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Addressing Extreme Heat Challenges in Indian Cities: A Long-Term Perspective
Context:
A study by the Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC) highlights that nine major cities lack adequate long-term strategies to combat heat stress. These cities house 11% of India’s urban population and are at high risk of heat index spikes, heat-related mortality, and economic losses. Current heat mitigation measures remain largely short-term and reactive rather than focusing on sustainable long-term adaptation.
Short-Term Heat Mitigation Measures: A Minimum Baseline Achieved
- Common emergency interventions adopted by cities include:
- Ensuring drinking water availability
- Adjusting work schedules to avoid peak heat exposure
- Strengthening hospital capacity before and during heatwaves
- These measures are primarily driven by national and state disaster-management guidelines.
- While these steps help in immediate life-saving, they do not address long-term adaptation needs.
Deficiencies in Long-Term Heat Adaptation Strategies
- Lack of Sustainable Cooling Solutions
- No comprehensive cooling infrastructure for heat-exposed households and workers.
- Lack of targeted interventions in high-risk areas for ensuring adequate shading and ventilation.
- Inadequate Financial Protection Against Heat-Related Losses
- No insurance cover for lost wages due to heat-related work disruptions.
- Lack of financial support mechanisms for heat-affected informal workers.
- Electricity and Infrastructure Deficiencies
- Electricity grid retrofits for reliability and safety during peak summer months remain unaddressed.
- Fire management services are not adequately expanded to handle heatwave-related fire hazards.
- Poorly Targeted Urban Adaptation Measures
- Efforts like urban shade expansion, green cover enhancement, and open space development are not focused on vulnerable populations.
- Implementation remains weak due to lack of integration with urban planning and housing policies.
Institutional and Governance Challenges in Long-Term Heat Adaptation Strategies
- Weak Institutionalisation of Heat Action Plans (HAPs)
- HAPs exist but are not strongly institutionalised within city governance.
- Lack of integration with urban planning, energy, and health policies.
- Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for long-term adaptation are missing.
- Coordination Issues Among Government Departments
- Fragmented responsibilities across different agencies reduce policy effectiveness.
- Limited collaboration between disaster management, urban planning, health, and labour departments.
- Administrative and Technical Constraints
- Personnel shortages, weak technical capacity, and competing priorities hinder long-term planning.
- Many officials do not view heat adaptation as a critical policy priority, leading to low focus on sustainable solutions.
- Financial Constraints in Heat Adaptation Planning
- Over two-thirds of respondents in the SFC study cited lack of dedicated funding as a key barrier.
- Current funding is focused on short-term, low-cost measures rather than sustained investment in long-term resilience.
- National and State Disaster Mitigation Funds remain underutilised for financing heat adaptation projects.
Strategies for Strengthening Heat Resilience in Indian Cities
- Institutional Strengthening and Policy Reforms
- Institutionalise Heat Action Plans (HAPs) within local governments with mandatory implementation frameworks.
- Ensure regular monitoring, impact assessment, and accountability mechanisms for adaptation strategies.
- Mandate urban heat island mapping and vulnerability assessments to guide targeted interventions.
- Optimising Disaster Mitigation Funding
- Encourage states to allocate resources from Disaster Mitigation Funds for long-term heat adaptation projects.
- Develop city-specific financing models incorporating public-private partnerships and international climate funds.
- Establishing Chief Heat Officers (CHOs)
- Appoint Chief Heat Officers (CHOs) in high-risk cities with adequate authority and resources.
- Responsibilities include:
- Overseeing heat resilience strategies and enforcement of HAPs.
- Coordinating between urban agencies for an integrated response.
- Ensuring targeted interventions in vulnerable areas.
Model Case Study: Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan
- One of the first city-level HAPs in South Asia, offering a scalable model for other cities.
- Key components include:
- Early warning systems and public awareness programs.
- Cool roof programs to reduce indoor temperatures in low-income households.
- Demonstrates how institutionalised heat adaptation can improve urban resilience.
Way Forward for Heat-Resilient Indian Cities
- India needs to shift from reactive, short-term interventions to proactive, long-term planning.
- Key recommendations for building urban heat resilience:
- Strengthen and institutionalise Heat Action Plans (HAPs).
- Establish Chief Heat Officers (CHOs) for better governance.
- Expand urban green cover and promote climate-responsive infrastructure.
- Prioritise heat mitigation for vulnerable communities.
- Secure dedicated funding for long-term adaptation projects.
- Without immediate action, India faces rising heat-related mortality, economic losses, and public health crises.
- A multi-sectoral, well-funded, and climate-responsive approach is essential for ensuring heat resilience in Indian cities.
