Lok Sabha Question No. 5255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: The Heat-Heat Mitigation Strategy
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Eatala Rajender, Smt. D K Aruna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5255 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 2 ND  APRIL, 2025

## THE HEAT-HEAT MITIGATION STRATEGY

## 5255.   SMT. D K ARUNA:

SHRI EATALA RAJENDER:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether various States including Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh would be severely impacted by heat and called for mitigation measures and global reports also indicate that  India  will  lose  upto  5%  of  its  Gross  Domestic  Product  by  2030  to  rising temperatures and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether Tamil Nadu as southernmost State in India with its warm tropical weather is projected to be severely impacted by heat and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  'Beating  The  Heat-Heat  Mitigation  Strategy'  has  been  proposed  by  some States and in the changing global scenario, heat is emerging as a pre-eminent threat to the  health  and  well-being  of  humans,  biodiversity  and  agricultural  and  industrial production and stepped up formal efforts to promote sustainable cooling solutions to build  heat  resilience  since  humans  can  thrive  in  25  degree  Celsius  to  30  degree Celsius, with 60% humidity; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the reports prepared by States to address complex nature of heat and its compounding effect in future?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Yes.  Several  parts  of  the  country,  including  States  like  Tamil  Nadu  and  Andhra Pradesh, are likely to be severely impacted by heat, and as per the recent report by the World Bank, the rising temperatures are expected to cause India to lose up to 5% of its Gross Domestic Product by 2030. Heat is recognized as a severe threat, and the State Disaster  Management  Agencies  of  Andhra  Pradesh  and  Tamil  Nadu  have  prepared State heat action plans in 2016 and 2019, respectively, to manage the heat stress. Also, the State Planning Commission has set up the heat action network to advance efforts for inter-departmental and intersectoral engagement toward heat mitigation.
- (b) As  per  the  State-wise  statement  of  Climate  Report-2023  published  by  the  India Meteorological Department (IMD) (https://imdpune.gov.in/Reports/Statewise%20annual%20climate/statewise\_annualcli mate.html),  a  significant  increasing  trend  of  +0.68°C/100  years  is  observed  in  the Tamil Nadu State averaged annual mean temperature series for the period 1901-2023. The  increasing  trend  is  relatively  higher  in  the  case  of  maximum  temperature

(+0.84°C/100 years) compared to that in the case of minimum  temperature (+0.51°C/100 years). The five warmest years on record for the state of  Tamil Nadu are 2019(temperature  anomaly  of +0.848°C), 2016(+0.837°C),  2017(+0.624°C), 2020(+0.493°C)  and  2023(+0.432°C).  Under  the  changing  climate,  various  parts  of the country, including Tamil Nadu, are projected to experience increased heatwaves.

- (c)-(d)  Due to climate change, annual temperatures are increasing globally and the impact of the same is reflected in the rising frequency and intensity of heatwaves in various parts of the globe, including India. The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also reflects the same observations (https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC\_AR6\_SYR\_SPM.pdf). Addressing the root causes of global climate change is essential to mitigate the impact of  heat  waves.  This  involves  international  cooperation  to  reduce  green  house  gas emissions, transition to renewable energy sources, and implement sustainable practices across  all  sectors.  Various  initiatives  have  been  undertaken  by  the  Government  of India with the help of States to reduce the impact of heatwaves in the coming years. The  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC)  and  State  Action  Plan  on Climate Change  (SAPCC)  are  one  of  the major initiatives in this direction. Additionally, India has taken a proactive role in fostering international collaborations through  initiatives  such  as  the  International  Solar  Alliance  and  the  Coalition  for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure. India is committed to pursuing low-carbon strategies for development and is actively pursuing them, as per national circumstances.

The India Meteorological Department, in coordination with various research centers across the country, has taken multiple steps to improve monitoring and early warning systems, which has helped minimize loss of life and property during extreme weather events, including heat waves. These include:

-  Issuing seasonal and monthly outlooks, followed by extended-range forecasts of  temperature  and  heatwave  conditions.  The  early  warning  and  forecast information are disseminated through the website,  various social media,etc., for timely public outreach.
-  District-wise heatwave vulnerability Atlas over India to help State Government authorities and disaster management agencies for timely planning.
-  The  hot  weather  hazard  analysis  map  over  India  includes  daily  temperature, winds, and humidity conditions.
-  Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in 23 States that are prone to heatwave conditions were  jointly  implemented  by  the  National  Disaster  Management  Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with the State Governments.
-  A  series  of  National  and  State-level  heatwave  preparedness  meetings  are conducted  much  before  the  start  of  the  summer  season,  with  regular  review meetings from time to time during the season.

IMD has launched seven  of  its  services  (Current  Weather,  Nowcast,  City  Forecast, Rainfall Information, Tourism Forecast, Warnings, and Cyclone) with the 'UMANG' Mobile  App  for  use  by  the  Public.  Moreover,  IMD  has  developed  a  mobile  App, 'MAUSAM' for weather forecasting, 'Meghdoot' for Agromet advisory dissemination, and 'Damini' for lightning alerts. The common Alert Protocol (CAP) developed by the NDMA is also being implemented to disseminate extreme weather warnings  by the IMD.

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