United News of Bangladesh

Human-caused climate change contributed to nearly 1,500 additional preterm births in Bangladesh during the extreme heat event of April 2024, according to new analysis by Zero Carbon Analytics (ZCA), an international research group providing insights and analysis about climate change and the energy transition. The research estimates that 1,479 preterm births in Bangladesh during April 2024 would not have occurred without the additional warming caused by human-induced climate change.  The heat event was made around 45 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to World Weather Attribution. In a separate analysis, ZCA estimates that the April 2024 heat event was associated with approximately 5,515 excess preterm births in Bangladesh compared with a typical April over the 1991–2020 period. This represents an 11.9% increase in preterm births, equivalent to approximately 19 additional preterm births per 1,000 births – the highest rate among the three countries examined in the study. The findings highlight the growing threat that climate-driven extreme heat poses to maternal and newborn health in Bangladesh, which already has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the world. Bangladesh had an estimated preterm birth rate of 16.2% in 2020, the highest national average globally. South Asia, as a region, recorded a preterm birth rate of 13.2%. Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy, is the leading cause of neonatal mortality globally. Babies born prematurely face increased risks of death and longer-term physical, neurodevelopmental and socioeconomic challenges. Dhaka and Chittagong carry almost half of the burden The research reveals that the impact of extreme heat was not evenly distributed across Bangladesh. Dhaka and Chittagong, the country's two most populous divisions, together accounted for 47% of the estimated 5,515 excess preterm births associated with the April 2024 heat event. However, the analysis also identifies Mymensingh as a particularly important area of concern. Temperatures there averaged 3.59°C above the division's typical April baseline, the largest temperature increase among Bangladesh's divisions. The rise in preterm birth risk was estimated at approximately 10–15% across every division. Mymensingh recorded the highest rate of excess preterm births, at 24 per 1,000 births, despite ranking sixth among the eight divisions in the total number of excess cases. Sylhet recorded the lowest rate, at 16 per 1,000 births. These findings demonstrate why national averages alone cannot adequately capture the health burden of extreme heat. While more populous divisions account for a greater number of cases, smaller divisions can experience particularly sharp increases in risk. An ordinary April could bring 1,500 additional preterm births by mid-century The research also warns that Bangladesh's heat-related preterm birth burden is likely to increase as global temperatures continue to rise. Under moderate and higher future warming scenarios, ZCA projects that Bangladesh could experience approximately 1,500 excess preterm births during a typical April by mid-century (2041–2060), compared with the 1985–2014 climate baseline. The estimated range is 630–2,900 cases. This projection reflects an estimated 1.1°C increase in April temperatures by mid-century. Dhaka Division is projected to experience the largest burden, followed by Chittagong and Rajshahi. The projections assume that no additional adaptation measures are implemented and that the relationship between temperature and preterm birth risk remains consistent with current evidence. They also account for projected changes in the number of births. Heat protection must become part of routine maternal healthcare Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat because of the physiological demands of pregnancy. Heat exposure can contribute to dehydration, reduced blood flow to the placenta, inflammation and the activation of pathways that initiate labour. Cumilla Sadar South Health Complex Medical Officer Dr. Ummay Hafsa Mazumde said intense heat can pose serious risks to pregnant women. Excessive sweating can cause significant loss of electrolytes, potentially leading to serious health complications for both the mother and her unborn child. The risks can be compounded by poverty, nutritional anaemia, strenuous physical work, limited access to antenatal care and inadequate access to cooling. Poorly ventilated homes and housing materials that trap heat can also increase exposure, even when women are indoors. Bangladesh has already taken an important step towards addressing these risks. In 2024, the Directorate General of Health Services, working with UNICEF, launched national guidelines specifically aimed at protecting children and pregnant women from heat stress, recognising the risk of preterm birth. However, heat protection is not yet systematically integrated into routine maternal healthcare programmes. The challenge now is to translate guidance into practical protection for pregnant women and newborns, particularly in communities facing the greatest heat exposure. Measures such as integrating heat-risk information into antenatal care, strengthening community-based maternal health services, improving access to cooling and hydration, and expanding heat early-warning systems could help reduce the risks. The research also highlights the importance of strengthening healthcare preparedness in divisions with the largest estimated burden, while ensuring that areas experiencing the sharpest increases in risk are not overlooked. Dr Joanne Bentley-McKune, Lead Author of the report and Senior Research Analyst at Zero Carbon Analytics, said: “Climate change is making extreme heat more frequent and intense, raising the risk of preterm birth and the potentially lifelong health impacts associated with it. Bangladesh has contributed relatively little to the historical emissions driving climate change, yet are disproportionately affected by climate-driven extreme weather compared with high-income, high-emitting countries, which also have more resources to adapt. Our estimates can help identify where greater health service capacity is needed, and adaptation measures - such as better antenatal care and early warning systems – should be prioritised. However, these could prevent only some of the preterm birth burden imposed by climate change, so limiting further warming remains crucial.” Prof Dr Iqbal Kabir, Climate and Public Health Expert, Director, Center for Climate Change and Public Health stated “These findings are a wake-up call for Bangladesh. Extreme heat is an urgent public health threat for pregnant women and newborns in Bangladesh. The estimated 5,515 excess preterm births during the April 2024 heat event highlight the need to integrate heat protection into maternal healthcare. We need to strengthen heat-risk screening and counselling through antenatal care, equip frontline health workers, improve early-warning systems and ensure access to safe, cool environments, particularly for vulnerable communities. Protecting mothers and newborns from extreme heat requires coordinated action across the health system, climate policy and communities.”

