Extreme heat could cost Cyprus up to €3.8bn by 2050, study finds

Nicosia, Cyprus. Extreme heat could cost Cyprus between €2.3 billion and €3.8 billion by 2050 if workplaces are not adapted to rising temperatures, according to a Cyprus Institute study released on Wednesday.

The research estimates that lost working hours and reduced productivity could cost €101 million by 2030 and about €303 million annually by 2050.

Heat exposure in key sectors

The study examined the effects of extreme heat on construction, agriculture and tourism, where workers are more likely to be exposed to high temperatures and direct sunlight.

It found that hotter and more frequent heatwaves could require employees in outdoor and poorly cooled workplaces to reduce working hours or stop work when conditions become unsafe.

Compared with conditions between 1980 and 2020, workers are expected to face more days when temperatures are dangerous for normal working conditions.

Economic and health concerns

Without measures to protect workers and adapt workplaces, the total economic cost over the next 25 years could reach between €2.3 billion and €3.8 billion, researchers estimated.

Professor Theodore Zachariades, one of the study’s authors, said the research was the first to calculate the economic impact of heat-related lost working hours using Cyprus-specific data.

“The cost to the economy will be significant as the intensity and duration of very hot days increase in the coming years,” Zachariades said.

He added that the effects on workers most exposed to high temperatures “may also be serious” and require measures to protect their health and ability to work.

The institute said the findings highlight the need to reduce the effects of rising temperatures on employees and the economy.