NEW DELHI: A new study shows that heatwaves in India are increasing in frequency, intensity and lethality, which might disrupt the progress of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Heatwaves are burdening public health, agriculture, and other socio-economic and cultural systems and thereby the economy.
The study “Lethal heat waves are challenging India’s sustainable development” published in PLOS Climate states climate change induced heatwaves may impede India’s progress toward its SDGs. India is committed to achieve 17 SDGs set by the United Nations which intend to eradicate poverty, achieve good health and well-being, decent work and economic growth.
The study analysed India’s heat Index (HI) with its climate vulnerability index (CVI) to analyse the country’s climate vulnerability. Using publicly available data and comparing India’s progress in SDG over 20 years (2001-21) with extreme weather-related mortality in the given period.
The study estimated the Heat Index, which shows that nearly 90% of the country is in danger zone from heat wave impact. However, CVI, which is more a composite index accounting socioeconomic, livelihood and biophysical factors assessed that around 20% of the country is highly vulnerable to climate change.
Similar effects were observed for the national capital, where HI estimates show almost all of Delhi is threatened by severe heat wave impacts, which is not reflected in its recent state action plan for climate change. The research results showed that Delhi lies in the 6–7˚C temperature anomaly zone.
This will aggravate heat-related vulnerabilities like concentration of slum population and overcrowding in high HI areas, lack of access to basic amenities like electricity, water and sanitation, non-availability of immediate healthcare and health insurance, poor condition of housing and dirty cooking fuel.
In the study, there are huge disparities over heat impact in two indexes. The study explains that CVI doesn’t not include measures of the primary climate change risks (like heatwaves). So it fails to identify the regions of greatest vulnerability to climate change.
However, results showed that combining HI with CVI can identify practical climate vulnerability impacts that account for extreme weather events at the state level. This, in turn, aids in developing a better understanding of India’s SDG progress. This paper advocates the urgency of improving India’s extreme weather vulnerability assessment while supporting its developmental needs.
“This study shows that heatwaves make more Indian states vulnerable to climate change than previously estimated with the CVI. The heatwaves in India and the Indian subcontinent become recurrent and long-lasting, it is high time that climate experts and policymakers re-evaluate the metrics for assessing the country’s climate vulnerability” says Ramit Debnath, one of the authors of the paper at University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Debnath further adds that heatwaves are putting 80% of the country’s people in danger which remains unaccounted for in its current climate vulnerability assessment.
“If this impact is not addressed immediately, India can slow its progress towards sustainable development goals” he further said. This paper advocates the urgency of improving India’s extreme weather vulnerability assessment while supporting its developmental needs.