Heatwave: Human-Caused Climate Change Imposes Threat Not Only In India, But Across Asia

According to a latest report, extreme heat in month of April and May were most likely caused by human activities which imposed severe threats to the farmers, construction workers and street vendors not only in India, but across Asia.

New Delhi: As the country reels under the scorching heat with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) regularly issuing heat wave warnings across the states and union territories, a new report has claimed that extreme temperature most likely produced by human-caused climate change impacted billions of people across Asia in April and led to several deaths.

Asia was hit by severe heat waves this April which led to several deaths across the continent including 28 in Bangladesh, five in India, and three in Gaza while surges in heat deaths have also been reported in Thailand and the Philippines this year.

According to the latest report by the World Weather Attribution, "Asia was hit by severe heatwaves this April. In South and Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam broke records for their hottest April day, and the Philippines experienced its hottest night ever. In India, temperatures reached as high as 46ºC."

"The heat was also extreme in West Asia, with Palestine and Israel experiencing temperatures above 40°C. The month was the hottest April on record globally and the eleventh consecutive month in a row a hottest month record was broken", it said.

Although this report indicates a few deaths across Asia due to these heat waves, it emphasises that "it is likely there were hundreds or possibly thousands of other heat-related deaths in Asia during April. The heat also led to crop failure, loss of livestock, water shortages, mass die-off of fish, widespread school closures, and the heat has been linked to low voter turn-out in Kerala, India."

Heatwave in India

The report highlights the deaths reported due to heatwave across India including in Kerala and Odisha.

It further said that as the temperature soars across States and UTs, numerous measures were taken by the authorities to lessen its impact, especially on children.

In light of this, several schools in Jharkhand, Kerala, Odisha suspended their classes while some put restrictions on outdoor activities and it also led to the low voter turnout in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

"In South Asia, there has been a succession of hot spring periods in recent years including multiple direct attribution studies. In 2022, the hot March-April over northwest India and southern Pakistan was made 30 times more likely and 1 degree Celsius hotter", the report said.

It further adds that "In April 2023, two weeks of humid heat in parts of India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Lao PDR were shown to have been amplified by climate change; in India and Bangladesh it had increased in likelihood by 30 times and intensity by around 2 degree Celsius and in Thailand and Lao PDR it was all but impossible without climate change and became 2.3 degree Celsius hotter."

The report highlights that these heatwaves and high temperatures recorded in the latest years are more likely caused by anthropogenic influence (resulting from the influence of human beings on nature).

"April 2024 represents another manifestation of this changing likelihood of extremes and the same results apply. While there is evidence that El Niño events increase the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves over India, this does not diminish the role of global mean surface temperature (GMST) in making the event hotter than it would have been", the report said.

Household Coping Strategies

With the spread of globalisation and urbanization, the use of Air Conditioners (ACs) in homes or at workplaces has become a common aspect to get rid of the scorching heat.

While the use of ACs could increase emissions as well as the risk of energy poverty, it remains a clear life-saving strategy for maintaining indoor thermal comfort for those that can access and afford it. With rising incomes and rapid urbanisation, the ownership of AC units has surged remarkably, as one of the most popular coping mechanisms in India, the report highlights.

Urban Planning

According to the report, South and Southeast Asia host some of the largest and fastest-growing cities in the world, which has in many cases led to unplanned development, increased concrete infrastructure, a loss of green spaces and water, and poor infrastructure, all increasing the urban heat island effect.

Similar aspects could also be observed in developing countries including India, Bangladesh and other in Asia. Well-drafted or planned urban planning could promote a healthy environment which could eventually decrease the rising heat, the report observes.

Impact on Agriculture, Water, Workers Safety

The report mentions how this rising heat is severely impacting the agricultural industry and for a country like India, which is considered a bread basket across the world, this could have serious repercussions.

"Many countries experienced recurrent episodes of extreme heat, droughts and other extremes (such as flooding) in the past years, which has reduced their coping capacity to withstand the impacts from the current heatwave event, putting increased and systematic pressure on farmers, water resources, and agricultural systems. The April 2024 heatwave once again significantly affected agriculture in South and Southeast Asia, by damaging crops, reducing crop yields, impacting livestock, with a consequent surge in food prices", the report said.

"Across India, the extreme heatwave event in April has posed significant risks to millions of people as over 50% of the workforce is engaged in agriculture", it said.

Outdoor workers, ranging from farmers, fishermen, construction workers, and linemen, to street vendors, are highly exposed to the high temperatures, facing compound impacts from the heat.

"Across India, long working hours under unbearably hot conditions have worsened the plight of informal workers, and adaptation behaviours are generally only adopted on the basis of economic feasibility. Studies have shown the need for welfare facilities at workplaces to deal with heat across Southern India", the report said.

Heat Planning

Countries across South and Southeast Asia have started to develop national and sub-national heat action plans with India pioneering state-level heat action plans for more contextually appropriate heat strategies.

"Although there has been substantial progress in plans, there are critical gaps, e.g. plans are often underfunded, do not account for local contexts, lack proper identification and targeting to vulnerable groups, and lack period evaluations. Still, this year, India has been effectively implementing comprehensive heat-health forecast action plans and #BeatTheHeat campaigns, providing practical advice and information", it said.