January 10, 2025
SINGAPORE – South-east Asia is one of the regions most vulnerable to rising temperatures caused by climate change and rapid urbanisation. What will it take to heat-proof the region?
Experts at the First Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) South-east Asia Heat Health Forum discussed how human health, well-being and livelihoods in the region can be protected in a warming world.
The Straits Times looks at key issues raised at the forum, organised from Jan 7 to 10 by the GHHIN South-east Asia Hub based at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
South-east Asia’s heat problem
Heat in South-east Asia is unlike anywhere else. Not only are people chronically exposed to the heat in the tropics, but the region’s high humidity also worsens the discomfort. For example, Singapore’s average humidity level is about 82 per cent.
In this environment, it is harder for the body to cool down, as sweat evaporates from the skin less readily. Not only does this cause perpetual thermal discomfort, but it also leads to lower productivity and a higher risk of accidents at work.
The region is also becoming a super-aged society, and heat takes a greater toll on the elderly, whose bodies cannot withstand excessive heat as well.
How some South-east Asia countries have borne the brunt:
- Brunei: In March 2024, several areas experienced excessive hot weather with daily maximum temperatures reaching at least 35 deg C for at least three days.
- Cambodia and Myanmar: In April 2024, temperatures exceeded 40 deg C as people endured searing heat and stifling humidity.
- Laos: Farmers grappled with lower yields of crops like coffee and vegetables in May 2024 due to a heatwave.
- Indonesia: Warmer weather led to a rise in dengue fever infections – 35,500 infections and 290 deaths were reported between January and March 2024.
- Malaysia: At least 45 cases of heat-related illnesses were reported between January and mid-April 2024, with 33 of them involving heat exhaustion. Two deaths, including a three-year-old, were recorded.
- Philippines: 77 heat-related illnesses recorded from Jan 1 to April 29, 2024, with at least seven people dying from heat-related illnesses.
- Thailand: 61 deaths directly linked to heat between January and April in 2024. Heat can also lead to death indirectly.
Feeling the burn
How a city is built, how outdoor workers are protected, and how communities perceive the threat of heat can determine how heat-resilient a population is.
South-east Asia is home to a wide range of communities, from urban to rural dwellers, each with its own perceptions of heat risk and solutions. During the forum, three areas were discussed: Urban heat; Heat at work; and Traditional and Cultural Practices (see below).
What it is:
- South-east Asia is a rapidly urbanising region – by 2050, over 542 million people are expected to live in cities, up from 335 million today.
- Cities tend to be hotter than rural areas because they have more built-up areas – this is the urban heat island effect. Nights are also getting warmer due to the urban heat island effect and climate change, affecting urban dwellers’ rest and sleep quality.
Why it is important:
- Cities are expanding and new ones are emerging. But some people living in cities may not be able to afford well-ventilated homes and air-conditioning.
- The urbanising areas between established cities and rural places can be built with heat resilience and cooling in mind. In new towns, for example, buildings can be laid out in such a way that promotes wind flow to maximise ventilation and cool neighbourhoods. In Can Tho city in Vietnam, a new development has been exploring such wind corridors, as well as greenery and energy-efficient windows.
What it is:
- South-east Asia is known as the world’s rice bowl, contributing 26 per cent of global rice production and 40 per cent of rice exports. According to an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report, agriculture contributed on average about 11 per cent of GDP in Asean countries in 2020.
- Outdoor workers, like those working in agriculture, are exposed to heat for long periods and bear the brunt of rising temperatures.
- Indoor workers are not spared from heat stress, especially those in environments with poor ventilation or no air-conditioning. These include garment workers in Cambodia, and more.
Why it is important:
- Prolonged heat exposure can cause kidney and heart damage due to severe dehydration. It can also increase risks of getting heatstroke and can cause fatigue and loss of concentration, which may lead to accidents at work.
- Workers are also at risk of exertional heat stress, where the body overheats during physical exertion. This can also happen during the slightly cooler, rainy season when some employees work harder, inadvertently crossing their thermal limits.
- Working under extreme heat conditions can compromise productivity, especially in economies reliant on manual labour, in sectors like agriculture, construction and manufacturing.
What it is:
- South-east Asia – comprising 11 countries – is a diverse region known for its cultural richness.
- Different groups of people may have different perceptions of what heat means to them. Some may not even see heat stress as a threat, as it is unlike other more tangibly fearsome hazards such as storms and wildfires.
- In this part of the world, particularly in rural areas, traditional medicine plays a huge role in treating many health conditions.
Why it is important:
- Cultural and traditional beliefs and practices play a crucial role in many areas of South-east Asian communities’ lives. While these are often overlooked in policies, traditional practices should also be studied further to measure their effectiveness in combating heat risks.
- Some communities may historically have developed knowledge or resources to withstand the heat. In places where temperatures are usually high, it may be a part of the community’s identity and practices to adapt and cope with heat, reducing its risks. But with climate change, there will be greater risks to come.
- The vulnerable groups – such as the very young and the elderly – may not think of themselves as vulnerable to heat stress, despite research that says the contrary.
- When it comes to managing heat stress, different communities may have different beliefs and practices. Some may subscribe to conventional medicine, others to traditional medicine. Experts are exploring how the two approaches can be harmonised.
Keeping cool
Tackling rising temperatures requires all hands on deck, from individuals to country leaders. Here are what researchers, policymakers and individuals can do to beat the heat:
Researchers
- Conduct studies to better understand the heat strain risks of vulnerable groups, from seniors to delivery riders, so that targeted solutions can be developed.
- Explore innovative, affordable and scalable cooling solutions tailored for the region’s context and populations.
- Find out how traditional practices could potentially complement conventional treatments for heat injuries. For example, traditional Chinese medicine treatments – such as herbs, cupping, scraping, acupuncture and tui na – may prevent heat illnesses or help to rehabilitate patients after a heat injury, although further studies are needed to determine this. But conventional medicine remains effective, especially for acute onset of some heat injuries, which require immediate medical attention.
Policymakers
- Work with the private sector or non-profits to unlock ways to adapt to extreme heat. These include heatwave insurance schemes for workers.
- Urban planners should keep cooling and heat-proofing solutions in mind when designing new housing or industrial projects. These include creating wind corridors, intensifying greenery and using cool paint on building facades.
- Set workplace regulations to protect workers from heat illnesses and exertional heat stress. These include enforcing rest breaks at cool and ventilated rest areas, providing cool water and conducting heat acclimatisation programmes.
- Explore how early warning systems can be developed and implemented – there has been evidence to show that the economic damages avoided will outweigh the initial investments of the system.
- Form a multi-agency task force, representing healthcare, workers and schools, that can put in place measures before and during a heat emergency. Singapore had one such task force during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Individuals
- People should know about the threats of extreme heat and the risks they face, and whether they are vulnerable to heat stress.
- Within communities and groups, people should watch out for the vulnerable. Seniors and young children are most at risk of heat stress, as their bodies cannot withstand excessive heat as well as others.
- Spur ground-up and community-led efforts to reduce heat stress. For example, the Indonesian Red Cross Society organises events and taps social media to raise public awareness of heat in Surabaya and Medan.
- Engaging in aerobic exercises like running and cardio workouts will help improve one’s thermal tolerance.
- The Straits Times is the media partner for the First GHHIN South-east Asia Heat Health Forum, held in Singapore from Jan 7 to 10, 2025.