Between now and 2030, Vietnam is expected to suffer US$85 billion worth of damage to its labor productivity as a result of climate change, according to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
IPCC’s recent 5th Assessment Report examines changes in weather patterns and global temperatures along with the effects these changes might have on the world economy. The end result doesn’t look good for Asia, where most economies will take a hit due to heat stress, reports VnExpress.
Southeast Asian outdoor workers, who experienced the hottest weather in decades earlier this year, are the most vulnerable group; heat intensity is projected to double by 2050. Under the effects of adverse weather conditions, around 20% of annual work hours will be lost, the report shows.
Outdoor services such as tourism or sports are also likely to be affected, as well as indoor factory workers in facilities without air-conditioning and proper ventilation, according to a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The IPCC report also extrapolates that, if the current rate of global warming persists, the world could experience a four-degree increase in temperature by 2100, which equals to approximately 13% of daylight work hours lost for Vietnam. In the immediate future, by 2030, Vietnam will stand to lose 10.7% of its total GDP due to climate change.
While the report mostly provides predictions about the future, this year's extreme weather has already left its mark on Vietnam, as the Mekong Delta went through its worst drought in 90 years, costing the country US$670 million.
[Photo via Flicrk user Staffan Scherz]
