{"id":45505,"date":"2025-10-27T06:23:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T00:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=45505"},"modified":"2025-10-30T15:17:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T09:47:32","slug":"indian-cities-heat-action-plans-lack-long-term-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indian-cities-heat-action-plans-lack-long-term-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Cities&#8217; Heat Action Plans Lack Long-Term Strategies, Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s in Today\u2019s Article?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Heat Action Plans in India Latest News<\/li>\n<li>Heat Action Plan (HAP)<\/li>\n<li>Early Onset of Extreme Heat in India<\/li>\n<li>Rising Heatstroke Deaths in India<\/li>\n<li>Key Highlights of the Study<\/li>\n<li>Way Forward: Need for a Comprehensive National Heat Strategy<\/li>\n<li>Heat Action Plans in India FAQs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Heat Action Plans in India Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A new study has revealed that most Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in Indian cities fail to incorporate long-term strategies to combat extreme heat. Even cities with such strategies struggle with effective implementation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The study, <strong>\u2018Is India Ready for a Warming World? How Heat Resilience Measures Are Being Implemented for 11% of India\u2019s Urban Population in Some of Its Most At-Risk Cities\u2019<\/strong>, was carried out by the Sustainable Futures Collaborative (SFC), a New Delhi-based research organisation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It warns that inadequate planning could lead to more heat-related deaths due to intensifying heat waves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Heat Action Plan (HAP)<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A Heat Action Plan (HAP) is an early warning and preparedness system designed to mitigate the impact of extreme heat.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>It includes both immediate and long-term measures to enhance preparedness, improve information-sharing, and coordinate responses to protect vulnerable populations from heat-related health risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Key Recommendations of Heat Action Plans (HAPs)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Immediate Measures<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Use of forecasts and early warning systems to alert the public and authorities.<\/li>\n<li>Public awareness campaigns on heatwave risks.<\/li>\n<li>Establishment of heat shelters and cooling centres.<\/li>\n<li>Provision of clean drinking water to prevent dehydration.<\/li>\n<li>Ensuring hospitals are equipped with necessary supplies and trained healthcare workers to handle heat-related illnesses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Long-Term Strategies<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Urban planning initiatives such as tree planting to reduce heat impact.<\/li>\n<li>Use of heat-resistant building materials to counter the urban heat island effect.<\/li>\n<li>Implementation of cool roofing technologies to lower indoor temperatures.<\/li>\n<li>Strengthening coordination among government agencies, healthcare providers, community organisations, and emergency services for better heatwave preparedness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Implementation of HAPs in India<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>According to a July 2024 response in the Lok Sabha, the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/disaster-management-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\">National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)<\/a> is implementing HAPs in 23 heatwave-prone states in collaboration with state governments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Early Onset of Extreme Heat in India<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>February saw record-breaking temperatures, with heatwaves officially reported in Goa and Maharashtra.<\/li>\n<li>Odisha, Telangana, and Maharashtra have already crossed 40\u00b0C.<\/li>\n<li>31 States and Union Territories recorded night temperatures at least 1\u00b0C above normal, with 22 States\/UTs experiencing 3\u00b0C to 5\u00b0C higher temperatures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Rising Heatstroke Deaths in India<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Data from NDMA shows an increasing trend in heatstroke-related deaths between 2020 and 2022, with fatalities rising from 530 in 2020 to 730 in 2022.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>However, in 2024, reported cases dropped to 269 suspected and 161 confirmed heatstroke deaths.<\/li>\n<li>Despite NDMA\u2019s report, non-profit organisation HeatWatch reported 733 heatstroke deaths in 17 Indian states between March and June 2024, raising concerns over heatwave preparedness and data accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Key Highlights of the Study<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Researchers identified nine Indian cities with populations over 1 million that are expected to face the highest increases in dangerous heat index values.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The study was based on 88 interviews with officials from city, district, and state governments, as well as representatives from disaster management, health, city planning, and labour departments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Key Findings of the Study<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Short-Term Measures in Place<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>All nine cities had emergency measures such as access to drinking water and adjusted work schedules to tackle immediate heat risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of Long-Term Strategies<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The study found that essential long-term actions were either absent or poorly implemented.<\/li>\n<li>These long-term actions include cooling solutions for vulnerable populations, insurance for lost work, fire management services for heat waves, and electricity grid upgrades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Misaligned Urban Planning Efforts<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Efforts like increasing urban shade and green spaces lacked a targeted approach for populations most at risk from extreme heat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Health System-Focused Strategies<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Most long-term measures focused on strengthening healthcare responses rather than preventing heat-related impacts in the first place.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Institutional and Financial Constraints<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The study highlighted that a lack of coordination between municipal, district, and state government departments was the biggest obstacle to effective long-term heat action planning.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Additionally, inadequate funding was a significant barrier to implementing sustainable heat resilience strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Way Forward: Need for a Comprehensive National Heat Strategy<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Adaptation strategies are gaining importance as global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions remain slow.<\/li>\n<li>Solutions like affordable cooling devices pose environmental risks due to ozone-depleting refrigerants.<\/li>\n<li>Sustainable alternatives such as green buildings, passive cooling, and green infrastructure must be integrated into urban planning.<\/li>\n<li>India must develop a national heat strategy and incorporate it into its National Adaptation Plan before COP30 in Brazil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Heat Action Plans in India FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong> What is a Heat Action Plan (HAP)?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> A Heat Action Plan is a preparedness strategy to mitigate extreme heat effects through early warnings and urban cooling solutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2. <\/strong>Why do Indian cities lack long-term heat strategies?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Poor coordination, funding shortages, and misaligned urban planning hinder the implementation of sustainable heat resilience measures.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3. <\/strong>Which Indian cities face the highest heat risks?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Nine major cities with populations over 1 million are projected to experience the most dangerous heat index increases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4. <\/strong>What immediate measures are included in HAPs?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> Early warnings, public awareness, cooling centers, water provisions, and medical preparedness are key short-term actions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5. <\/strong>What is the way forward for India\u2019s heat resilience?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong> India must integrate green buildings, passive cooling, and a national heat strategy into its climate adaptation plans.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/india-heat-action-plans-9903554\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/editorial\/heat-plan-on-indian-cities-and-heat-related-preparedness\/article69358310.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/energy-and-environment\/on-indias-heat-action-plans-explained\/article68077221.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A study reveals that most Indian cities&#8217; Heat Action Plans lack long-term strategies, risking more heatwave-related deaths.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-45505","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45505\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}