Can heat action plans prepare India for intense heatwaves?

The increased frequency of heatwaves in the country has led to the formulation of Heat Action Plans (HAP) in India. Cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Nagpur, and Bhubaneshwar have implemented HAPs.

What is a Heat Action Plan? 

The Heat Action Plan is a policy document designed to comprehensively address the adverse consequences of heat waves and extreme heat. It acts as a preparedness document that government departments can follow to proactively anticipate, adjust to, and effectively respond to the challenges presented by elevated temperatures and their associated impacts. 

Functions of HAP

1. A primary function of a HAP is to allocate healthcare, financial, information, and infrastructure resources to support the most susceptible to extreme heat within their jurisdiction. This necessitates ongoing evaluations of vulnerability and the effectiveness of HAP interventions.

2. HAPs typically encompass a heatwave warning system, interdepartmental coordination, awareness, training, and behavior modification initiatives to mitigate heat exposure, short-term measures like healthcare adjustments and long-term solutions, including infrastructure investments, altered agricultural practices, and urban planning adjustments.

An effective HAP encompasses several crucial components to safeguard communities from extreme heat. 

1. Early Warning Systems (EWS) trigger a coordinated response by local and state authorities, along with formal communication channels to alert relevant agencies, such as health officials, hospitals, and media outlets. 

2. Community outreach to foster public awareness which includes the distribution of scientifically-supported information through pamphlets, billboards, videos, and digital platforms.

3. Capacity building initiatives that target healthcare professionals, including specialised training modules and public education campaigns. 

4. Focused efforts for vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and those exposed to prolonged heat such as access to cooling solutions and health care. 

5. Adaptive measures such as land use strategies to combat urban heat, and policies aimed at reducing traffic congestion, among others. These combined elements, guided by local conditions and expertise, form a comprehensive strategy for mitigating the impact of extreme heat in India.

The HAPs advocate a diverse range of interventions, varying from nature-based solutions, behavioural, and infrastructural to institutional capacity building. Notably, nature-based solutions, which involve actions to safeguard and restore ecosystems for addressing societal challenges, are prominently featured. In a recent synthesis report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledged the effectiveness of these approaches in mitigating urban heat risks.

The Ahmedabad Case

Ahmedabad is the first city in India and even South Asia to adopt and implement a Heat Action Plan in 2013. Few of the heat action plans like Ahmedabad have also invested in infrastructure solutions for long term heat mitigation like cool roofs. Cool roofs, as seen in plans like Ahmedabad's, use specialised materials to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption, maintaining interior temperatures 2-5°C lower than conventional roofs made of materials like tin or asbestos.  In 2020, the city unveiled a cool roof initiative, targeting over 15,000 slum roofs and 1,000 government structures as a component of its HAP. The primary emphasis for the extensive expansion was on improving the living conditions in slum households and enhancing government-owned buildings' resilience to heat.

In the Ahmedabad HAP, effective information dissemination plays a crucial role. The plan utilises EWS and community outreach to enhance awareness of heatwave risks and prevention strategies. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) employs various channels such as email, text messages, WhatsApp, pamphlets, and advertisements in the city to communicate this information before the onset of a heatwave

After its implementation, there has been a reduction in death rate on hot days, with more than 1,100 deaths avoided. The original Heat Action Plan has been so effective that the Indian government’s National Disaster Management Authority notified 23 heat wave-prone states to develop similar heat protection plans and issued guidelines to develop them. Though extremely hot days remained hazardous, the risks significantly diminished following the HAP implementation. Before the HAP, the death rates more than doubled when the maximum temperature reached 47°C (116°F) compared to rates at 40°C (104°F). After the HAP introduction, death rates increased by only 25% on days with maximum temperatures of 47°C (116°F) compared to those at 40°C (104°F). 

Similarly, the HAP of Andhra Pradesh took measures by issuing heat warnings and raising public awareness among citizens and healthcare workers. Odisha implemented restrictions on public transportation services during summer peak hours to minimise passengers' exposure to heat stress.

