With increasing heat and humidity, Bangladesh has been experiencing severe adverse weather phenomena that are making life and livelihoods ever more challenging.
the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted that heat waves in the coming decades will become more frequent, with daily temperatures expected to exceed 35°C even beyond the summer season.
the country’s agricultural sector has already been recording lower yields for rice and other crops due to extreme weather conditions.
the health situation has also deteriorated as extreme heat triggers widespread illnesses, including diarrhea, persistent cough, respiratory diseases, and heat exhaustion.
a recently released research report titled ‘An Unsustainable Life: The Impacts of Heat on Health and the Economy of Bangladesh,’ published on September 16, 2025, by the World Bank in Dhaka, revealed that Bangladesh’s maximum temperature has risen by 1.1°C since 1980. However, the ‘feels-like’ temperature has surged by 4.4°C.
the World Bank study established measurable links between rising temperatures and increased risks to physical and mental health, declining productivity, and major economic losses in Bangladesh.
according to the report, higher heat levels in 2024 led to a loss of 250 million workdays, costing the national economy up to US$1.78 billion. People living below the poverty line have been the hardest hit, as their already poor working and living conditions have worsened amid rising temperatures.
the lack of safe drinking water and minimal hygiene facilities has become more common, leaving poor communities- particularly women in unplanned urban settlements and drought-prone rural areas-especially vulnerable during heat waves.
according to The Guardian (September 28, 2025), India’s capital, New Delhi, experienced daytime temperatures of up to 40°C in early April 2025.
the heat waves caused heat exhaustion among construction and agricultural workers in northern India, including Delhi.
the situation forced Delhi hospitals to set up special ‘heat wards,’ equipped with icefilled tubs to treat patients suffering from heat-related emergencies.
excessively high night-time temperatures in Delhi also drove up air conditioner use as people struggled to keep indoor areas cool.
india’s rising demand for air conditioning has become a majortopic of discussion. Reports suggest that air conditioning accounts for about 40% of electricity use in Mumbai.
in Saudi Arabia, more than half of peak summer electricity consumption goes toward cooling, forcing the Kingdom to burn roughly one billion barrels of oil annually. The United States uses as much electricity to cool its buildings as the entire continent of Africa consumes for all purposes. China and India are rapidly catching up with the U.S.
in energy use for cooling.
india, now the third-largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter after the U.S.
and China, faces mounting pressure to increase electricity generation to meet growing demand, including for cooling. About 70% of India’s total electricity generation currently comes from coal, which also accounts for half of its total commercial energy supply. Meanwhile, under President Trump’s administration, the United States has been encouraging more drilling for oil and gas, offering incentive packages to revive coal mining and expand coal burning.
european Union countries, facing energy shortfalls and dips in renewable energy output, are also increasing their use of oil, gas, and coal, reversing earlier trends toward lower fossil fuel reliance.
according to The New York Times (September 29, 2025), the Trump administration plans to revive coal mining and burning by offering $625 million to rescue coal industries.
the plan includes upgrading existing coal plants to extend their lifespan, opening 13.1 million acres of federal land for mining, and removing pollution limits to support the struggling sector.
the U.S.
environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would repeal numerous regulations set under President Biden to curb emissions of carbon dioxide, mercury, and other pollutants from coal plants.
the EPA also intends to revise costly wastewater pollution limits from power plants. Coal once supplied nearly half of U.S. electricity but accounted for just 16% last year. Stricter air and water pollution rules have made coal mining and burning increasingly expensive.
under the new plan, the U.S. government aims to reduce royalty rates for coal mining.
against the backdrop of surging electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, data centers, air conditioning, and utilities, the Trump administration has decided to keep 50 coal-fired power units operating beyond their scheduled closure dates. More plants could remain active as pollution restrictions are relaxed. Globally, electricity consumption for air conditioning alone is expected to rise 33-fold by 2100, as urbanization and incomes increase in developing countries.
india currently emits about 3.06 billion tonnes of CO2 annually.
its per capita emissions stand at 2.13 tonnes per year, compared to the global average of 4.7 tonnes.
the world is now projected to use more energy for cooling than for heating. A study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency predicted that by 2060, global energy consumption for cooling will surpass that for heating.
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that global residential air-conditioning demand will rise from 300 terawatt-hours per year in 2000 to 4,000 terawatt-hours in 2050 and 10,000 terawatt-hours by 2100.
unfortunately, this growing demand for cooling threatens to increase greenhouse gas emissions and further heat the planet. Most electricity used for air conditioning and refrigeration still comes from burning fossil fuels, making GHG pollution-mainly carbon dioxide-an unavoidable byproduct of cooling energy use.
additionally, refrigerant gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which can be up to 4,000 times more potent than CO2, often leak and worsen environmental pollution. Rising temperatures have relatively smaller impacts on wealthy nations, which possess stronger infrastructure and financial and technological capacity to adapt. Poorer countries, however, bear the brunt of the crisis. Rapid, unplanned urbanization, deforestation, and high population density have led to the loss of wetlands and green cover in Bangladesh.
at the same time, migration to urban centers has triggered haphazard construction, with dense clusters of buildings that absorb and re-emit solar heat more than natural landscapes.
this has intensified the ‘urban heat island effect,’ where concentrated concrete structures, asphalt roads, and high-energy commercial activities trap heat, raising local temperatures.
as a result, urban residents increasingly rely on air conditioning, which releases more heat into the surrounding environment, creating a vicious cycle of rising temperatures and energy use. Considering the severe environmental and economic implications, Bangladesh urgently needs a radical review of its development policies, particularly its urban development strategy.
expanding green coverage, protecting forests, preserving homestead vegetation, conserving water bodies, and maintaining open spaces in cities could help mitigate the problem. At the same time, urban planners and implementing agencies should explore how better use of natural light and ventilation can promote energy conservation and support sustainable living.