South Asia Heatwaves 2023: Impacts & Global Concerns
South Asia’s 2023 heatwaves are hammering workers, triggering health crises, and costing billions in lost productivity, reveals a new Greenpeace report.The climate crisis disproportionately impacts the informal sector across the region, from Delhi too Colombo, with soaring temperatures threatening millions of jobs.Workers are demanding climate accountability and compensation from major polluters, highlighting the urgent need for labor justice within climate action plans. The story underscores the human cost of inaction, with experts predicting mass displacement by 2050. News Directory 3 has the latest updates on the situation. Discover what’s next in the fight for worker protections and climate justice.
south Asia Climate Crisis: Workers Demand Climate Justice, Polluters Pay
Updated June 02, 2025
From Delhi to Colombo, South Asian workers in the informal sector are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, enduring health issues and economic hardship, according to a Greenpeace report. Record heatwaves, devastating floods and severe storms are impacting thier lives and livelihoods.
Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, South Asia faces some of the harshest consequences of climate change. Swastika, president of the United Federation of Labor Sri Lanka, emphasized the impact of rising temperatures on workers’ daily lives, questioning when major polluters will be held accountable.
The World Bank reports that over the past two decades, climate-related disasters have affected more than 750 million people in South Asia. Heat stress alone could lead to the loss of 34 million full-time jobs in India by 2030, while Bangladesh loses $6 billion annually in labor productivity due to extreme heat.
Changing rainfall patterns and floods in Nepal have slashed agricultural yields, forcing migration. Experts project that climate change could displace 100 to 200 million people by 2050,creating a surge in climate refugees.
Activists argue that climate planning often overlooks the needs of workers,with labor ministries and unions excluded from national adaptation frameworks. They say that Heat Action Plans frequently lack worker-centric measures such as paid breaks and hydration stations.
The Polluters Pay Pact, an international movement supported by unions and climate groups, demands that fossil fuel companies compensate those affected by their actions. Despite making billions in profits, these companies have left informal workers to suffer the consequences of toxic air and extreme heat without compensation.
“Some mornings, I can’t even stand, my feet are so swollen. My whole body aches from working all day at the juicer… who has the time or money when missing work means no food?”
Sana, a street vendor in Delhi
What’s next
The Polluters Pay Pact seeks binding commitments for climate-linked funding and worker-led adaptation. Grassroots campaigns are taking legal action and pushing for fossil fuel taxes to fund worker protections. Sri Lanka is challenging high-emitting states at the International Court of Justice, arguing that climate inaction violates basic human rights.