How is India adapting to heatwaves?: an assessment of heat action plans with insights for transformative climate action
HAPs are India’s primary policy response to economically damaging and life threatening heatwaves. They prescribe a variety of preparatory activities, disaster responses, and post-heatwave response measures across state, district, and city government departments to decrease the impact of heatwaves. In this report, conduct what is, to our knowledge, the first critical review of heat action plans in India. Analyse 37 heat action plans at the city (9), district (13) and state (15) levels across 18 states and identify several opportunities to strengthen Indian HAPs. Also document an encouragingly wide range of solutions (covering 62 distinct intervention types) prescribed across these HAPs, from promoting green roofs to state-wide school awareness programs . This lays out a consolidated toolbox of options for the Indian HAP designer and policymaker,