The El Niño weather phenomenon is firmly established and is expected to intensify into a very strong event in the coming months, increasing the risks of floods, droughts and extreme heat across different parts of the world, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said. According to the latest WMO update, forecasts from its Global Producing Centres show an exceptionally high likelihood of nearly 100% that El Niño will continue through February 2027. The latest forecast marks the first time a WMO El Niño/La Niña update has expressed such a high level of certainty, reflecting strong agreement among meteorological and climate forecasting centres worldwide. El Niño is being driven by unusually warm ocean temperatures across the tropical Pacific. The phenomenon is expected to strengthen further over the next several months, reaching very strong intensity and likely peaking toward the end of 2026. Its effects on global climate and weather patterns are expected to continue well into 2027. UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the developing phenomenon as an exceptionally large El Niño and warned that rising sea-surface and global temperatures could put the world at greater risk of extreme weather. “The science leaves no room for doubt: the planet is in uncharted waters, and those waters are heating up,” Guterres said, calling for stronger climate action to protect vulnerable populations. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said El Niño could have severe consequences for communities and economies worldwide, noting that droughts, floods and other disruptions are already being experienced in various regions. She stressed the need for exceptional preparedness and response as the phenomenon intensifies. Saulo said the WMO has launched a major mobilisation with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, describing them as being on the frontline of providing forecasts and early-warning services aimed at protecting lives and livelihoods. The WMO will also work with UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and other partners to provide climate information needed for disaster preparedness and response, as well as for climate-sensitive sectors including agriculture, health, energy and water management. “We have no time to lose,” Saulo said. The WMO El Niño/La Niña Updates are considered a key source of information for governments and decision-makers. The forecasts are based on a consensus of climate models from WMO Global Producing Centres, along with assessments from national meteorological and hydrological services and climate prediction centres worldwide.

Health experts say babies, toddlers and young children need outdoor play for healthy growth and development, but parents should take extra precautions to protect them during periods of extreme heat. As climate change contributes to longer and more intense heatwaves, doctors say heat-related illnesses are becoming a growing concern for children. "We've always warned parents about risks like drowning and choking, and now heat is becoming another major safety concern," said Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician at Rady Children's Health in Orange, California. Why children are more at risk Experts say young children overheat more quickly than adults because they sweat less and have a faster metabolism. Their bodies also absorb heat more easily due to a higher surface-area-to-body-mass ratio. Since children often spend more time outdoors, parents should closely watch for signs of heat-related illness. For infants, fewer wet diapers or a lack of tears when crying may indicate dehydration. Doctors recommend feeding babies smaller amounts more frequently to help keep them hydrated. Tiredness, flushed skin and unusual irritability are also signs that a child may be getting too hot and needs to cool down. Ways to keep children safe Doctors recommend avoiding outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day whenever possible. Children should wear loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing, use sunscreen and drink plenty of fluids. Water-rich fruits such as watermelon and strawberries can also help keep children hydrated. "If you feel hot, your baby is almost certainly feeling even hotter," said Dr. Debra Langlois of the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. She advised limiting the amount of time babies and toddlers spend outside during very hot weather, although she said there is no need to stay indoors all day. Avoid covering strollers with blankets Health experts warn against placing blankets or cloth covers over baby strollers to block the sun. Although it may seem helpful, coverings reduce airflow and trap heat inside the stroller, making it much hotter for the child. Instead, parents should use the stroller's built-in sunshade or canopy. They should also check metal parts of the stroller, which can become hot enough to burn a child's skin. Never leave children in a parked vehicle Doctors also stress that children should never be left alone inside a parked vehicle, even for a short time. Temperatures inside a car can rise rapidly, even if the windows are partly open or the vehicle is parked in the shade. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 31 children died from heatstroke in vehicles in 2025. The agency recommends placing a personal item, such as a handbag, in the back seat or putting a stuffed toy on the front passenger seat as reminders to check the back seat before leaving the vehicle. When placing a child in a parked car on a hot day, parents should also make sure the car seat and metal buckles are not too hot. Experts recommend using sunshades to keep the vehicle cooler and running the air conditioner while opening the windows briefly to help remove trapped hot air before putting a child inside.

“Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Sunday on X. “Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average,” he added. Driven by climate change and global warming, the “once-in-a-generation” heat wave is now occurring nearly every year, Tedros said, adding that more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded since June 21 linked to high temperatures in Europe. “Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ — and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” Tedros warned as he called on European countries to implement action plans. He said they should focus on preparedness, prevention and stronger health system responses.

From the snowcapped peaks of Tibet to the tropical island of Hainan, China is sweltering under the worst heatwave in decades while rainfall hit records in June. Extreme heat is also battering Japan, and volatile weather is causing trouble for other parts of the world in what scientists say has all the hallmarks of climate change, with even more warming expected this century. The northeastern provinces of Shandong, Jilin and Liaoning saw precipitation rise to the highest levels ever recorded in June, while the national average of 112.1 millimeters (4.4 inches) was 9.1 % higher than the same month last year, the China Meteorological Administration said in a report Tuesday. Read:South China floods force tens of thousands to evacuate The average temperature across the nation also hit 21.3 degrees Celsius (70.34 Fahrenheit) in June, up 0.9 C (1.8 F) from the same period month last year and the highest since 1961. No relief is in sight, with higher than usual temperatures and precipitation forecast in much of the country throughout July, the administration said. In the northern province of Henan, Xuchang hit 42.1 C (107.8 F) and Dengfeng 41.6 C (106.9 F) on June 24 for their hottest days on record, according to global extreme weather tracker Maximiliano Herrera. China has also seen seasonal flooding in several parts of the country, causing misery for hundreds of thousands, particularly in the hard-hit south that receives the bulk of rainfall as well as typhoons that sweep in from the South China Sea. China is not alone in experiencing higher temperatures and more volatile weather. In Japan, authorities warned of greater than usual stress on the power grid and urged citizens to conserve energy. Japanese officials announced the earliest end to the annual summer rainy season since the national meteorological agency began keeping records in 1951. The rains usually temper summer heat, often well into July. On Friday, the cities of Tokamachi and Tsunan set all-time heat records while several others broke monthly marks. Read: Heavy flooding, landslides destroy buildings, roads in China Large parts of the Northern Hemisphere have seen extreme heat this summer, with regions from the normally chilly Russian Arctic to the traditionally sweltering American South recording unusually high temperatures and humidity. In the United States, the National Weather Service has held 30 million Americans under some kind of heat advisory amid record-setting temperatures. The suffering and danger to health is most intense among those without air conditioning or who work outdoors, further reinforcing the economic disparities in dealing with extreme weather trends.

Hundreds of blue, green and grey tents are pitched under the sun’s searing rays in downtown Phoenix, a jumble of flimsy canvas and plastic along dusty sidewalks. Here, in the hottest big city in America, thousands of homeless people swelter as the summer’s triple digit temperatures arrive. The stifling tent city has ballooned amid pandemic-era evictions and surging rents that have dumped hundreds more people onto the sizzling streets that grow eerily quiet when temperatures peak in the midafternoon. A heat wave earlier this month brought temperatures of up to 114 degrees (45.5 Celsius) - and it’s only June. Highs reached 118 degrees (47.7 Celsius) last year. “During the summer, it’s pretty hard to find a place at night that’s cool enough to sleep without the police running you off,” said Chris Medlock, a homeless Phoenix man known on the streets as “T-Bone” who carries everything he owns in a small backpack and often beds down in a park or a nearby desert preserve to avoid the crowds. “If a kind soul could just offer a place on their couch indoors maybe more people would live,” Medlock said at a dining room where homeless people can get some shade and a free meal. Excessive heat causes more weather-related deaths in the United States than hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes combined. Around the country, heat contributes to some 1,500 deaths annually, and advocates estimate about half of those people are homeless. Temperatures are rising nearly everywhere because of global warming, combining with brutal drought in some places to create more intense, frequent and longer heat waves. The past few summers have been some of the hottest on record. Just in the county that includes Phoenix, at least 130 homeless people were among the 339 individuals who died from heat-associated causes in 2021. “If 130 homeless people were dying in any other way it would be considered a mass casualty event,” said Kristie L. Ebi, a professor of global health at the University of Washington. It’s a problem that stretches across the United States, and now, with rising global temperatures, heat is no longer a danger just in places like Phoenix. This