Climate change poses major health threat to Bangladesh: Lancet

Bangladesh is facing an unprecedented public health and economic emergency as the impacts of climate change intensify, according to the 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.

The Lancet Countdown is the largest annual study of the impacts of climate change on human health.
The report highlights that in 2024 alone, Bangladesh lost $24 billion in potential income due to heat-related labour productivity losses. 

According to the report, people in the country were exposed to an average of 28.8 heatwave days each, 13.2 of which would not have occurred without human-induced climate change. Meanwhile, climate suitability for dengue transmission has surged by 90 percent compared to 1951–1960, increasing the risk of urban outbreaks in Dhaka and Chattogram.

At the national launch held at BRAC Centre in Dhaka, jointly organised by BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) and The Lancet Countdown, Dr Shouro Dasgupta, Environmental Economist, presented the key findings. 

The report tracks over 50 indicators worldwide, including heat exposure, air pollution, drought, disease outbreaks, and economic losses across sectors such as agriculture and labour, reads a press release.

Professor Ainun Nishat, emeritus professor at BRAC University, warned, “In Bangladesh, we are no longer talking about the probability of extreme events — they are happening now. Major cyclones, floods, and other disasters are intensifying, and the projected impacts are only getting worse.” 

He highlighted 14 climate hazards, including heat stress and water insecurity, that directly affect human health. “In coastal areas, families are buying 3,000–4,000-liter tanks to collect rainwater because salinity is making drinking water scarce. The health impacts are severe.”

The report details that heat exposure in 2024 led to the loss of 29 billion potential work hours — 92% higher than in the 1990s — with agricultural workers bearing 64% of the losses. Air pollution caused 225,000 deaths in 2022, including over 90,000 from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon emissions rose 30 percent between 2016 and 2022, while renewable energy contributed just 0.85% of electricity production.

Mirza Shawkat Ali, director of the Department of Environment, noted efforts to improve air quality, including designating Savar as a regulated air-quality zone and introducing electric cookstoves. He emphasised Bangladesh’s NDC target of 25% renewable energy by 2035.

Farzana Misha, associate professor at BRAC University’s James P Grant School of Public Health, stressed that “health must be recognised as a core pillar of the National Adaptation Plan, and building climate-resilient health systems is essential.”

Experts at the launch called for urgent national action, coordinated investment in renewable energy, climate-resilient agriculture, and air quality improvements. They also emphasised the need for international support and climate finance, particularly from COP30, to safeguard communities and protect health and wellbeing.

Nayoka Martinez Bäckström, first secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, highlighted localised solutions and multi-stakeholder partnerships. 

“Health is central to climate interventions, and we are working to reach the most isolated communities through coordinated efforts with government frameworks,” she said.