Score:
9.5/15
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Topper’s Copy
GS3
Disaster Management
15 marks
Extreme heat in Indian cities is increasingly becoming a question of climate justice rather than merely a meteorological hazard. Examine with particular reference to the vulnerability of the urban poor and suggest measures for heat-resilient cities.
Student’s Answer
Evaluation by SuperKalam
Demand of the Question
- Examine extreme heat as climate justice issue (not just meteorological hazard)
- Analyze vulnerability of urban poor specifically
- Suggest measures for heat-resilient cities
What you wrote:
Extreme heat is no longer merely a meteorological hazard. It is an unequally distributed climate risk. In 2024, studies have highlighted that heat is increasingly becoming a poverty 'multiplier' in Indian cities.
Extreme heat is no longer merely a meteorological hazard. It is an unequally distributed climate risk. In 2024, studies have highlighted that heat is increasingly becoming a poverty 'multiplier' in Indian cities.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could strengthen by defining climate justice concept (e.g., "Climate justice refers to the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities who contribute least to the problem but suffer most from its consequences").
What you wrote:
Why is urban heat a question of climate justice?
1) Unequal exposure:-
* Informal settlement:- dense housing tin / concrete roofs poor ventilation.
* Lack of trees and open spaces - greater urban heat Island (UHI) effect.
* Urban neighbourhood can remain 3-5 °C hotter than surrounding rural areas.
2) Unequal Adaptive capacity:-
* Affluent households ⇒ AC, cool roof, better insulation, backup power.
* Poor households - fans, shared water, sources and heat trapping dwellings.
Hence "ability to pay deterministic ability to cool".
3) Livelihood vulnerability:-
* Construction workers, street vendors, delivery workers, waste pickers, and traffic workers face prolonged outdoor exposure.
* Recent research estimates, heat-related income losses among outdoor workers at nearly 9% in 2024.
4) Energy water inequality:-
* Heat increases electricity and water demand.
* Poor households may face energy shortage, while unreliable electricity makes night-time heat.
5) Gender and social vulnerability:-
* Women in informal work face occupational exposure plus unpaid care responsibilities.
* Elderly children and people with disabilities have lower physiological resilience.
Why is urban heat a question of climate justice?
1) Unequal exposure:-
* Informal settlement:- dense housing tin / concrete roofs poor ventilation.
* Lack of trees and open spaces - greater urban heat Island (UHI) effect.
* Urban neighbourhood can remain 3-5 °C hotter than surrounding rural areas.
2) Unequal Adaptive capacity:-
* Affluent households ⇒ AC, cool roof, better insulation, backup power.
* Poor households - fans, shared water, sources and heat trapping dwellings.
Hence "ability to pay deterministic ability to cool".
3) Livelihood vulnerability:-
* Construction workers, street vendors, delivery workers, waste pickers, and traffic workers face prolonged outdoor exposure.
* Recent research estimates, heat-related income losses among outdoor workers at nearly 9% in 2024.
4) Energy water inequality:-
* Heat increases electricity and water demand.
* Poor households may face energy shortage, while unreliable electricity makes night-time heat.
5) Gender and social vulnerability:-
* Women in informal work face occupational exposure plus unpaid care responsibilities.
* Elderly children and people with disabilities have lower physiological resilience.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could include city-specific examples (e.g., "Ahmedabad's 2010 heat wave killed 1,344 people, predominantly from slum areas")
- Can add energy poverty statistics (e.g., "Only **23% of urban poor households** have access to cooling appliances compared to **87% of affluent households**")
- Could elaborate gender dimension (e.g., "Women waste-pickers in Delhi face **dual burden** - occupational heat exposure plus cooking in poorly ventilated homes")
What you wrote:
Measures for heat resilient and just cities.
* Prepare ward level heat vulnerability maps.
* Integrate high heat-risk assessment into master plans building by-laws and zoning.
* Protect urban and rural forest, and develop mini forest through exceptional methods, ex-miyawaki method.
* Avoid peak afternoon - exposure.
* Mandatory water, shade, rest areas and first aid facilities at work place.
* Integrate powerful initiatives to safeguard natural water bodies. ex-wetlands, lakes etc.
Measures for heat resilient and just cities.
* Prepare ward level heat vulnerability maps.
* Integrate high heat-risk assessment into master plans building by-laws and zoning.
* Protect urban and rural forest, and develop mini forest through exceptional methods, ex-miyawaki method.
* Avoid peak afternoon - exposure.
* Mandatory water, shade, rest areas and first aid facilities at work place.
* Integrate powerful initiatives to safeguard natural water bodies. ex-wetlands, lakes etc.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could detail successful models (e.g., "Ahmedabad's Heat Action Plan includes **community cooling centers** serving 50,000+ people during heat waves")
- Can include technological solutions (e.g, "Cool roof programs can reduce indoor temperatures by **2-5°C** and energy consumption by **20%**")
- Could mention early warning systems (e.g., "SMS-based heat alerts reaching **2.3 million residents** in high-risk areas")
What you wrote:
The goal should not merely be to make cities cooler but to make cooling equitable. A heat resilient city therefore follows the principle of highest protection for highest vulnerability.
The goal should not merely be to make cities cooler but to make cooling equitable. A heat resilient city therefore follows the principle of highest protection for highest vulnerability.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could strengthen by linking to constitutional values (e.g, "This approach aligns with Article 21's right to life, ensuring **dignified living conditions** for all urban residents regardless of economic status").
Strong conceptual understanding of climate justice with good structure and relevant examples. The vulnerability analysis is comprehensive, though the solutions section needs more specific implementation details and successful case studies to enhance practical applicability.
Demand of the Question
- Examine extreme heat as climate justice issue (not just meteorological hazard)
- Analyze vulnerability of urban poor specifically
- Suggest measures for heat-resilient cities
What you wrote:
Extreme heat is no longer merely a meteorological hazard. It is an unequally distributed climate risk. In 2024, studies have highlighted that heat is increasingly becoming a poverty 'multiplier' in Indian cities.
Extreme heat is no longer merely a meteorological hazard. It is an unequally distributed climate risk. In 2024, studies have highlighted that heat is increasingly becoming a poverty 'multiplier' in Indian cities.
Suggestions to improve:
- Could strengthen by defining climate justice concept (e.g., "Climate justice refers to the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities who contribute least to the problem but suffer most from its consequences").
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