High heat: On India and warming
India's summers are known to be hot, but this year the high heat has arrived noticeably early. The India Meteorological Department has sounded heat alerts in central and south India, including in Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Kerala. Parts of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have also scaled the 40°C mark, with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka not far behind. Local conditions in coastal areas, in particular, could be worse due to humidity and the urban heat island effect. Warmer nights also delay physiological recovery, increasing the local health-care burden. Such temperatures are usually encountered in May-June but have become apparent in April. While pre-monsoon heatwaves are common in India, they are becoming larger and more intense. This year, a lack of western disturbances and thunderstorms, along with lower convective activity, has also done away with natural cooling, with residual effects of the previous El Niño adding to the heat. Persistently high heat is linked to a significantly higher risk of death from cardiovascular causes. Some 247 billion work-hours were lost in 2024 to heat, according to The Lancet Countdown Global Report, with workers in construction and agriculture the most affected. Heat stress is an ongoing concern for farmers during the rabi harvest. Hot weather accelerates crop maturity, threatening food security and feeding inflationary pressure.
Experts have complained that most heat action plans (HAPs) — India's primary institutional response to heat — focus on emergency response and lack funds for structural interventions such as urban re-greening and mandatory heat-safety legislation for workers in the informal sector. They have thus failed to address underlying vulnerabilities. On April 23, in the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal polls, and Gujarat and Maharashtra by-elections, lakhs of electors had to brave the heat. Concerns about voter turnout in the heat prompted the Election Commission of India to keep polling booths open longer during the 2024 general election; such reactive measures alone will not suffice this year. If warming continues along current trajectories, more than a few parts of India will begin approaching human survivability limits. HAPs desperately need sufficient, long-term funding while public systems must roll out mobile health units and doorstep delivery of essential services during peak heat to reduce the income penalties that deter access. Colombia has convened a coalition of roughly 50 countries to explore a faster transition away from fossil fuels in a parallel 'climate conference'. India should join it, not least because of the greater access to climate adaptation finance it could afford.
- 1The India Meteorological Department's heat alerts highlight a major governance challenge. Existing Heat Action Plans (HAPs) are criticized for being underfunded and reactive, focusing on emergency responses rather than structural changes like urban re-greening. The Election Commission of India's decision to extend polling hours in 2024 exemplifies this reactive approach, underscoring the need for proactive, long-term policy interventions to mitigate climate impacts.
- 2Extreme heat poses a severe economic and social threat, as highlighted by the loss of 247 billion work-hours in 2024, primarily affecting agriculture and construction workers. This heat stress on the rabi harvest threatens food security and fuels inflationary pressures. The increased burden on public health systems and the deterrence of access to essential services due to income penalties further exacerbate social vulnerabilities for the most affected populations.
- 3The escalating heatwaves raise critical constitutional questions concerning the Right to Life under Article 21, which includes the right to a healthy environment. The failure of Heat Action Plans to mandate heat-safety legislation for informal sector workers represents a significant legal gap. This situation underscores the need for a statutory framework, possibly under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to enforce protective measures and address climate-induced vulnerabilities.
- 4In the realm of international climate diplomacy, India faces a strategic choice regarding its fossil fuel transition. The editorial suggests India should join the coalition of approximately 50 countries convened by Colombia to accelerate this transition. Such a move could enhance India's access to crucial climate adaptation finance, aligning its national interests with global environmental goals and strengthening its position in international climate negotiations.
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