Rising workplace heat stress could cost Maldives and Sri Lanka the equivalent of about 147,000 full-time jobs by 2040, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a statement on new studies conducted.
According to the statement, the studies found that increasing temperatures are already affecting workers, productivity and economic output in both countries, with the impacts expected to worsen over the coming decades.
Under the low-emissions pathway, reduced working time caused by heat stress is projected to amount to the equivalent of around 145,000 full time jobs in Sri Lanka and 2,400 jobs in the Maldives by 2040.
The studies also project combined annual gross domestic product (GDP) losses of approximately USD 26.6 billion by 2040 compared with the historical reference period. Of this amount, around USD 26 billion is expected to be lost in Sri Lanka and USD 576 million in the Maldives.
According to the findings, heat stress is already having economic consequences. In 2023, both countries experienced additional losses in working time and GDP linked to rising workplace heat stress compared with the 1985-2014 historical reference period.
The sectors expected to face the greatest impacts differ between Maldives and Sri Lanka. In Maldives, services and construction are expected to experience the largest effects. Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, agriculture is projected to be the most affected sector, followed by services, manufacturing and construction.
"These findings make clear that heat stress is already affecting workers, enterprises and economies in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Protecting workers from heat stress needs to be part of how we approach occupational safety and health, climate adaptation and economic resilience," ILO Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Joni Simpson, stated.
"Through social dialogue, governments, employers and workers can develop practical solutions that protect health and livelihoods while sustaining productive enterprise."
The studies recommended a range of measures to reduce the impact of heat stress, such as adjusting work hours to avoid the hottest parts of the day, implementing work-rest cycles, providing adequate shade, drinking water and cooling facilities, strengthening workplace heat monitoring, and improving occupational safety and health standards.
They also highlight the importance of social protection measures for workers who may be unable to reduce working hours without losing essential income.
The Maldives and Sri Lanka studies are part of a six-country research initiative that also includes Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon and Senegal, the ILO stated.
The research was commissioned by the ILO with support from the Climate Vulnerable Forum and the Vulnerable 20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20), and was funded through the CVF-V20 Joint Multi-Donor Fund.
