Living in a furnace: Is there any way to beat the heat?

June 18, 2024

DHAKA – Stepping outside in Dhaka these days feels like venturing into a furnace. A scorching sun beats down on a city choked by concrete, and temperatures routinely surpass 35 degrees Celsius—a far cry from the balmy days many of us remember. This relentless heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s a growing public health crisis. Studies by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) paint a concerning picture: rising temperatures are linked to a surge in heatstroke and dehydration cases, particularly among vulnerable populations like the elderly and children.

The culprit behind this urban inferno is a well-documented phenomenon known as the “urban heat island (UHI)” effect. Dhaka, like many rapidly urbanising cities around the world, has prioritised development at the expense of green spaces. Lush parks and verdant gardens have been replaced by towering buildings and sprawling infrastructure, all constructed from heat-absorbing materials like concrete and asphalt. This transformation has fundamentally altered Dhaka’s microclimate. The city now acts like a giant heat sink, absorbing and trapping solar energy throughout the day. With limited vegetation to provide shade and cool the air through evapotranspiration, these heat-soaked surfaces continue to radiate the energy long after sunset, creating a microclimate significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. This urban heat island effect not only exacerbates the discomfort of daily life but is also overburdening our healthcare system due to heat-related illnesses.

Dhaka’s predicament is far from unique. Similar stories of scorching cities are unfolding across the globe. A 2019 study published in the journal Environmental