Extreme Heat threatens productivity in Southeast Asia

 

Rising temperatures leading to heat wave like conditions across Southeast Asia may push climate beyond endurance across the region including Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A recent study has revealed that Southeast Asian countries could witness a substantial decrease of 16% in its labour productivity due to global warming, climate change and extreme heat.

The study has predicted some of the biggest losses in productivity could develop in Singapore and Malaysia, with 25% and 24% decreases from current levels. Indonesia could see a 21% drop, Cambodia and the Philippines 16% and Thailand and Vietnam 12%.

The productivity loss is most likely to take place in the form of dizziness, deaths due to extreme hot weather and nausea leading to absenteeism from work.

The study conducted by the British firm Verisk Maplecroft, says that by 2045 the number of heat stress days in Singapore and Malaysia will rise to 364 (from 335 and 338 respectively); to 355 from 303 in Indonesia; and to 337 from 276 in the Philippines.

Calculating potential lost productivity for 1,300 cities, the company found 45 of the 50 highest risk cities were in south-east Asia, including Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta.

The company used climate projections to calculate the drop in labour capacity, based on the occurrence of conditions that prompt heat stress and leave workers unable to perform physical activity.

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