Indian cities underprepared for future heat waves, rely on short-term measures: Study

Indian cities that are most vulnerable to extreme heat are failing to prepare for worsening heatwaves and are relying primarily on short-term emergency measures, according to a new report published Wednesday by the independent climate research group Sustainable Futures Collaborative.

The report, Is India Ready for a Warming World? How Heat Resilience Measures Are Being Implemented for 11% of India’s Urban Population in Some of Its Most At-Risk Cities, assesses how nine major cities are responding to rising temperatures.

The cities (Bengaluru, Delhi, Faridabad, Gwalior, Kota, Ludhiana, Meerut, Mumbai and Surat) account for over 11% of India’s urban population, according to the 2011 Census. They have been identified as being at a high risk of dangerous increases in heat index levels as the climate warms.

“These findings are a warning about the shape of things to come,” said Aditya Valiathan Pillai, visiting fellow at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative and lead author of the report. “Many of the long-term risk reduction measures we focus on will take several years to mature. They must be implemented now, with urgency, to have a chance of preventing significant increases in mortality and economic damage in the coming decades.”

Based on 88 interviews with government officials across city, district and state levels, the report states that most...

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