Tulane researcher to address extreme heat and health in Bangladesh

Mostafijur Rahman, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, was recently awarded a Wellcome Climate Impacts Award to lead a major international effort examining how extreme heat affects human health in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The three-year $2.1 million award will support transdisciplinary teams working to make the health effects of climate change visible and translate evidence into policy action. The effort will produce the first fine-resolution maps of heat exposure and heat-related health differences across the rapidly growing megacity.

"We are grateful to Wellcome for supporting research that addresses one of the most urgent public health threats of our time," said Thomas A. LaVeist, dean of the Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. "Dr. Rahman's work reflects our school's commitment to rigorous, globally engaged research that delivers practical solutions to the growing health impacts of climate change."

In densely populated cities like Dhaka, home to more than 10 million people, expanding infrastructure and shrinking green space have intensified the urban heat island effect, making some neighborhoods significantly hotter than others and placing millions of residents at elevated risk of heat-related illness.

"Extreme heat does not affect every neighborhood equally," Rahman said. "To protect vulnerable communities, we need precise, neighborhood-level data that shows where risks are highest and what interventions will make the greatest difference. This project is intentionally designed to move from evidence to action."

An expert on the health impacts of extreme heat, Rahman has shown that rising temperatures - especially when combined with humidity - can sharply increase cardiovascular emergencies. His research also links elevated nighttime heat to potential prenatal health risks, underscoring the wide-ranging public health threat of a warming climate.

While previous research has linked high temperatures to health risks in Dhaka, most studies have relied on data from a single weather station to represent the entire city. Rahman's team will deploy a network of stationary weather monitors and mobile temperature sensors mounted on auto-rickshaws to generate high-resolution temperature maps at the 60-meter grid level.

Researchers will link those data with geocoded emergency department visits for heat-related illnesses, including heatstroke and cardiovascular events, to identify neighborhoods experiencing the greatest health burden. Using machine learning, satellite imagery and spatial analysis, the team will also assess how building density, green cover and land use patterns contribute to localized heat disparities.

A central focus of the project is ensuring that findings directly inform urban planning and public health decisions. The team will collaborate closely with national and city-level partners in Bangladesh, including urban planning authorities, public health agencies and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

Together, they will evaluate potential targeted interventions such as rooftop and balcony gardens, expanded tree canopy, community cooling spaces and mobile cooling stations.

As part of the initiative, the researchers plan to pilot a solar-powered mobile cooling station in high-risk neighborhoods during peak summer months, providing heat relief, drinking water and shade for outdoor workers and other vulnerable residents.

By modeling how specific interventions could reduce temperatures and improve health outcomes, the project will generate practical recommendations that can be incorporated into land-use planning, building regulations and climate preparedness strategies.

Although focused on Dhaka, the research has broader implications for cities across South Asia and other rapidly urbanizing regions facing intensifying heat waves, including in the United States. The initiative will integrate epidemiology, climate science, urban planning and community engagement.

Rahman, an environmental epidemiologist whose work spans Bangladesh and the U.S. Gulf South, said the award reflects Tulane's leadership in global health and climate resilience research.

"Cities around the world are confronting rising temperatures," Rahman said. "Our goal is to develop a model that not only protects communities in Dhaka but also provides a transformative blueprint for other cities confronting similar threats."