Heat stress linked to climate change is on the rise and expected to impact global productively, potentially leading to the loss of the equivalent of 80-million full-time jobs by 2030, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The poorest countries, notably in West Africa and Southeast Asia, will be most affected. “The impact of heat stress on labour productivity is a serious consequence of climate change,” Catherine Saget, chief of unit in the ILO’s research department, is quoted as saying in a United Nations’ press release. “We can expect to see more inequality between low- and high-income countries and worsening working conditions for the most vulnerable.”
In fact, those countries often feed into the agriculture sector where 60 percent of global working hours are expected to be lost by 2030.
At Christian Children’s Fund of Canada, we work in countries around the world to help ensure people are resilient to natural disasters and evolving climate changes causing droughts, floods and more. Learn more about how we help here.