Heat-related deaths and illness are on the rise in India. With summertime highs hitting 45° Celsius in rural areas, urgent action is needed to protect vulnerable populations. By Dipak Zade and Brendon Bosworth.
Over the past few months, heat has dominated global headlines. This July was the fourth warmest July on record, with scorching temperatures rocking Europe, northwest Africa, parts of southern Asia and southwest United States. Even the Arctic Circle hit a high of 30 degrees Celsius.
These sweltering months give a taste of what's to come as the world continues to warm with climate change. Projections are that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of heat waves globally, ushering in warmer summers and milder winters. As temperatures rise so does the risk of heat-related illness and death.
The short documentary, 'Under the blazing sun' delves into the issue of heat stress in India's Yavatmal District.
People who work outdoors as farmers or labourers, mainly men in this case, are at particular risk of heat stress. This includes men who work for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a government employment scheme that provides assured work to rural poor for a set minimum number of days. Those doing these jobs engage in public works related to water conservation, drought proofing, and land development, among other things. They work outdoors in the sun.
In the Jalna district of Maharashtra, which is not typically a heat stress prone area, people have started experiencing the impacts of increasing temperatures. Researchers with ASSAR found that people in Jalna reported experiencing heat-related symptoms. These ranged from mild -- like small blisters, fatigue, leg cramps, heavy sweating, intense thirst, rapid heartbeat, and headaches -- to severe symptoms including hallucinations, fainting and vomiting.
As global temperatures continue to rise, urgent measures are needed to curb exposure to heat stress -- in India and elsewhere. Governments need to develop and implement state- and local-level heat action plans, with a particular focus on rural populations. In India, this will require greater coordination between government institutions such as the Departments of Rural Development, Health, and Agriculture, and the National Disaster Management Authority.
More of ASSAR's research about heat stress in India is available at the links below.
Film: 'Under the blazing sun' (English); 'भर उन्हात' (Marathi).