Lancet Countdown Report on Health and Climate Change - Heatwaves
iasparliament
December 01, 2018
What is the issue?
The Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change was released recently.
Increased exposure to heatwaves needs a policy response, nationally and globally.
What are the highlights of the report?
It is a global report prepared by 27 leading academic institutions, the United Nations and inter-governmental agencies.
Globally, vulnerability to extremes of heat has steadily risen since 1990 in every region.
Nearly 157 million more people are exposed to heatwaves in 2017 as compared to the year 2000.
The average person experienced an additional 1.4 days of heatwaves per year over the same period.
India - Between 1901 and 2007, India's mean temperature increased by more than 0.5 degree Celsius.
India saw an increase of 40 million in the number of people exposed to heatwaves from 2012 to 2016.
Average temperatures in India are projected to rise alarmingly.
The world is bracing for an increase of around 2 degrees Celsius over the 21st century.
The northern, central and western India may witness further increase averaging 2.2 to 5.5 degrees by the end of the 21st century.
What are the impacts?
Health - Heatwaves are associated with increased rates of heat stress and heat stroke, exacerbation of heart failure and acute kidney injury from dehydration.
Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing morbidities are particularly vulnerable.
The report warns that rising temperatures will enable the dengue, virus, and malaria to spread farther and faster; true of some other infections as well.
Low and middle-income countries, India included, are likely to be worst affected by climate change.
This is exacerbated by weaker health systems and poorer infrastructure.
This may, additionally, lead to further widening of existing health and economic inequities.
Economy - The report shows that 153 billion hours of labour were lost globally in 2017 due to heat.
This is an increase of 62 billion hours relative to year 2000.
The impacts vary with different sectors, with agriculture being most vulnerable as compared to the industrial and services sector.
Between 2000 and 2017, labour hours lost in agriculture rose from about 40,000 million hours in 2000 to about 60,000 million hours in 2017.
Notably, India's agriculture economy makes up 18% of the country's GDP and employs nearly half the population.
So the above translates into substantial climate-related impacts on the country's workforce and economy.
It has worrying implications for rural employment and well-being of the farming-dependent population.
Overall, India lost nearly 75,000 million hours of labour in 2017, relative to about 43,000 million hours in 2000.
What lies before India?
The report termed the surge in heatwaves in India as an imminent danger to health.
It thus called for urgent action to develop and implement local heat action plans.
Identifying local heat hot spots through appropriate tracking and modelling of meteorological data is crucial to tackle the crisis.
Infrastructure - Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has adopted a heat action plan.
It necessitates measures such as building heat shelters, ensuring availability of water and removing neonatal ICU from the top floor of hospitals.
It has helped bring down the impact of heatwave of vulnerable population.
Similar action plan should be adopted and developed by other states too.
Carrying out comprehensive city-level traffic surveys to guide urban infrastructure is also needed.
Promoting safe walking and cycling to reduce the emission load should be taken up.
Emission - The lost hours of labour calls for the governments to make efforts to significantly curb greenhouse gas emissions.
A further reduction in the share of coal in the energy mix must form the cornerstone of national policy.
This could be through sustained support for renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaics.
This must be matched by a shift away from use of fossil fuels for transport, and the induction of more electric vehicles.
Such a policy would yield the parallel benefit of improving air quality as well.
Notably, ambient air pollution led to the premature death of an estimated half a million people in India in 2015.
Climate Plan - India’s approach to climate change adaptation should prepare for catastrophes with a well-considered plan to provide relief and rehabilitation.
E.g. the strong climate link to the excessive rain in Kerala and Cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu
The importance of funds for adaptation is underscored by Lancet ’s finding that 99% of losses from climate-related events in low-income countries were not insured.
So a case could be made for climate funds under the Paris Agreement.
Such a claim has to be supported by a perspective plan that identifies vulnerable regions and communities.
It should also incorporate transparent systems for funds utilisation.
