A new analysis has revealed that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the country's nodal climate authority, has no dedicated funds to address the rising risks associated with heat. While eight schemes within the MoEFCC contribute indirectly through broader environmental and adaptation programs. In addition to it, the Ministry of Health also has no dedicated scheme for heat emergency preparedness or mitigation
The analysis examined the Country’s budget over the last six years, analysing 130 schemes valued at Rs 8.57 lakh crore across 16 relevant ministries. Among these, 27 schemes were classified as directly relevant to heat-related risks and impacts. These schemes explicitly address vulnerabilities by providing support in areas such as labour protection, health services, crop insurance, and social protection.
The analysis was jointly conducted by policy think tanks, including the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA), the Budget Analysis and Research Centre Trust (BARC), and Greenpeace India, and was released today. The report attempts to map how public finance is, and isn’t, directed towards addressing India’s rising heat risk.
Additionally, the report calls for the classification of heatwaves as a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act. The 16th Finance Commission has already recommended that heatwaves be classified as a national disaster.
Such a classification would create new opportunities to generate funds through the National and State Disaster Response Funds.
The report suggests the creation of a cross-ministerial governance framework with clear roles, dedicated allocations, and accountability mechanisms across the 16 departments currently involved in heat action. At present, heatwave responses in India are scattered among the Ministries of Labour, Health, Agriculture, Rural Development, and Urban Development, lacking a coordinated national framework.
Moreover, there is currently no standalone disaster classification for heatwaves, which would allow for dedicated state-level funding. Only 11 states formally recognise heatwaves as a state-specific disaster.
The report also recommends strengthening social protection for informal and outdoor workers through heat-risk insurance and income-loss compensation. It emphasizes the need to empower local bodies to deploy funds under Heat Action Plans without bureaucratic delays.
Furthermore, it advocates for investment in community cooling infrastructure, such as shaded rest areas, cooling centres, and drinking water stations in heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods. Additionally, it calls for progressive environmental taxation on large corporate polluters to generate revenue for long-term heat resilience.
One of the report's authors, Nesar Ahmad, Director of BARC Trust, emphasised the necessity for greater autonomy for local bodies to address heat and other disasters.
“There is an urgent need for a scheme specifically designed to tackle the heat crisis, which is becoming increasingly deadly each year. Additionally, local bodies need greater autonomy to effectively respond to heat and other disasters,” Ahmed stated.
