Over 160-200 million Indians could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually: World Bank

What’s in today’s article:

• Why in News?
• What are Heat Waves?
• What is India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)?
• News Summary

Why in News?

• A new World Bank report finds that as temperatures steadily rise in India due to climate change, keeping spaces cool using alternative and innovative energy efficient technologies can open an investment opportunity of $1.6 trillion by 2040. 

What are 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: 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: 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.

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What is India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP)?

• ICAP was launched in March 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It provides a 20-year perspective and outlines actions needed to provide access to sustainable cooling.
• The Plan seeks to:
  • reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38,
  • reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
  • Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
  • recognise “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national Science and Technology Programme,
  • training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.

News summary

World Bank has released the “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector” report.

Key highlights of the report

India’s vulnerability to heat waves

• From 2030 onwards, more than 160 to 200 million people could be exposed to a lethal heat wave in India every year.
• Around 34 million Indians will face job losses due to heat stress-related productivity decline.
• The current food loss due to heat during transportation is close to $13 billion annually.

Opportunity for India

• By 2037, the demand for cooling is likely to be eight times more than current levels.
• This could open an investment opportunity of $1.6 trillion by 2040 besides reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly and creating 3.7 million jobs.

Need to shift to a more energy-efficient pathway

• With the demand for cooling shooting up, there will be a demand for a new air-conditioner every 15 seconds.
• It can lead to an expected rise of 435% in annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades.
• There is a need to shift to a more energy-efficient pathway which could lead to a substantial reduction in expected CO2 levels.

Suggestions to manage heat waves

• The report proposes a roadmap to support New Delhi’s India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) 2019.
• Adopt climate-responsive cooling techniques as a norm in both private and government-funded constructions.
  • This can ensure that those at the bottom of the economic ladder are not disproportionately affected by rising temperatures.
  • India’s affordable housing program for the poor, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), can adopt such changes on scale.
• Enact a policy for district cooling which could lead to the consumption of 20-30% less power than the most efficient conventional cooling solutions.
  • District cooling technologies generate chilled water in a central plant which is then distributed to multiple buildings via underground insulated pipes.
  • This brings down the cost for providing cooling to individual buildings.
• Fix gaps in cold chain distribution networks by investing in pre-cooling and refrigerated transport.
  • This will minimise rising food and pharmaceutical wastage during transport due to higher temperatures.
  • It can help decrease food loss by about 76% and reduce carbon emissions by 16%.
• Improvement in servicing, maintenance and disposal of equipment that uses hydro chlorofluorocarbons.
  • This can create two million jobs for trained technicians over the next two decades.
  • It reduces the demand for refrigerants by around 31%.
• Effective implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30 with the state playing a leading role is also suggested in the report.
  • The framework aims to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.

Q1) What causes heat waves in India?

Heat waves are caused due to the rising global temperature, concretization of urban areas, large-scale deforestation, and urban heat island effect.

Q2) What are the health impacts of heat waves?

Heatwaves can lead to heat cramps that includes swelling and fainting generally accompanied by fever, heat exhaustion, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, sweating, and heat stroke which can become fatal.