Topper’s Copy

i) Climate change driven warming - India experienced ~20 heatwave days in 2024, with one third attributable to anthropogenic climate change. Increased baseline temperatures raise mortality, reduce labour capacity, and strain infrastructure.
ii) Atmospheric dynamics - Persistent high pressure systems and Rossby wave amplification trap heat over north west and central India. Prolonged heat duration converts extreme events into chronic stress on health and economy.
iii) Land degradation and soil moisture deficit - pre-existing drought intensifies heatwaves; leading to crop stress and migration resulting from rural distress.
iv) Urban Heat Island Effect – Cities like Nagpur show a sharp rise in heatwave days due to concretisation. The urban poor in slums face higher exposure – amplifies inequality.

i) Public Health Crisis - Heatwaves increase daily mortality by 14.7%; India accounts for over one fifth of global heatwave deaths.
ii) Economic losses - Loss of 247 billion labour hours and ~$194 billion income in 2024, impacting GDP, especially in informal sector.
iii) Agriculture and Food Security - Crop loss, leading to inflation and nutritional insecurity. Heat threatens rice production in Ganga basin.
iv) Energy - water stress nexus - Rising cooling demand triggers power shortages; groundwater depletion intensifies.
v) Social inequality - Deepens socio-economic disparities without visible disaster markers; outdoor workers, elderly and poor disproportionately affected.

i) Heat Action Plans - cities like Nagpur saw ~1700 fewer deaths post implementation.
ii) Early warning systems - like IMD and advisories have improved preparedness.
iii) Limitations - Urban centric focus, weak rural outreach, poor mortality data, fragmented governance.

i) Institutionalise Heat Action Plans with legal backing and rural integration.
ii) Climate resilient urban design - cool roofs, urban forests, reflective materials.
iii) Labour protection - Revised work hours, heat insurance, occupational safety norms.
iv) Health system strengthening - Real time surveillance and heat clinics.
v) Data governance - Standardised heat mortality reporting and vulnerability mapping.
vi) Long term mitigation - Decarbonisation and sustainable land use policies.