HEAT WAVES NEED TO BE DECLARED AS DISASTER, ACTION PLANS LACK FINANCIAL BACKING: REPORT

An analysis of heat action plans (HAP) for nine cities and five districts found that there was no clear assessment of heat impact on the local population, lack legal and financial backing and that the response mechanism needs to be strengthened by identifying heat waves as a national disaster, shows a report released by non-profit research organisation iForest on Thursday.

Highlighting three to four broad areas where the action plans need to be more specific to tackle heat waves efficiently and effectively, the assessment found that the plans were not geared towards specific issues of local conditions, which includes efforts such as mapping vulnerable populations.

“NDMA guidelines require cities to develop local thresholds for an early warning system as it depends on many factors, including the built environment, slum population and urban heat island effect,” the analysis by iForest (International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology) said. It recommended that heat waves be notified as a disaster under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to ensure focused funding. It also recommended a review of heat wave definition by the IMD and account for high night temperatures, relative humidity and 'real feel' of temperatures.

The nine cities analysed are Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chandrapur, Delhi, Jodhpur, Rajkot, Surat, Thane and Vadodara and the five districts are Ferozepur, Gorakhpur, Hazaribagh, Patiala and Vellore. The report showed that plans of only Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Rajkot and Thane had mapped hotspots.

“Heat waves will increase across the country. Most forecasts indicate that with increasing global warming, heat waves will have a devastating impact on health, the economy, and livelihoods… Developing a comprehensive HAP will help in saving lives and livelihoods,” said Chandra Bhushan, president and CEO, iForest

This summer, large parts of India experienced unprecedented long heat waves. Delhi, for instance, experienced 21 heatwave days. Cities also saw night temperatures hovering in the range of 32-34 degrees Celsius.

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2024-06-27T17:50:37Z dg43tfdfdgfd