Sweltering heat has had a severe impact on various parts of India, affecting people’s lives in multiple ways. The scorching temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius have not only caused physical discomfort, but have also imposed unprecedented stress on India’s agriculture, public health, and economy.
India is particularly vulnerable to heatwaves and is expected to face even more challenges in the future. Studies indicate that the frequency of hot days and nights has significantly increased and is projected to rise two to four-fold by 2050. Heatwaves are also anticipated to arrive earlier, last longer, and occur more frequently.
Amongst the different sections of society, daily-wage laborers who work outdoors are the most severely affected during heatwave episodes. Lacking access to cooling amenities such as fans and air conditioners, they are compelled to work in the blistering heat to make ends meet.
According to Shivang Agarwal, a PhD scholar in environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University, certain strata of society in India face greater risks to their health due to heatwaves. While progress has been made in developing heatwave prediction and early warning systems, challenges remain, including limited awareness about heatwave risks, inadequate access to affordable cooling solutions, strained public health infrastructure, and urban planning that often overlooks heat resilience. Agarwal emphasizes the need for continuous efforts to raise public awareness about these issues and enhance India’s resilience to heatwaves.
India has witnessed a 55 percent increase in deaths due to extreme heat between 2000-2004 and 2017-2019, as reported in a Lancet’s study released last year. Over the past 50 years, the country has recorded more than 17,000 deaths caused by heatwaves.
Climate change is considered a contributing factor to the intensification of heatwaves. A rapid attribution study by climate scientists reveals that extreme heat in India and Pakistan has become 30 times more likely due to climate change. Prasoon Singh from The Energy Resource Institute (TERI) states that India, with its geographical diversity and large population exposed to climatic stressors, is vulnerable to various climatic hazards. Projections indicate that India will experience more intense and variable climatic conditions due to climate change.
India ranked seventh in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021 in terms of exposure and vulnerability to climate risk events. A temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius could render India’s summer monsoon extremely unpredictable, and at 4 degrees Celsius increase, a monsoon that currently occurs once in a century may occur every 10 years by the end of the century. Singh warns of potential crises, including more frequent droughts, intensified inundation, and increased droughts in certain regions, particularly in northwestern India.
Continued heatwave trends caused by climate change can have significant long-term effects. These include severe health risks like heatstroke, strain on healthcare systems, aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, increased mortality rates, crop damage impacting agriculture and food security, and heightened water scarcity. Agarwal emphasizes the importance of implementing heat action plans and utilizing early warning systems to respond effectively to extreme heat and provide accurate forecasts.
If current warming trends persist, India will face a host of challenges, including a major water crisis, energy scarcity, power outages, productivity losses, disruptions in the supply chain, economic setbacks, human and livestock fatalities, and serious health issues among vulnerable communities.
Post Your Comments