POOREST HIT HARDEST
April marked the 11th straight month of record global heat and the pattern is clear in Bangladesh, said Shumon Sengupta, country director for non- governmental organisation ( NGO ) Save the Children.
” Not only are the conditions higher, the length of the high heat is significantly longer”, he told AFP.
” Previously, some places used to have these wildfires, then the cover of the state is much higher”, he added.
The growing effects of climate change are essentially insufficiently addressed in schools across much of Asia.
Bangladesh’s industrial schools can be tough, but are often crowded, with small ventilation, said Sengupta.
Corrugated metal roofs in rural areas can heat classrooms up to cook food, and fans in the classrooms ca n’t be turned on.
In Bangladesh and abroad, students often walk long distances to and from university, risking heatstroke in the process.
But closing institutions comes with serious consequences, “particularly for kids from poorer, vulnerable populations who do not have access to resources such as computers, internet and ebooks”, said Salwa Aleryani, UNICEF’s wellness expert for East Asia and the Pacific.
These kids “are also less likely to live in better homes during heatwaves” according to the report.
According to Sengupta, parents who ca n’t afford to stay at home may leave them unattended, and school closures increase the risk of child labor, child marriage, and even trafficking.