Urban heat stress and perceived health impacts in major cities of Bangladesh

Urban heatwaves are a growing concern, especially in South Asian countries grappling with rapid urbanization and limited resources. While prior studies focused on the biophysical aspects of urban heat islands in this region, there is limited evidence of people's understanding of urban heat stress and its health consequences. This study aimed to investigate the perceived urban heat risk and associated health impacts in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey of 898 respondents from eight major cities in Bangladesh were obtained for this study. A substantial proportion of respondents regularly experienced urban heat stress but had limited awareness of heatwave reduction measures. Moreover, perceived physiological impacts were reported as being slightly more severe than psychological impacts. Urban heat was believed to affect daily activities, particularly transportation, and sleep/rest. Factors like respondent's gender, home cooling systems, and spending time outdoors intensified heat's physiological and psychological impacts on respondents. By contrast, student respondents, highly educated respondents, residents of traditional katcha houses, and respondents in good health reported milder effects from heatwaves. Respondents over 30 years of age and those with employment showed greater knowledge about ways to reduce the impacts of heat and were less affected by heat's psychological impacts. These findings can inform targeted interventions and guidelines for heat mitigation and adaptation in South Asian cities.