亚洲非正规经济中的贫困工人正在遭受极端高温的双重打击。在印度和菲律宾，日薪工人在超过45摄氏度的高温下工作，不仅身体健康受损，收入也随之缩水[1]。以印度Noida地区的建筑工人Brijpal Singh为例，他日工资仅为500至600卢比（相当于6至7美元），在酷热中工作已成为日常[1]。
研究数据揭示了高温对经济的沉重打击。据People's Courage International的调查，高温导致工人完成相同工作所需时间从8小时增加至10至12小时[1]。在更广泛的经济层面，研究表明极端高温可能使印度非正规工人每年付出的成本相当于该国GDP的2%，约800亿美元（690亿欧元）[1]。这一困境在地区性尤为突出——德里地区的非正规经济约有500万人，占当地总劳动力的80%[1]，菲律宾也有约42%的就业人口从事非正规工作[1]。
妇女首当其冲地承受气候变化的经济影响。联合国数据指出，气候变化带来的经济冲击对妇女的打击最大，因为妇女占全球贫困人口的多数[1]。工人的工作场所和居住环境缺乏制冷设施，妇女因需承担额外家务护理责任而受害最深[1]。
Informal economy workers across Asia face mounting financial and health challenges as extreme temperatures intensify across the region. In India's Delhi region, where informal employment accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total workforce, around five million people labor in conditions that increasingly pose serious risks [1]. Construction worker Brijpal Singh in Noida earns between 500 and 600 rupees—roughly 6 to 7 dollars—per day while working in temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) [1]. Similar pressure affects workers in the Philippines, where approximately 42 percent of the employed population engages in informal work [1].
Research conducted by People's Courage International reveals the productivity toll of extreme heat, finding that workers require 10 to 12 hours to complete tasks that previously took 8 hours [1]. This efficiency loss carries significant economic consequences; studies indicate that heat-related productivity declines and increased medical expenses for India's informal workforce may cost the country approximately 2 percent of its GDP annually—equivalent to around 80 billion dollars, or 69 billion euros [1]. The burden falls disproportionately on women, as United Nations data shows climate change's economic impacts hit women hardest, given that women comprise the majority of the global poor population [1]. Compounding this vulnerability, workers lack access to cooling facilities in both their workplaces and homes, while women face additional pressure from caregiving and domestic responsibilities [1].