ILO Warning: Heat Stress Threatens 147,000 Jobs in Sri Lanka and Maldives by 2040

A stark new warning from the International Labour Organization (ILO) has revealed that rising heat stress could wipe out as many as 147,000 jobs across Sri Lanka and the Maldives by the year 2040, raising serious concerns about the economic and human cost of climate change in South Asia.

A Growing Threat to Livelihoods

The ILO findings highlight how dangerously high temperatures are increasingly making outdoor and physically demanding work unbearable, forcing reductions in working hours and productivity. Workers in agriculture, construction, and fishing — sectors that form the backbone of Sri Lanka's rural economy — are expected to bear the greatest burden of this crisis.

As global temperatures continue to climb, the physiological strain placed on workers exposed to extreme heat leads to slower output, more frequent rest breaks, and in severe cases, complete inability to work during the hottest parts of the day. Cumulatively, these losses translate into significant reductions in employment and economic activity.

Sri Lanka at Particular Risk

Sri Lanka's tropical climate already subjects millions of outdoor workers to intense heat conditions for much of the year. The ILO's projections suggest that without meaningful intervention, the situation will deteriorate considerably over the next decade and a half. Rural communities and low-income workers, who have the fewest resources to adapt, stand to lose the most.

The agricultural sector, which employs a substantial portion of Sri Lanka's workforce, is considered especially vulnerable. Farmers working through peak daylight hours face mounting health risks alongside declining productivity — a dual threat that could deepen rural poverty and food insecurity.

Maldives Also in the Crosshairs

The Maldives, though smaller in population, faces its own acute vulnerabilities. The island nation's outdoor-dependent economy, including tourism infrastructure work and fisheries, is similarly exposed to the compounding effects of heat stress as sea surface temperatures and ambient conditions continue to rise.

Call for Urgent Policy Action

The ILO has used these findings to urge governments in the region to adopt comprehensive heat protection policies in the workplace. Recommended measures include:

• Adjusting working hours to avoid peak heat periods during the day
• Providing adequate shade, rest facilities, and drinking water at worksites
• Developing national occupational health standards that account for climate-related heat risk
• Investing in climate-resilient infrastructure for outdoor workers

The ILO has emphasised that protecting workers from heat stress is not only a matter of occupational safety but also a critical component of broader climate adaptation strategies for vulnerable economies.

A Wider Regional and Global Pattern

Sri Lanka and the Maldives are not alone in confronting this challenge. Across South and Southeast Asia, heat stress is projected to become one of the leading drivers of job losses and economic disruption in the coming decades. The ILO has warned that developing nations, which contribute least to global carbon emissions, will ironically suffer the most severe consequences in their labour markets.

For Sri Lanka, already navigating a fragile economic recovery, the projected loss of tens of thousands of jobs to climate-driven heat stress adds yet another layer of urgency to calls for both domestic climate adaptation planning and stronger international climate finance commitments.