Climate Central
Bangladesh Now Faces 200 Dangerous Humid Heat Days a Year
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The impact of climate change is increasing the prevalence of dangerous heat and humidity conditions in Bangladesh. On average, the country experiences such conditions for 200 days a year, posing significant health risks to people. This means Bangladeshis now spend more than half the year enduring excessive heat and humidity.
An international climate research organization, Climate Central, presented these findings in a report published on Wednesday.
The report states that human-induced climate change has more than doubled the number of days with dangerous humid heat worldwide since the 1970s.
According to the report, the world recorded an average of 10 days of dangerous humid heat annually in the 1970s. Between 2016 and 2025, that figure rose to 23 days. Climate change directly contributed to nearly 64 percent of all such days recorded globally since 1970.
The report describes Bangladesh’s situation as even more alarming. Between 2016 and 2025, the country recorded an average of 200 days of dangerous humid heat each year. In the 1970s, the figure stood at 175 days. This indicates a significant increase in the number of high-risk heat-humidity days over the past five decades.
The analysis shows that climate change now adds an average of 30 extra days of dangerous humid heat in Bangladesh each year. In the 1970s, that number was only five days. During the same period, the share of dangerous humid heat attributable to climate change increased from 3 percent to 15 percent.
The report also notes that Bangladesh is among the countries where people spend the greatest amount of time living under hazardous heat and humidity conditions. The risk is particularly pronounced in densely populated urban areas.
Among the country’s major cities, the capital, Dhaka, experiences an average of 210 days of dangerous humid heat annually, including 25 days directly linked to climate change. Chattogram records an average of 211 such days each year, with climate change contributing 36 of them. The situation is most concerning in Khulna, where authorities record an average of 224 days of dangerous humid heat annually.
Experts say that rising humidity, not just high temperatures, poses a major threat to human health. The body normally cools itself through sweating. However, when humidity levels are high, sweat cannot evaporate easily. As a result, the body’s natural cooling process becomes less effective and excess heat accumulates.
Under such conditions, the risks of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory complications increase. Children, older adults, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and people with pre-existing medical conditions face the greatest risks.
Dr. Shimul Majumdar, Senior Consultant (Pediatrics) at Cumilla General Hospital, said, “Rising heatwaves and humidity caused by climate change are having an increasing impact on children’s health.”
He said respiratory illnesses, including coughs, breathing difficulties, and asthma, are becoming more common among children. Compared with previous years, asthma and related respiratory diseases have increased by nearly 70 percent.
According to physicians, the effects of heatwaves extend beyond heat-related illnesses. During prolonged periods of extreme heat, people are compelled to drink more water. However, limited access to safe drinking water often leads people to rely on unsafe sources, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
Dr. Rashedul Hasan, Associate Professor of Medicine at Green Life Medical College and Hospital, said, “The risk of waterborne diseases is rising alongside increasing heatwaves. Although people consume more water during hot weather, many are forced to depend on unsafe sources. As a result, diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, and jaundice are becoming more prevalent.”
Extreme heat has already become one of the deadliest weather-related hazards worldwide. According to researchers, extreme heat has claimed more than 250,000 lives globally since 2000. They warn that rising humidity is making heatwaves even more dangerous and pushing conditions in many regions close to the limits of human tolerance.
Experts say Bangladesh must take effective action immediately to address the growing risk. Without strengthening heat-health action plans, ensuring worker protection, expanding cooling infrastructure in urban areas, and increasing investment in climate-resilient public health systems, the situation could become far more severe in the future.
