The impact of heat on outdoor laborers: a case study in Hađong - Hanoi, Vietnam

Nguyen Nhu Trang, Nguyen Nhu Quang, Nguyen Ha Quyen, Hoàng Phan Duy An

Abstract


This study describes the current impacts of extreme heat on outdoor workers in Hanoi city. Based on a survey of 102 observations in Ha Dong District, the results reveal an alarming situation for both health and livelihoods. Specifically, over 66% of workers must labor during the peak heat hours (11:00–17:00), leading to 44.1% taking sick leave due to heat-related symptoms. Economically, heat causes widespread productivity declines, with 70.58% reporting reduced workloads and over 63% experiencing direct income losses. These figures underscore the vulnerability of informal laborers to climate change and urban heat island effects, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure support like public rest stations and targeted health guidelines to protect this at-risk group.

Keywords


Heatwaves, outdoor workers, informal labor, urban heat island effect.

Full Text:

PDF

References


World Weather Attribution. (2023). Climate change increased the likelihood of record-breaking heatwave. WWA.

International Labor Organization. (2019). Working on a warmer planet: The impact of heat stress on labor productivity in 2030. ILO.

MONRE. (2023). Vietnam climate change report: Temperature trends over 50 years.

Chapman, L., Muller, C. L., Young, D. T., Cai, X., & Grimmond, C. S. B. (2017). The impact of urbanization and the urban heat island effect on heatwaves in the U.S. Environmental Research Letters, 12(6), 064009.

Kjellstrom, T., Holmer, I., & Lemke, B. (2016). Workplace heat stress, health and productivity – an increasing challenge for low- and middle-income countries during climate change. Global Health Action, 2(1), 2047.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.52155/ijpsat.v57.2.8206

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Thanh Thien

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.