South Asia faces job losses and rice yield declines from rising extreme heat

A World Bank report warns that extreme heat is already costing South Asia the equivalent of 31 million full‑time jobs each year and could shrink the region’s economy by nearly 7 % by 2050 if temperatures continue to rise. The report projects that by 2070 around 520 million people could experience dangerously high temperatures for at least a month annually and recommends heat‑resilient city planning, sustainable cooling, early‑warning systems and protection for vulnerable workers.

A separate scientific study finds that India could lose 6.6 % of its rice yield for every 1 °C increase in global mean temperature, a loss three times higher than earlier estimates. The research, led by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, shows that temperatures above 30 °C during the rice reproductive stage drive the biggest reductions, with similar sharp declines projected for Pakistan, Bangladesh and other South‑Asian nations. The findings highlight a looming threat to the staple food supply and the broader agricultural economy.