Heat Waves Are Putting a Strain on India’s Public Health, Agriculture

Heat waves are becoming more frequent, intense, and lethal in India, putting a strain on public health, agriculture, and other socioeconomic and cultural systems.

According to Ramit Debnath of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, U.K., and colleagues' study published in PLOS Climate, heat waves made more likely by climate change may impede India's progress toward its sustainable development goals.

Climate Change May Keep India From Achieving Its Sustainable Development Goals

(Photo : MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

India has pledged to meet seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including zero poverty, good health and well-being, decent work, and economic growth, as per Phys.org.

However, current climate vulnerability assessments may underestimate the impact of heat waves linked to climate change on SDG progress.

Researchers conducted an analytical evaluation of India's heat index (HI) with its climate vulnerability index (CVI), a composite index using various indicators to account for socioeconomic, livelihood, and biophysical factors, in order to analyze India's climate vulnerability and how climate change may impact SDG progress.

To classify severity levels, they used a publicly available dataset on state-level climate vulnerability indicators from the Indian Government's National Data & Analytics Platform.

The researchers then compared India's progress toward the SDGs over a 20-year period (2001-2021) to extreme weather-related mortality.

The researchers discovered that heat waves harmed SDG progress more than previously estimated, and that current assessment metrics may not adequately capture the nuances of India's vulnerability to climate change impacts.

For example, when estimating HI, the study finds that nearly 90% of the country is in a heat wave danger zone.

According to the CVI, approximately 20% of the country is extremely vulnerable to climate change.

Similar effects were observed in the national capital, where HI estimates show that almost all of Delhi is threatened by severe heat wave impacts, which is not reflected in the state's recent climate change action plan.

However, this study had several limitations, including an incongruent timeframe for CVI data (2019-2020) and heat index data (2022). Future studies should include more recent data.

According to the authors, this study shows that heat waves make more Indian states vulnerable to climate change than the CVI previously estimated.

As heat waves in India and the Indian subcontinent become more frequent and prolonged, climate experts and policymakers must reconsider the metrics used to assess the country's climate vulnerability.

This opens up the possibility of developing a comprehensive vulnerability measure through international cooperation and partnership.

Also Read: Restoring Seagrass Meadows for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals: How UK Experts are Doing It

Achieving SDG's

Climate change, according to Ramit Debnath and colleagues, may prevent India from meeting its long-term sustainable development goals by increasing the frequency, severity, and fatality of heat waves in the country, as per Career India.

Heatwaves have a negative impact on India's agriculture, public health, and other socioeconomic and cultural institutions.

They also jeopardize India's progress in alleviating poverty, improving health and well-being, creating decent jobs, and promoting economic growth.

To address these challenges, India has implemented the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), which provides jobs to unskilled laborers, the National Food Security Act, which provides subsidized food grains, and various schemes to promote renewable energy, water conservation, and sanitation, as per abplive.

However, more efforts are required to adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

India can also play a role in global leadership by sharing best practices and experiences with other countries.

Fulfilling the SDGs is not only a moral obligation for India, but also a chance for its development and security.

Related article: Rapidly Expanding Bottled Water Sector Has a Variety of Effects on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals