Rising Temperatures, Deadly Threat: Recommendations for Ahmedabad’s Government Officials

Higher daily peak temperatures and longer, more intense heat waves are becoming increasingly frequent globally due to climate change.1 Extreme heat events already have had a significant impact in India, where summer temperatures are historically high. National programs in India exist to address many effects of climate change; nonetheless, the country has yet to implement strategies to adapt to increasing heat.2 On the municipal level, more coordinated action is needed among the many government departments and organizations to reduce the devastating health effects of heat stress on the local population. Targeted policy interventions that increase information sharing, communication, preparedness, and response coordination can be implemented to improve vulnerable populations’ resilience to rising temperatures. Through the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Ahmedabad is leading as the first Indian city to create a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University have partnered with the AMC to protect and prepare Ahmedabad for extreme heat events. This brief is one of four published to provide specific recommendations for leading stakeholders and the most vulnerable residents who will be impacted by extreme heat: key government agencies, health care professionals, outdoor workers, and slum communities.