Intensifying Heatwaves in India

India is increasingly grappling with extreme heat events that are more frequent, intense, and prolonged. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heatwave days have surged from 177 in 2010 to over 500 in 2024, impacting public health, agriculture, energy, and livelihoods. This necessitates a shift from reactive to preventive climate adaptation strategies.

Expanding Impact of Heatwaves: Health, Economy, and Society

• Climate Change and Rising Heatwave Vulnerability
  • Anthropogenic climate change has intensified heatwaves across India, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, Central India, and eastern coastal regions.
  • IMD defines heatwaves based on temperature thresholds (?40°C for plains, ?30°C for hills) and deviations above the normal (?4.5°C).
  • A spatial-temporal expansion is evident: more states experience longer and harsher heatwave spells, often exceeding three weeks.
• Public Health Implications
  • Underreported mortality: Government data (2000–2020) cites 20,000+ heatstroke deaths; however, excess mortality estimates (Global Burden of Disease, 2021) place deaths closer to 155,000 due to secondary impacts like cardiovascular and renal failures.
  • Vulnerable groups: Elderly, children, outdoor workers, and urban slum dwellers face disproportionate risks due to poor housing, limited medical access, and occupational exposure.
• Economic and Livelihood Losses
  • Agricultural disruption: Heatwaves in 2022 led to a 5% fall in wheat yields, aggravating food insecurity.
  • Energy demands: Peak power consumption hit a record 207 GW, straining grids and prompting blackouts.
  • Labour productivity: McKinsey Global Institute projects heat-related productivity losses could cost 5–4.5% of GDP by 2030.
• Governance and Institutional Shortcomings
  • Heat Action Plans (HAPs): While cities like Ahmedabad have pioneered HAPs (saving ~1,100 lives/year), most remain non-binding, underfunded, and urban-centric.
  • Rural exclusion: Schemes like MGNREGA, NHM, and GPDP lack targeted heat adaptation components. Panchayats are under-resourced and untrained to manage extreme heat risks.
  • Policy fragmentation: Absence of institutional coordination between IMD, NDMA, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs), and local bodies.
• Neglect of Traditional Knowledge and Passive Cooling
  • Traditional architecture (mud houses, jaalis, courtyards) provided natural insulation.
  • Cultural practices like Navtapa informed work-rest cycles and hydration practices.
  • However, post-1991 urban planning abandoned these for concrete-glass structures, with the National Building Code ignoring passive cooling design.

Way Forward:

• Strengthen Heat Governance Framework
  • Make HAPs mandatory under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • Mandate coordination between IMD, NDMA, ULBs, and Panchayats for timely risk communication and emergency response.
• Localized and Inclusive Risk Reduction
  • Prepare district-level heat vulnerability assessments.
  • Allocate untied funds from the Fifteenth Finance Commission and District Mineral Funds for rural heat resilience infrastructure (shaded shelters, water kiosks).
• Leverage and Reform Existing Schemes
  • Integrate heat resilience into PMAY (cool roofs), MGNREGA (tree planting, water bodies), and NHM (heat illness tracking).
  • Encourage rooftop gardens, reflective paints, and green building codes through urban planning reforms.
• Community-based Communication Strategies
  • Use multilingual, non-digital channels (e.g., community radio, posters, loudspeakers) for risk advisories.
  • Popularize ‘feels like’ temperature to improve public comprehension of risk.
• Restore Traditional Ecological Wisdom
  • Promote revival of water bodies, urban forests, stepwells, and passive cooling methods.
  • Incentivize adoption of climate-responsive building designs and materials.