State of Southasia #04: Counting the costs of another historic heatwave as Southasia braces for a scorching summer

In fact, the whole of Southasia has been reeling under the effects of a severe heatwave very early this summer. According to one news report, at least 50 people died of heat-related ailments in Myanmar last month. April temperatures in Bangladesh have been the highest on record and heatwave conditions have caused massive wildfires to break out across Nepal, including some close to the capital Kathmandu. 

Extreme heat has immense economic and social impacts in Southasia, an area that is most  vulnerable to heat, that is densely populated, and that has a large numbers of people living in poverty. Research says that extreme heat is here to stay and will likely only get worse. An analysis of the 2022 heatwave across India and Pakistan showed that human-induced climate change makes Southasian heatwaves 30 times more likely.