Heatwaves as Invisible Disasters: Disability, Climate Justice, and Urban and Peri-Urban Risk Reduction in Bangladesh

Abstract Bangladesh is increasingly experiencing severe heatwaves, which remain an overlooked hazard disproportionately affecting people with disabilities because of structural, environmental, and social barriers. This qualitative community-based study explores how people with disabilities in urban and suburban Bangladesh experience and cope with extreme heat through a decolonial framework that centers lived experiences, community knowledge, and everyday adaptation practices. Between July and September 2025, eight semistructured interviews were conducted in Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Pabna with participants experiencing mobility, intellectual, and speech disabilities, including caregiver-supported interviews where direct communication was not possible. Data were analyzed using relational thematic analysis informed by decolonial qualitative methodologies. Findings reveal that heatwaves intensify physical and mental health challenges, disrupt mobility and livelihoods, and expose significant gaps in healthcare, infrastructure, accessible communication, and institutional preparedness. At the same time, family care networks, spiritual practices, and community solidarity emerged as critical forms of resilience and adaptation. The study argues that heatwaves should be recognized as inclusive disaster risks within Bangladesh’s disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation frameworks. Embedding disability-inclusive planning, accessible infrastructure, and community-based support systems into heatwave preparedness is essential for equitable resilience and climate justice.