Vandana Chauhan has twenty years of professional experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, Gender, Children, and Climate Change Adaptation.
India is one of the countries most exposed and vulnerable to heat. Hot days and hot night events have risen significantly, and are projected to increase between two and four-fold by 2050. Heatwaves are also predicted to arrive earlier, stay longer and become more frequent.
The citizens of India are facing a severe heatwave that began early this year. On 18 April 2023, the maximum temperature over 60 percent of India or 22 states/Union Territories was recorded as higher than the normal range. The heat wave is officially declared when the temperature in the plain reaches a minimum of 40 degrees Celsius, at least 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas, and a minimum of 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions. India is one of the countries most affected by climate change. It is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of heat waves due to its high population density, lack of adequate infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare. According to a study by researchers from the University of Cambridge, India has already been significantly affected by heat waves, resulting in power shortages, elevated levels of dust and air pollution, and accelerated melting of glaciers in the northern regions of India.
Heatwave generally occurs over northwest India, Central, East & north Peninsular India plains from March to June. It covers Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra & Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telengana. Sometimes it occurs over Tamilnadu & Kerala also.
During extreme heat conditions, certain groups of people who are more vulnerable, including older adults, children, pregnant women, outdoor workers, individuals with chronic illnesses, socially or geographically isolated people, and some racial and ethnic subgroups (especially those with low socioeconomic status), experience higher rates of illness and death. The report published by the National Disaster Management Authority points out that heat-wave victims are mostly the poor and vulnerable population in the informal sectors, including daily-wage laborers, street vendors, brickmaking workers, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, delivery executives, factory workers, gig workers, etc. These individuals are compelled to work outdoors due to their economic circumstances and earn a livelihood. Since they cannot avoid being outside, they are particularly vulnerable to the hazards posed by heat waves. Heatwaves adversely impact the animals too.
Mitigation Measures
People in India have adopted some coping mechanisms in the form of recent lifestyle changes to reduce the impact of growing heat waves on them.
For instance, many people in India now install solar-powered appliances such as fans and air conditioners to stay cool and comfortable. With frequent power outages during heat waves, this has become essential. Additionally, some people use heat-resistant building materials such as cool roofs and thermal insulation to reduce the indoor temperature of their homes. Trees and vegetation can provide shade and help to cool the air around them, and some people in India are now planting more trees and vegetation in their neighbourhoods to create a cooler and more pleasant environment. Some cities in India have set up public cooling centres during heatwaves, where people can cool off and avoid heat-related illnesses. In some workplaces, employers are adjusting work schedules to avoid the hottest part of the day, by starting work earlier.
An urgent mitigation and adaptation plan is needed to tackle the adverse impact of 
heat waves in India. Before 2015, no national-level heatwave action plan was available to fight against such calamities. At the regional- level, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) prepared the first Heat Action Plan in 2013, followed by the devastating heatwave-related deaths in 2010. In 2016, NDMA issued comprehensive guidelines titled ‘Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan-Prevention and Management of Heatwave’ to prepare state and national level key strategies for mitigating the impact of heatwaves across Indian states. Although some preventive measures have been undertaken to mitigate and adapt to extreme weather-related shocks, such initiatives are insufficient to prevent human fatalities from heat waves. Still, implementing preventive measures, mitigation, and preparedness actions remains difficult. The substantial loss of human lives and the consequent impact on people’s livelihoods indicate that effective disaster adaptation strategies and more robust disaster management policies are required in heatwave zones to lessen the impact of heatwaves. As deaths due to heatwaves are preventable, the Government must prioritize the preparation of a long-term action plan to safeguard human lives, livestock, and wildlife.
References:
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/columnists/dealing-with-impact-of-heat-waves-in-india
https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/04/02/global-warming-is-killing-indians-and-pakistanis
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65299807
https://internal.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/FAQ_heat_wave.pdf
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/20/asia/india-heat-wave-development-climate-intl
