90pc people of South Asia will be at risk of extreme heat by 2030: WB

Some 90 per cent of the South Asian population including Bangladeshis will be at risk of extreme heat and nearly a quarter at risk of severe flooding by the year 2030 due to the region's high climate vulnerabilities, a World Bank report said on Monday.

With increase in water and soil salinity in the coastal regions, climate crisis is severely impacting millions of lives in Bangladesh, the WB report on "From Risk to Resilience: Helping People and Firms Adapt in South Asia," said.

The World Bank unveiled the flagship report in Dhaka on Monday.

By the year 2050, natural disasters could displace some 13.3 million people in Bangladesh while migration may generate new economic opportunities; it could also strain urban infrastructure, create social tensions, and increase vulnerabilities for women and households.

Natural disasters could result in the migration of up to 35.7 million internal migrants in South Asia, many of whom are expected to gravitate toward urban areas, the WB report said.

In Bangladesh, 4.1 million people (2.5 per cent of the population) are estimated to have been displaced by natural disasters in 2019.

The WB report said South Asia, with its dense population, high temperature and exposed geography, is one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions-and Bangladesh is among the most at risk.

Bangladesh's awareness of climate risks is high as more than three-quarters of households and firms expect a weather shock in the next 10 years.

Nearly 63 per cent of firms and 80 per cent of households have taken action. However, most rely on basic, low-cost solutions rather than leveraging advanced technologies and public infrastructure.

A survey across 250 coastal villages in Bangladesh found that climate-resilient infrastructure is the most urgent unmet need for adapting to a changing climate.

In the long term, 57 per cent households cited inadequate disaster-protection infrastructure and 56 per cent reported limited financial resources for adaptation as key challenges.

The impacts are not just environmental but deeply human, as poor and agricultural households are disproportionately affected, the WB report said.

Case studies from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan show that well-targeted social assistance programmes, combined with up-to-date information, can be rapidly scaled up to respond to shocks and provide support for the poor and vulnerable.

Jean Pesme, WB Division Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said: "Bangladesh's resilience is being continually tested by evolving environmental challenges. While adaptation is widespread, with increasing climate risks, more needs to be done."

"The country's resilience will depend on scaling up early warning systems, social protection, climate-smart agriculture, and adaptation finance-including innovative risk finance solutions-alongside targeted urban interventions."