This summer, at 42.6°C, July 25 was the hottest day ever in Paris. Halfway across the globe, Delhi recorded its hottest day at 48°C on June 10.

Over the past decades and across the planet, such high temperature extremes have become more prevalent—and will likely get worse as severe heatwaves are expected to be more frequent and last longer.

South Asia, which covers just about three percent of the world’s land area, is home to a quarter of its population.

And sadly, rising temperatures will hit hard the region and its people.

According to the World Bank report, South Asia’s Hotspots annual average temperatures in the region are projected to increase between 1.5 and 3°C by 2050 relative to 1981-2010 , if little or no action is taken to curb carbon emissions.

Around 800 million South Asians—almost half of the region’s population—live in “hotspots” or geographical areas that will experience fewer crop yields, worse health outcomes, and declining productivity. As a result, hard-fought poverty reduction may be reversed.

These hotspots already suffer because of low living standards, poor road connectivity, uneven access to markets, and other development challenges.

And as temperatures rise, living standards will decline further: Incomes could drop by 14.4 percent in Bangladesh, 9.8 percent in India, and 10 percent in Sri Lanka as early as 2050 .