Challenges

Heat action plans have extended to numerous jurisdictions nationwide, promoting a mix of solutions including infrastructure, nature-based strategies, and behavioural adjustments. However, many of these plans overlook local context, lack adequate funding, and struggle to effectively identify and support vulnerable groups.

To understand the effectiveness of the HAPs, the Centre for Policy Research, Delhi conducted an assessment in 2023. The analysis covers 37 HAPs at the city (nine), district (13) and state (15) levels across 18 Indian states and found major gaps that likely undermine their effectiveness.  As per the report, the implementation of Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in India is challenged by several key obstacles. 

First, many HAPs lack clear funding mechanisms, with a significant number of them failing to mention financing altogether. Of those that do address funding, the reliance on self-allocation from existing budgetary sources presents a potential hurdle, considering the expensive structural investments and increased human resource capacity required by these plans. Some HAPs are exploring innovative approaches to secure finances from existing policies, such as Arunachal Pradesh and Telangana leveraging provisions from the 15th Finance Commission for preparedness and capacity building. In addition to funding issues, there is an insufficient emphasis on periodic review mechanisms in HAPs. The current national Heat Action Plan lacks integration with existing policies, missing the potential to link heat-related actions with established policies like: special purpose plan and city development plans for improved capacity and financial support. According to a study in the Journal of Urban Science, to enhance coping strategies for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups under the Heat Action Plan (HAP), it should be integrated into city development plans. 

Also, the legal foundations of these plans are often unclear, raising questions about their legal authority, which is essential for establishing legal accountability and ensuring that understaffed implementation agencies prioritise HAP actions. The absence of notifications for any of the plans within current laws reduces the likelihood of securing funding and ensuring compliance.

While it's clear that marginalised communities are more susceptible to the effects of heat, the plans only sporadically address targeted awareness initiatives for specific vulnerable groups, like farm labourers and indoor industry workers. Moreover, among the 37 HAP scrutinised, merely two of them incorporate vulnerability assessment- maps that make it possible to locate and channel resources to areas least able to cope. Due to general neglect of vulnerability assessments, these plans possess a restricted perspective on the social distribution of risk.

Heat plans aim to analyse local heat patterns, employment, vulnerable populations, and built environments to create precise targeting strategies for recommended interventions. However, the research reveals that most of these plans fall short in various aspects. They often overlook factors such as humid heat, the potential impact of hot nights preventing the body from cooling down, and the extent of built-up areas, among other local characteristics.

Despite advanced awareness efforts of Ahmedabad's HAP, certain vulnerable groups, mostly living in Informal settlements, lack access to water. To address this, the HAP recommends that the AMC ensure staff presence for distributing water during heatwaves, communicate with sectors to limit non-essential water use, and call for the Labour Department to provide water at work sites. Despite these efforts, AMC's collaborations with shop owners and volunteer organisations have not fully resolved the issue. 

Other mitigation measures like increasing green spaces, constructing green buildings, and cool roof initiatives pose challenges for implementation in low-income areas due to financial constraints. The distribution of green spaces remains unequal across the city, unaffected by both the HAP and the Green Action Plan. Even now, the western parts, occupied by high-income groups, boast more green spaces compared to the eastern parts, which include industrial and low-income residential areas. Despite the success of Ahmedabad's HAP in adopting an information dissemination system, it's vital to recognize vulnerable groups and assess their access to information. This involves understanding how these groups receive information, such as through emails, social media, digital tools, text messages, etc. These methods often require digital literacy and internet or phone connectivity.

Furthermore, weak accountability structures in the majority of reviewed HAPs hinder independent evaluations of implementation, lacking transparency mechanisms for sharing evaluation data with the public. As the case of Ahmedabad shows, addressing deep-seated challenges of resource allocation is critical to the success and effectiveness of HAPs in India.