国际环境与发育研究所（IIED）发布的最新研究表明，极端高温正在加剧印度贫困问题，对该国数亿非正规部门工人的生计造成严重冲击 [1]。
2024年，户外工作者因高温平均损失近9%的工资 [1]。具体来看，拉贾斯坦邦地区的损失情况最为严重，工人平均每年损失8.3%的工资，折合约112英镑 [1]。根据研究统计，印度每年因高温导致的总工作日损失达21.1个工作日 [1]。
从宏观经济层面看，高温可能使印度经济每年损失至少580亿英镑，约占该国国内生产总值的2% [1]。IIED气候金融总监Ritu Bharadwaj指出，"高温正在加深贫困并加剧结构性不平等" [1]。
除经济损失外，长期暴露于高温下对工人健康的危害同样严峻。研究估计，超过2600万非正规工人可能因长期暴露于高温而患慢性肾病 [1]。世界银行的相关报告更是发出警告，印度可能成为首个因热浪突破人类生存极限的国家之一 [1]。
Research from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) reveals that extreme heat is functioning as a multiplier of poverty in India, causing hundreds of millions of informal sector workers to experience significant income losses. [1] In 2024, outdoor workers lost an average of nearly 9% of their wages due to high temperatures, with Rajasthan experiencing the steepest decline at 8.3%. [1]
The economic toll extends far beyond individual earnings. High temperatures cause India to lose 21.1 working days annually, and the country faces potential economic losses of at least £58 billion per year—equivalent to 2% of its gross domestic product. [1] Ritu Bharadwaj, climate finance director at IIED, characterizes extreme heat as deepening poverty and exacerbating structural inequality. [1]
Beyond immediate wage impacts, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures poses severe health risks. Research estimates that over 26 million informal workers may develop chronic kidney disease as a result of long-term heat exposure. [1] The World Bank has warned that India could become one of the first countries where heat waves surpass the limits of human survivability. [1]