The intensifying heatwaves sweeping across south and south-east Asia are transforming major cities into increasingly challenging environments, particularly for informal workers who struggle to recover from the relentless temperatures. Jalaj Jha, a 24-year-old gig worker in Delhi, encapsulates this struggle, beginning his 12-hour grocery delivery shift already exhausted after only three or four hours of sleep in a cramped, poorly ventilated room. Delhi itself has recently registered its hottest May day in two years and the warmest May night in 14 years, with temperatures soaring past 45C (113F) during the day and remaining at a scorching 30C (86F) even at 7am.

A new report by US-based People’s Courage International (PCI), based on research in Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Jakarta, and Quezon City, highlights a critical issue: hotter nights combined with the urban heat island effect are causing millions of informal workers to start their days already physically depleted. This phenomenon, termed a “recovery deficit” by researchers, means that crucial hours once relied upon to recuperate from extreme heat are diminishing as night-time temperatures rise faster than daytime ones across much of the region. The inability to adequately rest and cool down exacerbates heat-related illnesses, diminishes productivity, and pushes already vulnerable workers into deeper economic precarity.

For those in physically demanding informal roles—such as delivery riders, construction workers, and street vendors—living in dense settlements with minimal ventilation or erratic electricity, restorative sleep has become a luxury. The International Labour Organization estimates that over 70% of Asia’s workforce is exposed to excessive heat, with informal workers, who constitute nearly 90% of India’s workforce, being the most susceptible.

The PCI report, drawing on interviews with more than 2,200 internal migrant workers across five cities, revealed that almost eight out of ten respondents reported extreme heat disrupting their livelihoods or households. Workers detailed various adverse impacts: lost wages due to an inability to complete full shifts, increased expenditures on water, medicines, and transport to cope with the heat, and a prevalence of physical symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and fatigue during long outdoor workdays. As PCI researcher Ameena Kidwai noted, the impacts of heat are “silent and generally creep up on workers,” affecting their home life, commute, work, mental health, and sense of community. The pervasive sleep deprivation directly contributes to emotional exhaustion and heightened anxiety.

Ajay Kumar, a 32-year-old roadside vegetable vendor in Gurugram, exemplifies these challenges. He spends hours daily pulling a three-wheeler rickshaw laden with vegetables through dense traffic, despite experiencing constant dizziness from the heat. Kumar, who supports four children on meager earnings of Rp300-400 ($3-4) a day, cannot afford a cooler for his cramped, unventilated room. His family often resorts to sleeping on their building’s open terrace at night, yet even then, he struggles for hours to fall asleep. This ongoing struggle underscores how the “recovery deficit” not only lowers productivity and worsens health but also intensifies emotional distress.

While some governments, including Delhi’s, have implemented heat action plans, advisories, water kiosks, early warning alerts, and recommendations to reschedule outdoor work, experts warn that cities in the region remain largely unprepared for the escalating heatwaves. Researchers criticize most current responses as reactive, failing to directly address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of workers living and toiling in extreme heat. The crisis is further compounded by climate change, which is projected to triple the likelihood of severe pre-monsoon heatwaves, such as a deadly 15-day event experienced recently.