Now Reading: World Bank: heat may shrink South Asia GDP 7% by 2050
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World Bank: heat may shrink South Asia GDP 7% by 2050
Extreme heat could leave South Asia’s economy nearly 7% smaller by 2050 without adaptation, according to a World Bank report cited by LiveMint. The loss would equal 31 million full-time jobs each…
The Story in Brief
Extreme heat could leave South Asia’s economy nearly 7% smaller by 2050 without adaptation, according to a World Bank report cited by LiveMint. The loss would equal 31 million full-time jobs each year, as heat cuts productivity, earnings and investment. The region is expected to add 280 million working-age people by 2050. The report warns that rising temperatures could hinder India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 plans, manufacturing growth and urban expansion. It says about 70% of India’s urban infrastructure needed by mid-century is yet to be built, offering scope to include heat resilience in planning. A proposed cooling programme could create nearly 3.7 million jobs by 2040.
The Indian Opinion
The loudest narrative may turn this into either a climate catastrophe or a government failure. Neither follows from a conditional projection. The useful question is whether heat action plans, early warnings and affordable cooling reach outdoor workers and low-income households, rather than remain policy documents. India can test the claim through delivery: do cooling investments create the promised 3.7 million jobs by 2040?
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
