Extreme Heat Poses Challenges for Outdoor Workers in Southeast Asia
By Editor • September 5, 2026 • 1 min read
As temperatures soar across Southeast Asia, outdoor workers are grappling with the consequences of extreme heat on their daily routines. In Malaysia's Johor state, small business owner Chung Kee Wa, 68, adapts his oil palm plantation work to the oppressive conditions, demonstrating the urgent need for better safety measures for those laboring outdoors.
Chung, who manages younger oil palms that provide little shade, has modified his schedule to avoid the hottest parts of the day. "We try our best to avoid going to the plantation around noon," he explains. Instead, he tends to his crops in the cooler early morning and evening hours, applying pesticides, fertilizing, and weeding as temperatures rise.
To combat the heat, Chung always carries extra drinking water. As a smallholder, he retains the autonomy to adjust his work hours, but not all outdoor workers have that luxury. The increasing intensity of heatwaves highlights significant gaps in protections for many laborers across the region, sparking concerns over health and safety in outdoor industries.
Source: www.scmp.com
#extreme heat #oil palm #outdoor workers #safety measures #Southeast Asia
