Dr Lakmini Fernando Highlights the Importance of Evaluating Heat-induced Productivity Losses among Tea Plantation Sector Workers in Sri Lanka

13-16 December 2024

Rising temperature reduces labour force participation and productivity. The impacts of heat stress vary by gender, occupation and region. Hence, the optimal climate policy designing needs understanding the diversity in climate change impacts. Heat-induced labour market distortions are however, not well researched in developing countries including Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study expects to fill this gap by investigating the heat-induced productivity losses in Sri Lanka with special emphasis on tea plantation sector.

The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE), a research capacity and academic leadership development programme at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), supports research in South Asia and Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region on the interconnection between environmental and development issues. As a part of their research capacity and academic leadership development activities, SANDEE has invited submissions of research proposals. The selected proposals were presented at its 48th Biannual Research and Training Workshop from 13-16 December, 2024 at Hotel Country Villa, Nagarkot, Nepal.

Being a South Asian island economy, Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to rising temperatures. Sri Lanka’s annual average temperature has increased by 1.28 degrees Celsius during 1950-2024. Tea plantation sector which is highly vulnerable to climate changes contributes to 13% of agricultural exports in 2023. Thus, the proposed study has high policy relevance and intends to promote informed climate policy formulation in Sri Lanka and other countries sharing similar socio-economic dynamics.