Context:

Every summer, we're used to getting heat alerts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for different parts of India. But this year, the alerts started as early as February.

Some areas in the northeast and western India have already experienced much warmer temperatures (3.1-5 degrees Celsius above normal) even before summer officially began.

The IMD also says that the maximum temperature will increase, and heatwave conditions will happen more often in the coming days over eastern and southern India. This raises concerns about whether India is ready to deal with this danger.

What’s in today’s article?

• Heatwave
• Steps to tackle heatwaves
• Recommendations by Heat action plans (HAPs)
• What makes it hard for HAPs to solve the problem effectively?
• Conclusion

Heat waves

• A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature.
  • In India, Heat waves typically occur from March to June, and in some rare cases, even extend till July.
  • On an average, five-six heat wave events occur every year over the northern parts of the country.
• Heat wave is considered if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains and at least 30°C or more for Hilly regions.
  • Based on Departure from Normal Heat Wave: Heat wave: Departure from normal is 4.50°C to 6.40°C; Severe Heat Wave: Departure from normal is >6.40degree C
  • Based on Actual Maximum Temperature Heat Wave: Heat wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥ 45°C; Severe Heat Wave: When actual maximum temperature ≥47
• Rapid rises in heat gain compromises the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
  • It can result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.

How are we tackling heatwaves?

• Heat action plans (HAPs)
  • Governments at various levels — State, district, and city — have prepared heat action plans (HAPs).
  • HAPs aim to increase preparedness and lower the adverse impacts of extreme heat by outlining strategies and measures to prepare for, address, and recover from heatwaves.
  • There is no centralised database on HAPs, but at least 23 HAPs exist at the State and city level, with a few States, such as Odisha and Maharashtra, laying out district-level HAPs.
• How does HAPs work?
  • HAPs in India follow a general pattern.
  • HAPs provide a snapshot of regions’ heat profile, including information on the number of past heatwave events.
  • It also provides yearly trends in the summer maximum temperature, land surface temperature, and so on, followed by a vulnerability assessment.
    • vulnerability assessment maps out regions that require immediate attention and a response plan.
  • This plan presents recommendations for mitigating and addressing heatwave impacts before, during, and after a heatwave.
  • It also outlines the roles and responsibilities of various line departments, such as the disaster management authority, labour department, and police.

What do the HAPs recommend?

• HAPs typically suggest a combination of measures such as using forecasts and early warning systems to:
  • alert the public and relevant authorities about heatwaves,
  • educating the public through campaigns that provide information on risks associated with heatwaves,
  • building heat shelters and cooling centres, and
  • providing clean drinking water to avoid dehydration.
• HAPs provide directives for hospitals to be well equipped with supplies and an adequate number of trained healthcare workers to recognise and treat a large influx of patients with heat-related illnesses.
• HAPs also suggest long-term measures such as:
  • adopting urban planning strategies that promote tree planting,
  • using heat-resistant building materials to reduce urban heat island effect, and
  • using cool roofing technologies to reduce solar absorption, thereby decreasing indoor temperatures.

What makes it hard for HAPs to solve the problem effectively?

• The local context
  • A national threshold is what determines a heatwave today.
  • However, heatwaves will have to be determined at disaggregated scales such as States, districts, and cities.
  • Many cities have been reeling under extreme temperatures, although no heatwave has been declared.
• Inconsistent methods
  • While most HAPs have conducted vulnerability assessments during the development of the plans, the methods adopted are inconsistent.
• Vulnerable populations
  • All HAPs prioritise the protection of vulnerable populations such as low-income communities, children, and the elderly.
  • But what is missing are targeted interventions that account for the varying needs of populations based on local social and demographic factors.
• Resource allocation
  • The implementation of HAPs can vary significantly depending on the priorities of local governments and the capacities available.
  • Hence, there is a need to allocate dedicated budgets for HAPs.
• Breaking down silos
  • HAPs currently are stand-alone plans with limited finance.
  • Pooling in resources would be possible if they are integrated with broader action plans promoting urban resilience and climate adaptation.

Conclusion

While HAPs mention long-term measures, they are limited to building infrastructure (especially cool roofs), with a cursory mention of green and blue spaces. For HAPs to be effective, focused planning on including nature-based solutions to address extreme heat in hotspots is a must.