivity and long-term economic growth across the region.

It also projects that by 2070, nearly 520 million people could be exposed to dangerously high temperatures for at least one month each year. Currently, only about one-quarter of that number faces similar levels of heat exposure.

According to the report, extreme heat is lowering worker productivity, disrupting business operations and weakening the competitiveness of urban areas. It is also placing additional strain on healthcare services and essential infrastructure. Low-income families, informal workers, women, children and older adults are expected to be the most affected.

World Bank Vice President for South Asia Johannes Zutt said the region’s economic future is closely tied to the performance of its cities, but rising temperatures are threatening jobs, livelihoods and economic growth.

He said developing heat-resilient cities is vital not only to protect people from extreme weather but also to preserve employment, improve productivity, attract investment and support sustainable economic growth.