Agricultural workers in Bangladesh would be the worst victims of heat stress, caused by rising temperature, according to a recent study report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Identifying heat stress as a source of concern for Bangladesh along with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the ILO report has also projected that it would result in reduction in working hours.
Heat stress is a situation in which the body is at risk of overheating that could lead to heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rashes, resulting in hyperthermia causing death.
"Agricultural workers will be the worst affected, and will account for around 72 per cent of hours lost due to heat stress in Bangladesh in 2030, in view of the physical nature of their work, which it is undertaken outside," the study said.
By 2030, the percentage of total work hours lost will rise to 4.5 per cent, a productivity loss equivalent to 3.6 million full-time jobs in Bangladesh due to heat stress, according to the report titled 'World Employment Social Outlook 2018: Greening with Jobs'.
In Bangladesh, an estimated 4.2 per cent of total hours worked were lost in 1995 due to high heat levels, representing around 2.2 million full-time jobs.
Southern Asia could face productivity losses equivalent to 4.8 per cent, corresponding to around 40 million full-time jobs as a result of rising temperatures, according to the ILO report.
However, the employment projections in this report suggested that the net effect on job numbers would be positive.
In Asia and the Pacific, measures taken in production and use of energy, for example, will lead to the net creation of approximately 14 million jobs.
This job creation will be the result of adoption of sustainable practices, including changes in energy mix, projected growth in use of electric vehicles, and increase in energy efficiency in existing and future buildings.
In order to ensure a just transition, efforts to promote the green economy must be accompanied by policies that facilitate reallocation of workers, advance decent work, offer local solutions, and support displaced workers, the study suggested.
ILO's recommendations included development of skilled labour force for the transition to a green economy, saying skills development contributes to resilience by helping workers move to sectors with employment growth and to better jobs.
Skilled labour force can also promote innovation, investment and competitiveness, thus creating a virtuous cycle, it noted.
"Bangladesh has focused on the renewable energy sector, adopting a number of regulations and policies related to climate. But, there is no national policy for skills for greening the economy."
Non-governmental organisations have been providing the skills response in most sectors.
Citing Bangladesh's example, the ILO report also said a waste management company there produces organic fertilizer, using fruit and vegetable waste from the markets of Dhaka.
The company has set up a regional recycling training centre in collaboration with the municipal government.
Composting all the organic waste in Dhaka could create new jobs for 16,000 people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, it added.
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