How climate change could make it harder for Indians to manage diabetes

Mumbai-based registered dietician and diabetes educator Shilpa Joshi faces a new conundrum. For more than two decades, she has been helping people living with diabetes navigate their diet and lifestyles as they manage the disease. However, in recent times, Joshi’s patients are approaching her with challenges that are beyond the dietician’s purview.

“It is raining in Mumbai and Pune now. In May, we experienced heavy rains and floods, and in March, people were suffering from heat exhaustion. With so many changes, it is difficult for patients to adhere to the diet and lifestyle protocols we recommend. Unseasonal rains have increased the price of most vegetables, and between the rains and the heat, physical activities, like walking, have become challenging. Not everyone can afford to go to gyms,” shares Joshi.

The day-to-day challenges outlined by Joshi provide a brief window into the life of a person living with diabetes in India under the shadow of climate change. According to a 2024 study published in The Lancet, India is home to 212 million people suffering from the disease, the highest in the world.

Further, there has also been a marked increase in the incidence of diabetes. Between 1990 and 2021, the prevalence of diabetes in India has gone up from 162.74 people to 264.53 people per...

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