Heat Stress, Air Pollution Risk, and Population Exposure: Evidence from Selected Asian Countries

Minhaj Mahmud and Yujie Zhang
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Yujie Zhang: University of Pennsylvania

No 835, ADB Economics Working Paper Series from Asian Development Bank

Abstract: This study examines the interplay between extreme temperatures and air pollution risks, the geographic and temporal distribution, as well as the population burden of climate shocks in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand, and Viet Nam—countries severely impacted by climate change. Using ERA5-HEAT temperature data and PM2.5 pollution data, we first identify “hotspots” within and across the countries by analyzing district level trends in heat stress and pollution exposure. We further explore the correlation between temperature and pollution shocks. Finally, jointly considering the spatial distribution of populations and key climate and pollution hazards, we highlight the most vulnerable groups with population weighted exposure measures. Our findings reveal distinct country-specific patterns in both the correlation between heat stress and air pollution risk, and the population exposure to the hazards across demographic profiles. These results emphasize targeted policies to mitigate the compounded effects of climate and air pollution hazards on vulnerable populations across Asia.

Keywords: heat; air pollution; climate change; Asia; population exposure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 Q53 Q54 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 44
Date: 2026-01-27
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ris:adbewp:022144

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