UN research published Tuesday finds that the world economy could suffer dramatic losses as global warming makes it impossible to work in some parts, to the tune of $2 trillion dollars of lost productivity, Reuters reports.

In Southeast Asia alone, the report finds, up to 20% of annual work hours may already be lost in jobs with exposure to extreme heat, and these numbers are set to double by 2050 as climate change intensifies.

The report finds that 43 countries around the world, including India, China, and Bangladesh, can expect their GDP to suffer losses from rising temperatures. Reuters reports that Indonesia and Thailand could see their GDP reduced by 6 percent in 2030, with reductions of 0.8 percent in China and 3.2 percent in India.

Researcher Tord Kjellstrom, who authored one of the six papers on the impact of climate change on health that were compiled by the United Nations University’s International Institute for Global Health in Kuala Lumpur and published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, warned that the lowest-paid workers, including those in agriculture, manufacturing, and heavy labor, are at greatest risk of exposure to extreme heat. Kjellstrom urged countries to take “decisive action” in addressing climate change:

“Failure will cause the frequency and intensity of disasters to worsen dramatically beyond 2050, and the situation at the end of this century will be especially alarming for the world’s poorest people,” the researcher said.

Image: A man showers on the street in Calcutta, India | Image Credit: © Jorge Royan