Southeast Asia's outdoor workers face rising heat with weak legal protections

An Asian Development Bank report released in June revealed that many Southeast Asian cities lack adequate heat risk assessments, while regulations protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat are either weak or unenforced.

The region's temperatures have been steadily climbing, with the annual mean temperature rising by 0.14 degrees Celsius to 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade since the 1960s, according to the report.

The regulatory gaps leave millions of construction, agriculture and platform workers vulnerable, as their schedules are determined by employers or output targets rather than their own ability to adjust to dangerous heat conditions.

Some workers have found ways to adapt. Chung, a palm oil smallholder, tends to oil palms younger than three years in the early mornings and evenings, as these younger trees offer little shade. His tasks include spraying pesticide, applying fertiliser and weeding.

"We try our best to avoid going to the plantation around noon," Chung said. He carries extra drinking water and, as a smallholder, has the autonomy to decide when to slow down or change his hours.

However, not everyone shares that flexibility. Many outdoor workers across Southeast Asia cannot escape midday heat because their schedules are set by others, placing them at risk as temperatures continue to rise.

The Asian Development Bank findings highlight a troubling gap between the region's climbing temperatures and the policy framework needed to protect those most at risk from heat exposure.