BEAT THE HEAT WITH PEOPLE-CENTRIC RESPONSES

Why in the News?

  • On March 15, 2025, several States and cities in India experienced the first severe heatwave of the year.
  • This occurrence was 20 days earlier than the first severe heatwave in 2024, indicating a shift in seasonal patterns.
  • The early onset suggests that India may be heading into another exceptionally warm year in 2025.
  • This development highlights the urgent need for people-centric and multi-sectoral interventions to manage heat-related risks.
  • There is also a growing necessity for science-based innovations to build resilience against rising temperatures.

Rising Heatwaves and Health Impacts

  • Over the last decade, both the number of severe heat days and the intensity of heatwaves in India have been steadily increasing.
  • The year 2024 was recorded as the warmest year on record globally, with temperatures averaging about 55°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
  • In India, December 2022 was the hottest December since systematic temperature monitoring began in 1901.
  • The frequency of heatwaves in India has significantly risen in the last two decades, compared to the previous two.
  • The combined effect of rising temperatures, humidity, and wind speed leads to heat stress.
  • When external temperatures near the human body temperature (37°C), the body struggles to release internal heat generated through basal metabolism.
  • This results in heat stress, which can impair the functioning of vital organs like the kidneys, liver, and brain.
  • Severe heat stress can lead to illness and in extreme cases, even death.

Impact of Heatwaves

Socio-Economic Issues

  • Heatwaves have wide-ranging impacts beyond health, affecting economic sectors and social equity.
  • Rising temperatures contribute to agricultural distress, making it harder for farmers to work and reducing crop yields.
  • Livestock deaths and reduced productivity are common during heatwaves, worsening the situation for farmers and the rural poor.
  • Heat stress hampers outdoor labour, lowering farm productivity and workforce efficiency, particularly in agriculture and construction, which are labour-intensive sectors in India.
  • Reduced working capacity due to extreme heat leads to loss of work hours, jobs, and consequently, household income.
  • About 75% of India’s workforce (approximately 380 million people) are engaged in heat-exposed labour.
  • Heat stress can cause an economic loss of 3% to 5% of GDP, as seen in India and other countries.
  • In 2023, India reportedly lost nearly 6% of its total work hours due to heat stress.
  • Rising electricity demand during heatwaves often leads to power cuts, affecting industrial output and productivity.
  • The economic burden of heat stress impacts personal income and can slow national economic growth.

Equity Issues:

  • The most vulnerable to heat stress include the poor, marginalised groups, migrants, subsistence workers, women, and the elderly.
  • Women face added challenges due to social norms, such as indoor cooking in high heat, wearing culturally appropriate clothing, and limited access to cooler spaces for rest.
  • This makes heat stress an issue of deep social and economic inequity.

Historical and Policy Context:

  • As early as the mid-19th century, scientists noted that urban areas are hotter than rural ones, linking it to human-induced climate change.
  • Despite this, it took nearly 150 years for the first Heat and Health Action Plans (HHAPs) to emerge — ironically in non-tropical regions of Europe between 2003 and 2008.
  • In 2013, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, became the first Asian city to launch a Heat Action Plan (HAP).
  • Over the past decade, more than 23 Indian States and around 140 cities have implemented State and city-level HAPs.
  • India’s National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) works in tandem with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to provide heat advisories and health-related alerts.

Need for Heat Action Plans

Key Components of Most HAPs:

Typically, four to five core components make up most Heat Action Plans (HAPs):

  • Early prediction of heatwaves to trigger timely alerts.
  • Public awareness campaigns on preventive actions during heat events.
  • Preparedness of the health system to manage heat-related illnesses.
  • Long-term mitigation strategies, including:
    • Increasing green cover (trees, parks).
    • Keeping gardens accessible to the public.
    • Promoting cool roofing methods, like painting rooftops white.
  • Data collection and analysis of heat stress, morbidity, and mortality.
  • Despite the formulation of HAPs in many Indian States and cities, implementation remains uneven and needs greater focus.

