The heatwave is impacting numerous cities in India and all of this is because of global warming. India reported record temperatures in March 2022, making it the hottest in 122 years since records began. Scientists say the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is contributing to India's increased temperatures. The time is over to just be aware people. W need to take action! There are so many ways to do that. Just think of the people who can't afford AC it is so hard for them to work in the scorching heat. If these harsh climates continue it will be hard to survive
With heatwaves spreading their fingers across the world, we've already discussed the environmental impact of heatwaves. And the human cost.
But what exactly happens to your body as the temperature gets hotter? What are the physiological and biological effects you have to endure as the heat goes from a warm 30 degrees Celsius to the horrific 45-50 degrees heat we face in peak summers every year?
And with temperatures already touching 45 C in April 2022, this is more important than ever.
A sharp rise in the number of heatwaves is due to the increasing impact of climate change. The number of people killed due to heatwaves has also increased from 5457 from 1981-to 1990 to 11555 from 2011to 2020 (Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India). Since 1967, the report also confirms that 39,815 people have been killed due to heatwaves in different states of India. Heatwave is the second most lethal disaster after the flood, which resulted in 41,333 deaths from 1967 to 2020.
Based on the geo-climatic and socioeconomic conditions, the highest number of people have been killed in Utter Pradesh (6745), followed by Andhra Pradesh (5088), Bihar (3364), Maharashtra (2974), Punjab (2720), Madhya Pradesh (2607), West Bengal (2570), Odisha (2406), Gujarat (2049), Rajasthan (1951), Tamil Nadu (1443), Haryana (1116), Telangana (1067), Delhi (996), Jharkhand (855), Karnataka (560), Assam (348), and 954 people killed across the remaining 12 states of India.
Per the data, northern India and some parts of eastern and southern India are more vulnerable to heatwaves. Mortality due to heatwaves occurs because of rising temperature, lack of public awareness programs, and inadequate long-term mitigation measures. According to the report of the Tata Centre for Development, the University of Chicago (2019), annually, more than 1.5 million people are likely to die due to extreme heat caused by climate change by 2100. IMD Pune atlas shows that 15% of the population in 13% of the districts is vulnerable to heatwaves.
Heatwaves have posed severe challenges to human health and have created public health emergencies. Prolonged heat exposure causes heat strokes and heat exhaustion and causes various respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the frequent occurrence of heatwaves also adversely affects different sectors of the economy. For instance, the livelihood of poor and marginal farmers is negatively impacted due to the loss of working days. Apart from the impact on farmers, heatwaves disproportionately impact the lives of daily wage laborers, small street vendors, brickmaking workers, construction workers, and rickshaw pullers. Heatwaves have an adverse impact on these workers’ productivity and thereby affect the overall economy of India. Prolonged heatwaves adversely impact agricultural productivity and affect the livestock sector as animals are more vulnerable to heatwaves. Moreover, heatwaves increase the risk of forest fires, causing a sudden rise in demand for electricity and irrigated water.
So here are the solutions to having a pleasant and green city:
- Plant more trees: This is the easiest and most effective solution. We are cutting down so many trees and this is the main reason for heatwaves. There are also NGOs that are accepting mango seeds so eat mangos and send them the seeds! If that is not possible then you can always donate click here to plant a tree
-Paint roofs white: One big reason cities are so hotter than rural areas is that they are covered by dark roofs, roads, and parking lots that absorb and retain heat. In recent years, many urban planners have sought to replace those dark surfaces with lighter, more reflective materials.
- Get people to cooling centers: When dangerous heat waves arrive, access to air conditioning can be a matter of life or death. That’s why more and more cities are setting up public cooling centers to offer relief for those who might lack cool air at home, like low-income residents or the homeless.
- Use public transport: Using public transport we will not cause excess pollution and thus won't release greenhouse gas emissions
If each of us citizens follow this we will be able to end climate change and these extreme weather very quickly.
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