By: Peneyambeko Jonas
In Banda, one of India’s hottest districts, the day now begins before sunrise and ends long before sunset.
When temperatures climbed to 47-48°C for over a week, residents were forced to reorganise their lives around the relentless heat.
Markets closed before mid-morning, construction workers abandoned worksites during the afternoon, and hospitals reported increasing numbers of heat-related illnesses.
For many residents, however, staying home is not an option.
“This summer’s heat is the worst I have experienced in years on the job,” said railway worker Ram Chandra, who spends much of his day exposed to the sun.
His experience reflects a growing reality not only in India, but across the globe, where extreme heat is emerging as one of the biggest threats to economic productivity.
Across Banda, economic activity now follows the rhythm of survival rather than business efficiency.
Vegetable traders rush to sell produce before the heat destroys it, construction workers divide their shifts into shorter periods, and transport operators see fewer passengers during the hottest hours of the day.
The result is fewer working hours, lower productivity and shrinking incomes.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), heat stress is becoming one of the greatest workplace challenges of the 21st century, reducing labour productivity and increasing health risks for millions of workers worldwide.
The impact is being felt far beyond India.
The World Bank estimates that in Bangladesh, heat-related illnesses and lost productivity cost the economy nearly US$1.8 billion annually. Millions of workdays are lost as outdoor workers struggle to perform under increasingly dangerous temperatures.
Pakistan faces similar challenges. Cities such as Karachi have experienced repeated extreme heat events that disrupt business operations, strain power supplies and increase healthcare costs.
In Europe, countries including Spain, Italy and France are recording economic losses linked to declining worker productivity and rising cooling expenses.
Studies suggest that temperatures above 30°C mostly reduce labour output, particularly in agriculture, manufacturing and construction.
Climate experts warn that heat is no longer merely an environmental issue; it is becoming an economic challenge.
The burden falls most heavily on the poor.
“Poor people don’t have the luxury of worrying about the heat,” road worker Shanti Devi told reporters while taking shelter beneath a water tanker during a scorching afternoon.
For workers paid by the day, resting often means losing income. Many continue working despite the risks because their families depend on every dollar earned.
That said, the consequences are becoming increasingly visible.
Local hospitals in Banda have reported a steady stream of patients suffering from dehydration, fever, diarrhoea and heat exhaustion. Elderly residents and children are among the most vulnerable.
Climate scientists warn that heatwaves are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense due to climate change and environmental degradation.
Researchers point to declining tree cover, shrinking water resources and rapid urbanisation as factors worsening local temperatures in many regions.
The economic toll extends beyond workers.
Farmers face declining yields and increased water shortages. Retailers lose customers as streets empty during the hottest hours of the day.
Businesses spend more on cooling systems while governments face growing healthcare costs and pressure on electricity networks.
For railway yard workers, the physical impact of extreme heat is becoming impossible to ignore.
“After working one day, I don’t have the courage to work the next,” one said.
Their statement highlights a challenge confronting governments around the world: how to protect workers while maintaining economic growth.
Experts argue that adaptation measures such as expanding tree cover, improving access to water, strengthening heat-warning systems and redesigning working hours will become increasingly necessary.
Yet in places like Banda, adaptation has already become a way of life.
Residents rise before dawn, seek shade wherever they can find it and wait for cooler evenings to continue their daily routines.
The danger, experts say, is that what was once considered extreme is gradually becoming normal.
As temperatures continue to rise across Asia, Africa, Europe and beyond, the world’s economies are learning an uncomfortable lesson: Heat is no longer just a weather story. It is a development story, a public health story and increasingly, an economic story.
