Outbreak of heat wave in India has been the cause of death of thousands of people in the last few decades. But this menace is increasing at an alarming pace. In a new report, it has been warned that India will soon be the first country in the world to face such severe heat waves, which will be beyond the limits of human tolerance.
The World Bank report titled ‘Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector’ states that the country is experiencing longer summers, which start earlier and last longer.
The report states, “In April 2022, India was hit by a premature heat wave, which brought normal life to a standstill and the temperature in the capital New Delhi reached 46 degrees Celsius. The month of March witnessed an unprecedented rise in temperature and it emerged as the hottest March month in history. The report will be released at a two-day ‘India Climate and Development Partners’ meeting organized by the World Bank in partnership with the Kerala government in Thiruvananthapuram.
‘There will be more cases of severe heat wave in the coming decade’
It has been feared in the report that soon the intensity of heat wave in India will cross the limit which is capable of being tolerated by humans. It added, “The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in August 2021 warned that the Indian subcontinent would see more extreme heatwaves in the coming decade.”
According to the report, ‘The G20 Climate Risk Atlas also warned in 2021 that heatwaves across India are likely to last 25 times longer between 2036 and 2065 if carbon emissions remain high. This assessment was done keeping in mind the worst-case emission scenario of the IPCC.’
Rising heat in India may reduce economic productivity
The report warned that the rising heat in India could lead to a decrease in economic productivity. It states, ’75 per cent of India’s workforce about 38 crore people, work in such areas, in which they have to live in a hot environment.’
Sometimes they have to work in potentially life-threatening temperatures. Of the 80 million jobs projected to be lost globally by 2030, 34 million are due to productivity losses related to heat stress. According to the report, the highest impact of heat on heavy labor in South Asian countries has been seen in India, where 101 billion hours are wasted due to heat in a year.
An analysis by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company shows that labor losses due to rising heat and humidity could cost India 4.5 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of the decade, or about US$150-250 billion.
The company said India’s long-term food security and public health security will depend on a reliable cold chain.
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