Opinion Five things India needs to do to combat heatwave

A 2023 Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) study forecasts that heatwaves will become 30 per cent more frequent and severe by 2050, with each one lasting longer and arriving earlier. Without infrastructure to counter these conditions, the toll on human health can be and is devastating. Heatstroke, organ failure, and cardiovascular strain disproportionately afflict the elderly, children, and low-income communities, who lack access to cooling or medical care.

The socioeconomic implications are also troubling. Heatwaves threaten the livelihood of India’s huge outdoor workforce. Over 40 per cent of the population comprises construction workers, farmers, street vendors, food delivery partners, and rickshaw pullers. In 2022, India lost an estimated $100 billion from heat-induced productivity losses. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), small businesses and the informal economy suffer a disproportionate impact. As soils dry and irrigation systems splutter, farmers confront crop failures and food security is endangered. And as cities strain to meet skyrocketing demand for air-conditioning, their power grids are faltering, with blackouts crippling hospitals, schools and other civic institutions. In 2024, Delhi reported over 200 heatwave-related deaths in a single week, with hospitals overwhelmed and morgues running out of space. These are not isolated incidents but symptoms of systemic unpreparedness.

India has precedents to build on. The National Disaster Management Authority’s heatwave guidelines, updated in 2019, provide a framework, but their implementation is patchy. States like Odisha, which revolutionised cyclone preparedness with shelters and early warnings, offer a model for heatwave resilience. Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan, launched in 2013 (also updated in 2019), reduced heat-related mortality by 30 per cent through simple measures like cool roofs and public water distribution. Scaling these successes requires political will, funding, and coordination across central and state governments. Public-private partnerships can accelerate progress. Private firms could supply cooling technologies, while NGOs could manage community outreach. International funding, such as climate adaptation grants, could offset costs, given India’s outsized exposure to climate impacts.

What does a national heatwave infrastructure look like? First, cooling centres within reach of everyone need to be set up in every town, city, and rural area. The shelters, with water, shade, fans and simple medical services — provided by a local ambulance service — would be a resource to use during intense heat. Ahmedabad’s cooling centres prevented many deaths during the 2023 heatwave, but the facilities are rare elsewhere.

Second, we need urban planning that prioritises heat-resilient design. The widespread use of reflective roofs, better ventilation, and green spaces outdoors can also do much to bring down outdoor temperatures. These can reduce ambient temperatures significantly. Yet, cities like Delhi, with a meagre 23 per cent tree cover, lag behind global standards. Planting heat-tolerant trees and creating urban forests should be a national priority to combat heat island effects.

Third, early warning systems, which are already working for states like Gujarat and Odisha, must be replicated on a nationwide scale. The early warning systems that rely on weather forecasts to give a heat alert should be complemented by public awareness campaigns in native languages to inform the people of the risks of extreme heat and how to prevent them. Mobile apps and SMS alerts can work in rural areas, but they require investment in digital infrastructure.

Fourth, cheap cooling systems are important for low-income households. Subsidised fans, evaporative coolers or community cooling stations could help close the gap for the approximately 88 per cent of Indian households that lack access to air conditioning, according to a survey conducted in 2021.

Finally, the healthcare sector needs to be ready for a heatwave, with trained staff, plentiful supplies and well-thought-out protocols to deal with the conditions, and patients with heat-related illnesses. Hospitals regularly run out of oral rehydration salts and IV fluids during the worst heat.

Building a national heatwave infrastructure is not just a policy choice, it is a moral and economic imperative. The time to act is now, before the next summer scorches more lives and livelihoods.

The writer is special advisor for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, Republic of Korea. He is a regular commentator on water security and transboundary river issues in India and South Asia. Views are personal