India Proactive On Extreme Heat Risk Management: PM's Principal Secretary

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Mishra emphasised that India's approach to heatwave management is a whole-of-government and whole-of-society effort, involving multiple ministries and stakeholders.
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Dr PK Mishra, has emphasised the urgent need to address extreme heat as a global crisis, echoing the call from the UN Secretary-General.
While addressing a Special Session on Extreme Heat Risk Governance at Geneva on Friday, he underlined that rising temperatures posing a systemic risk to public health, economic stability, and ecological resilience, and India welcomes the UNDRR's initiative to advance the Common Framework for Extreme Heat Risk Governance as a platform for shared learning, guidance, and collaboration.
Mishra emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has taken a proactive and forward-thinking approach to extreme heat risk management. He pointed out that India has moved beyond disaster response toward integrated preparedness and mitigation strategies.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) developed national guidelines on heatwave management in 2016, revised in 2019, facilitating decentralised Heat Action Plans (HAPs). He acknowledged that the Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan showcased the effectiveness of early warnings, inter-agency coordination, and community outreach in saving lives.
'Over 250 cities and districts across 23 heat-prone states have operational Heat Action Plans, supported by NDMA's advisory, technical, and institutional mechanisms", stressed the Principal Secretary, underscoring that strengthened surveillance, hospital readiness, and awareness campaigns have significantly reduced heatwave-related mortality.
Mishra emphasised that India's approach to heatwave management is a whole-of-government and whole-of-society effort, involving multiple ministries and stakeholders. He highlighted the crucial role of public health institutes, research groups, civil society organisations, and universities in supporting local governments to enhance heat action plans.
'Extreme heat deeply impacts communities, and India has actively incorporated traditional wisdom and local experiences into its response", stressed Dr Mishra. He noted that schools have become catalysts for behavioural change, educating children about climate resilience.
He also emphasised that hospitals and primary health centres must be strengthened to ensure swift and effective emergency responses.
Outlining India's transition from a preparedness-only approach to long-term heatwave mitigation, including cool roof technologies, passive cooling centres, urban greening, and the revival of traditional water bodies, Mishra affirmed that India is integrating Urban Heat Island (UHI) assessments into city planning.
Mishra announced a significant policy change, allowing National and State Disaster Mitigation Funds to be utilised for heatwave mitigation. This enables local governments, private sector entities, NGOs, and individuals to co-finance projects, promoting shared responsibility for prevention and mitigation efforts.
He acknowledged key challenges that remain and called for a global focus on developing a localized heat-humidity index based on real-time data to enhance early warning systems, advancing building technologies and passive cooling innovations that are affordable and culturally appropriate and addressing equity concerns, as extreme heat disproportionately affects women, outdoor workers, the elderly, and children.
'Heatwaves are transboundary and systemic risks, particularly for densely populated urban areas", stressed Dr Mishra, urging the international community to enhance technological collaboration, data sharing, and joint research on heat resilience. He called for the Common Framework to provide accessible knowledge, research, and practical solutions, alongside institutional and financial support mechanisms.
Mishra reaffirmed India's commitment to sharing its expertise, technical capabilities, and institutional strengths with global partners to foster a resilient, coordinated, and proactive global response to extreme heat.
First Published:
June 07, 2025, 15:13 IST

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