World Bank, BMA highlight ways to tackle rising heat crisis

Without sufficient intervention, the study warns that a one-degree Celsius rise in Bangkok's average temperature could result in more than 2,300 heat-related deaths, 44 billion baht in lost wages from reduced productivity, and 17 billion baht in additional electricity costs from cooling each year.

According to the report, Shaping a Cooler Bangkok: Tackling Urban Heat for a More Livable City, Bangkok is experiencing increasingly severe and longer heatwaves. The urban heat island effect exacerbates the heat crisis, turning built-up areas into heat traps that strain health, productivity, and infrastructure.

Without intervention, by 2050, unsafe temperatures could make it impossible to perform many outdoor jobs, and heat-related health conditions will continue to rise. Vulnerable groups, including 880,000 children under the age of 15 and 1 million people over the age of 65, are at the greatest risk from urban heat.  

"Urban heat is not just an environmental issue but an economic and social challenge that demands urgent action," said Melinda Good, World Bank Division Director for Thailand and Myanmar. "This report provides practical solutions for Bangkok's leaders and businesses that can help the city adapt to extreme heat while protecting its most vulnerable residents, safeguarding jobs in heat-exposed industries, and ensuring long-term economic resilience."

To respond to the challenge, the BMA has worked across government and the business community to establish cooling shelters, expand green corridors, and set up heat alert systems. The report identifies additional interventions and strategic reforms, including enhancing early warning systems, opening more public locations as cooling centers, and embedding heat resilience into long-term policy commitments and urban planning. It proposes strengthening building codes, developing local-level heat mapping, and creating a heat resilience fund to ensure sustainable financing for mitigation efforts.

"As Bangkok continues to grow, we must take decisive steps to address the escalating heat challenge," said Chadchart Sittipunt, the Governor of Bangkok. "The findings and recommendations from this report will guide our efforts to better protect the most vulnerable populations, creating a more livable, resilient metropolis for future generations."

The report underscores the need for collaboration among policymakers, businesses, and local communities to align immediate heat mitigation efforts with long-term solutions. With these reforms in place, Bangkok can concentrate on people who need extra support, places where temperature spikes are most severe, and institutions that must work together to manage resources effectively. The World Bank and the BMA remain committed to working together to translate these recommendations into actions that support Bangkok's climate-resilience journey.