summer will likely bring above-normal temperatures over most land areas worldwide, according to a seasonal map that volunteer climatologists created for the International Research Institute at Columbia University. Read: 1 billion people have mental disorders: WHO Last summer, a heat wave blasted the normally temperate U.S. Northwest and had Seattle residents sleeping in their yards and on roofs, or fleeing to hotels with air conditioning. Across the state, several people presumed to be homeless died outdoors, including a man slumped behind a gas station. In Oregon, officials opened 24-hour cooling centers for the first time. Volunteer teams fanned out with water and popsicles to homeless encampments on Portland’s outskirts. A quick scientific analysis concluded last year’s Pacific Northwest heat wave was virtually impossible without human-caused climate change adding several degrees and toppling previous records. Even Boston is exploring ways to protect diverse neighborhoods like its Chinatown, where population density and few shade trees help drive temperatures up to 106 degrees (41 Celsius) some summer days. The city plans strategies like increasing tree canopy and other kinds of shade, using cooler materials for roofs, and expanding its network of cooling centers during heat waves. It’s not just a U.S. problem. An Associated Press analysis last year of a dataset published by the Columbia University’s climate school found exposure to extreme heat has tripled and now affects about a quarter of the world’s population. This spring, an extreme heat wave gripped much of Pakistan and India, where homelessness is widespread due to discrimination and insufficient housing. The high in Jacobabad, Pakistan near the border with India hit 122 degrees (50 Celsius) in May. Dr. Dileep Mavalankar, who heads the Indian Institute of Public Health in the western Indian city Gandhinagar, said because of poor reporting it’s unknown how many die in the country from heat exposure. Summertime cooling centers for homeless, elderly and other vulnerable populations have opened in several European countries each summer since a heat wave killed 70,000 people across Europe in 2003. Emergency service workers on bicycles patrol Madrid’s streets, distributing ice packs and water in the hot months. Still, some 1,300 people, most of them elderly, continue to die in Spain each summer because of health complications exacerbated by excess heat. Spain and southern France last week sweltered through unusually hot weather for mid-June, with temperatures hitting 104 degrees (40 Celsius) in some areas. Climate scientist David Hondula, who heads Phoenix’s new office for heat mitigation, says that with such extreme weather now seen around the world, more solutions are needed to protect the vulnerable, especially homeless people who are about 200 times more likely than sheltered individuals to die from heat-associated causes. “As temperatures continue to rise across the U.S. and the world, cities like Seattle, Minneapolis, New York or Kansas City that don’t have the experience or infrastructure for dealing with heat have to adjust as well.” In Phoenix, officials and advocates hope a vacant building recently converted into a 200-bed shelter for homeless people will help save lives this summer. Mac Mais, 34, was among the first to move in. “It can be rough. I stay in the shelters or anywhere I can find,” said Mais who has been homeless on and off since he was a teen. “Here, I can stay out actually rest, work on job applications, stay out of the heat.” Read: Russia frees captive medic who filmed Mariupol’s horror In Las Vegas, teams deliver bottled water to homeless people living in encampments around the county and inside a network of underground storm drains under the Las Vegas strip. Ahmedabad, India, population 8.4 million, was the first South Asian city to design a heat action plan in 2013. Through its warning system, nongovernmental groups reach out to vulnerable people and send text messages to mobile phones. Water tankers are dispatched to slums, while bus stops, temples and libraries become shelters for people to escape the blistering rays. Still, the deaths pile up. Kimberly Rae Haws, a 62-year-old homeless woman, was severely burned in October 2020 while sprawled for an unknown amount of time on a sizzling Phoenix blacktop. The cause of her subsequent death was never investigated.   A young man nicknamed Twitch died from heat exposure as he sat on a curb near a Phoenix soup kitchen in the hours before it opened one weekend in 2018. “He was supposed to move into permanent housing the next Monday,” said Jim Baker, who oversees that dining room for the St. Vincent de Paul charity. “His mother was devastated.” Many such deaths are never confirmed as heat related and aren’t always noticed because of the stigma of homelessness and lack of connection to family. When a 62-year-old mentally ill woman named Shawna Wright died last summer in a hot alley in Salt Lake City, her death only became known when her family published an obituary saying the system failed to protect her during the hottest July on record, when temperatures reached the triple digits. Her sister, Tricia Wright, said making it easier for homeless people to get permanent housing would go a long way toward protecting them from extreme summertime temperatures. “We always thought she was tough, that she could get through it,” Tricia Wright said of her sister. “But no one is tough enough for that kind of heat.”