HAPs show partial success mainly in areas where:

  • City authorities coordinate with State governments.
  • Partnerships exist with public health institutions, NGOs, experts, and community-based organisations.

Learning and Action Points for 2025 and Beyond:

Strengthen and Localise HAPs

  • Every State should develop or update its HAP based on best practices.
  • Include humidity, not just temperature, in heat assessments.
  • Design plans based on local vulnerability assessments.
  • Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders.
  • Ensure activation by early March each year.

Improve Data Collection and Use

  • Many cities in India face excess mortality due to heat stress, as noted in Preventive Medicine: Research & Reviews.
  • Strengthen systems to collect and analyse heat-related data.
  • Use existing data to identify:
    • Who is most vulnerable (e.g., those suffering heat strokes).
    • Which city areas are worst affected.
  • Such insights can enable targeted, lifesaving interventions.

 

Upgrade Heat Warning Systems

  • Learn from countries like the UK, which have Heat Health Alert (HHA) systems that factor in daytime and nighttime maximum temperatures.
  • Indian HAPs should:
    • Monitor both day and night temperatures.
    • Use advanced forecasting tools to predict:
      • Thermal comfort levels.
      • Cooler time windows during the day for safe outdoor activity.
    • Support continuity in school, office, and outdoor work schedules.

Strengthen Long-Term Preventive Measures

  • Improve urban planning and infrastructure to reduce heat exposure.
  • Promote heat-resilient building materials and construction practices.
  • Recognise that heatwaves disproportionately affect the poor.
  • Provide financial support or wage compensation to informal workers during extreme heat periods.

Tailor Advisories to Local Realities

  • A 2022 study from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh found that generic “stay indoors” advisories may not help poorer communities.
  • In dense, poorly ventilated urban areas surrounded by high-rises, indoor temperatures can be higher than outdoors.
  • Therefore, heat advisories should be:
    • Geographically specific.
    • Socially contextual, accounting for housing type and local infrastructure.

Promote Summer Shelters and Cool Roof Policies

  • Indian cities should establish ‘summer or cold shelters’, similar to winter shelters, to offer relief during extreme heat.
  • Some States have begun developing a ‘Cool Roof Policy’ to encourage the use of heat-reflective materials on building rooftops.
  • Emphasis is needed on practical, science-based innovations for long-term heatwave prevention.

Enhance Basic Infrastructure and Workplace Flexibility

  • During heatwaves, authorities often issue short-term health advisories, such as drinking water frequently.
  • To support this:
    • Municipalities must ensure access to drinking water through public water points.
    • Availability of electrolyte solutions or ORS powder should be guaranteed.
    • Workplaces (formal and informal) should:
      • Allow staggered working hours.
      • Encourage early morning or evening shifts.
      • Close work during peak heat hours, especially for outdoor and informal workers.

Invest in Cost-Effective Adaptation Strategies

  • Evidence shows that investments in heat adaptation are highly cost-effective.
  • These can reduce:
    • Health system burden (hospitals and emergency rooms).
    • Broader social and economic costs of heat stress.
  • Given the rising average temperatures in India and globally, there is a need for:
    • Long-term, multi-sectoral strategies.
    • Enhanced coordination among various agencies.
    • Introduction of measures like insurance for wage losses due to heatwaves.

Adopt a People-Centric and Equity-Focused Approach

  • Policymakers must recognise heatwaves as a social equity issue.
  • The strategy must be people-centric, focusing on the needs of the most vulnerable.
  • With this mindset, half the battle against heat stress can already be won.

Source:https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/beat-the-heat-with-people-centric-responses/article69471759.ece

https://universalinstitutions.com/on-indias-heat-action-plans/

 Mains Question (250 words):

Discuss the growing threat of heatwaves in India in the context of climate change. Evaluate the effectiveness of Heat Action Plans and suggest a people-centric and equitable approach to mitigation.