Terrible effects of climate change: Extreme increase in unbearable heat, increasing the cost of people’s daily lives!
Adverse weather conditions, like unusual rainfall and extreme heat fluctuations, are negative impacts of climate change. These changes are leaving a deep impression not only on nature and animals, but also on people’s daily lives. This summer, with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, the cost of living has risen significantly, impacting health, education, transportation, and more.
Conversations with field workers reveal that electricity consumption has risen due to extreme heat. Running fans and ACs for a long time results in higher electricity bills. When the power goes out, additional costs are also being added due to the use of generators or IPS. Many people are avoiding public transport and traveling in air-conditioned buses or trains.
A significant amount of money is being spent on refrigerators for food preservation and on fans or ACs for comfort. In addition, the incidence of various diseases among children and the elderly is increasing in the intense heat. As a result, the cost of treatment is also increasing. Experts indicate that the effects of global warming are evident in Bangladesh and will raise living costs in the future.
Sri Mangal, known for its relatively high rainfall in Bangladesh, is no longer the same. Last year, the highest temperature here reached 41 degrees Celsius. According to data until June this year, the temperature has fluctuated between 37 and 38 degrees Celsius. A Sri Mangal resident noted that the temperature in Dhaka and Sri Mangal is now the same, and being outdoors feels like “your skin is burning.” Tea leaves are scorched in the intense sun, and the number of tourists has decreased.
An analysis of 76 years of heat wave data from the Meteorological Department reveals that in 2023, a heat wave lasted for 16 consecutive days. In 2010, Rajshahi had a maximum of 20 days of heat wave, but it was not continuous. But in 2024, a heat wave lasted for 26 consecutive days, breaking a 76-year record. According to meteorologists, a continuous heat wave like last time has never happened before. Last year, 75 percent of the country was hit by a sustained heat wave. Jessore had the most heat wave days in 43 years, followed by Dhaka and Chuadanga.
Meteorologists and experts have identified four main reasons behind such heat waves. These include subcontinental high temperatures, reduced precipitation, the activity of El Niño–Southern Oscillation and an increase in the number of thunderstorms.
The UK-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has studied extreme heat levels in major cities worldwide. Their analysis, published last year, revealed that Dhaka has experienced one of the highest increases in temperature globally over the past 35 years.
According to the IIED analysis, temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or above are considered “extreme heat.” In the last 30 years, Dhaka has experienced a total of 1,242 days of such extreme heat. IIED’s decade-by-decade analysis also shows a consistent increase in the number of these hot days: for example, from 283 days in 1994–2003 to 442 days in 2004–2013, and to 517 days in 2014–2023.
According to IIED, the number of extremely hot days in Dhaka has increased by 97% in the last 30 years. “Climate change is causing more extremely hot days in Bangladesh, negatively affecting the health and productivity of low-income residents.” People in slum areas are particularly affected, as extreme heat is becoming a common occurrence. These people have difficulty coping with the heat because they lack sufficient money, adequate housing, and proper water and electricity. The situation will only get worse if action is not taken now.
The extreme heat increases the burden on hospitals, especially children with fever, colds, coughs, and dehydration-related diarrhea. This summer, similar situations have occurred in the capital and around 10 other districts.
From April 1 to 28, the Bangladesh Children’s Hospital and Institute treated 21,709 outpatient patients, with an average of 130 children admitted daily. A doctor in the emergency department reported that patient numbers have risen since the heat wave began. This is because children sweat more in the heat, and their dehydration increases rapidly.
Extreme heat also poses health risks to people. Doctors said that heatstroke can occur in this heat, which is caused by an abnormal increase in body temperature. The normal human body temperature is 98 degrees, and heatstroke can occur only when it exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If immediate treatment is not received, the patient may even die
