Bangladesh’s remarkable progress over the past decades is a story the world has celebrated. Poverty has fallen, life expectancy has risen, and the country’s economy has grown steadily despite shocks and challenges. But the threat posed by climate change, and in particular rising heat, is now putting these hard-won gains at risk.

A new World Bank report, An Unsustainable Life: The Impact of Heat on Health and the Economy of Bangladesh, paints a sobering picture. It shows that heat is no longer just an environmental concern. It is a pressing development challenge that is already eroding health, productivity, and resilience.

The Human and Economic Toll of Heat

The evidence is clear: Bangladesh is among the most heat-exposed countries in the world, ranking second globally in population exposure to rising temperatures. Between 1980 and 2023, maximum temperatures in Bangladesh rose by 1.1°C, while the “feels like” temperature, what people experience, climbed by 4.5°C. The past nine years have been the hottest on record worldwide, and Bangladesh is on the frontlines.