Southasiadisasters.net, Issue No. 223 | August 2025

South Asia’s coastal regions—spanning Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Pakistan—are facing the dual and intensifying threats of coastal disasters and extreme heat. Historically shaped by cyclones, tidal surges, erosion, and flooding, these areas now grapple with the additional burden of rising temperatures and marine heatwaves.

This issue of Southasiadisasters.net on “Coastal Disasters with a Focus on Extreme Heat: Perspectives from South Asia” explores how extreme heat is reshaping vulnerabilities in coastal communities, particularly among populations already facing poverty, gender inequality, and ecosystem degradation. Contributors from across South Asia, including social scientists, oceanographers, emergency planners, and local leaders, share urgent insights on how climate risks are disrupting livelihoods, health, water access, and ecosystems such as the Sundarbans.

By highlighting both the technical and social dimensions of this crisis, this issue underscores that adaptation is no longer a future priority—it is an immediate necessity. The goal is to foster dialogue across sectors and borders to promote inclusive, community-driven, and justice-focused responses to a growing humanitarian challenge.

Co-edited by Muhammad Taher of Duryog Nivaran and Mihir R. Bhatt of AIDMI, this issue brings together voices from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka to highlight local resilience and climate leadership in the face of coastal heat risks.

In This Issue:

1. Introduction by Muhammad Taher and Mihir R. Bhatt
2. Social Inequalities and Heat Stress in Coastal Communities: A Sociological Perspective by Dr. Tuhin Roy, Professor, Sociology Discipline; and Md. Fajlay Rabbi, Assistant Professor, Education Discipline (Former Institute of Education & Research); Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
3. Unprecedented Extremely Heavy Rainfall Over the Southwestern Part of Sri Lanka by Anusha Warnasooriya, Fernando M, Hapuarchchi HASU, and Darshika, DWTT, Department of Meteorology, Colombo, Sri Lanka
4. Gendered Roles in Water Stress during Heatwaves in the Coastal Belt of Bangladesh by Fahreen Hossain, Former Senior Research Associate, REACH Project, Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), BUET, Bangladesh
5. Integrating Extreme Heat into Coastal Disaster Management Plans: An Agenda for the Sundarbans by Prof. Md. Shamsuzzoha, Chairman, Department of Emergency Management, Faculty of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, Bangladesh
6. Observing Coastal Resilience Amidst Increasing Cyclone Risks by Khayal Trivedi, HOISA, India
7. पर्यवेक्षणीय तटीय क्षेत्र: दक्षिण एशिया में जलवायु जोखिमों का सामना by Vaishali Tiwari, AIDMI, India
8. Silent Emergency: Humanitarian Perspectives on Extreme Heat in Coastal Bangladesh by Yasif Hasan, Dhaka, Bangladesh
9. Extreme Heat and Ocean Management: What More Can We Do? by M. Krishnaveni, Director, and Dr. R. Sangeetha, Project Scientist; Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
10. Innovative Youth Engagement in Building Heat Resilience: A Perspective from the Coastal Regions of Bangladesh by Zawad Ibn Farid, Lecturer, Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (IDMVS), University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
11. Impact of Extreme Heat on Women and Children Living in Coastal Bangladesh: Agenda for Protecting the Most Vulnerable by Prof. Ishrat Shamim, President, Centre for Women and Children Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh
12. Extreme Heat and Social Vulnerability in Coastal Bangladesh: Rethinking Risk and Resilience for South Asia by Mohammed Moniruzzaman Khan, Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies (IDMVS), University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
13. Way Ahead by Muhammad Taher and Mihir R. Bhatt