As temperatures increase in India, so must the commitment to thermal comfort

India accounted for 98 of the world’s 100 hottest cities in May 2026. Behind these figures are lived realities, including that of a 24-year-old student who collapsed from heatstroke while travelling by train and arrived unconscious at a hospital in Delhi as temperatures soared.

These conditions affected pedestrians, street vendors, rickshaw pullers and homeless families alike. They also placed severe strain on power grids, disrupting daily life. Even night-time temperatures did not fall below 32°C, reflecting the intensifying urban heat island effect, where built-up areas retain heat due to limited vegetation and dense infrastructure.

Extreme heat is no longer a distant risk but an immediate and rapidly worsening climate hazard.

According to the Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change, global heat-related deaths averaged around 546,000 per year between 2012 and 2021, a 63.2 per cent increase compared to 1990–1999 (335,000 deaths). The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) Asia-Pacific Disaster Report warns that South Asia could experience more than 200 days above 41°C by the end of the century. Meanwhile, HeatWatch reports that India experienced increasingly intense heatwaves in 2024, with 37 cities recording temperatures above 45°C, alongside 40,000 reported heatstroke cases and 733 deaths.

India’s cities therefore need to transition from emergency response to long-term heat resilience. Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan, launched in 2013, offers a proven model. It uses early warning systems, public awareness campaigns and capacity development to reduce heat-related mortality. Cities such as Lucknow, Mumbai and Chennai have also developed integrated heat action plans that include targeted cooling measures, urban greening, nature-based solutions and governance innovations such as designated City Heat Officers.

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) provides a global framework for integrating resilience into urban planning. Through tools such as the Global Infrastructure Risk Model and Resilience Index (GIRI), CDRI supports cities in identifying vulnerabilities and prioritising resilient infrastructure investments. It also promotes nature-based and data-driven approaches, ensuring that heat management strategies are locally grounded while informed by global evidence.

Strain on the power sector

Rising temperatures increase electricity demand, particularly for cooling, creating a feedback loop that further intensifies waste heat and places pressure on electricity grids.

In Delhi, peak electricity demand in May and June has exceeded 8,000 MW. In June 2024, it reached a record 8,656 MW. High temperatures also reduce infrastructure efficiency: transmission lines can sag under heat stress and become more prone to faults. Thermal power plants face reduced cooling water availability, while solar panel efficiency can decline under extreme heat conditions.

A report by CDRI and Prayas highlights the need for stronger infrastructure standards and advanced monitoring systems to reduce the risk of grid failures.

Protecting public transport systems

Extreme heat also threatens transport systems by damaging infrastructure, reducing vehicle efficiency and increasing safety risks for passengers and workers.

Public transport systems, including metros and buses, can become severely overheated, exposing passengers to unsafe conditions. According to CDRI’s analysis on extreme heat in public transport, passenger experience can be understood across three stages: “connecting”, “waiting” and “riding”, each requiring specific design interventions.

These include shaded walkways, cooled transport hubs, heat-responsive station design and climate-controlled vehicles. The Delhi Metro is often cited as a model of climate resilience, with large-scale cooling systems and operational heat management measures that offer lessons for other rapidly growing cities.

Safeguarding vulnerable groups and essential services

Heatwaves disproportionately affect children, older persons, pregnant women and outdoor workers.

School closures during extreme heat disrupt learning, while older persons and pregnant women face higher risks of heat-related illness, including heatstroke.

Non-structural measures can significantly reduce risk. For example, the “Water Bell” initiative in parts of southern India encourages regular hydration among schoolchildren and promotes heat awareness. CDRI’s Heat Smart Schools guidance also highlights practical adaptation measures for education infrastructure.

Health facilities can be strengthened through “Heat Smart Healthcare Centre” approaches, including cross-ventilation, shaded courtyards, reflective roofing and on-site renewable energy such as solar panels to reduce energy stress while improving cooling.

Telangana has introduced reflective roof policies to improve indoor thermal comfort and reduce heat exposure.

Building long-term urban resilience

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report Making Delhi Heat Resilient highlights the increasing severity of heat stress in India’s capital.

Approximately 75 per cent of Delhi is now affected by intense heat stress, driven in part by the loss of urban green cover. Tree cover has declined from 25 per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2024. Outdoor workers, informal settlement residents and other vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden.

With “feels-like” temperatures reaching up to 52°C, heat is disrupting daily life and threatening productivity. Some estimates suggest that India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could decline by up to 4.5 per cent by 2030 due to heat-related impacts.

Experts recommend a combination of structural and non-structural measures, including cool roofs, updated heat risk assessment protocols and stronger protections for outdoor workers. These include cooling breaks, adjusted working hours and financial support during extreme heat events.

A dual approach to heat resilience

The urgency of embedding heat resilience into urban planning was underscored on Heat Action Day (2 June), when stakeholders across government and civil society highlighted the need for coordinated action.

Ministries, state agencies, municipalities and disaster management authorities must invest in heat-resilient infrastructure, strengthen data-driven decision-making and scale nature-based solutions. These include urban greening, vertical gardens, urban forests and cool roofs, alongside governance innovations such as heat officers and early warning systems.

Public communication is also critical. Heat advisories and behavioural guidance can be delivered through newspapers, cell broadcast alerts and interactive voice response (IVR) systems to ensure timely and inclusive access to life-saving information.

Through coordinated action between institutions and communities, cities can reduce heat risk and build healthier, safer and more liveable urban environments.

Shubham Kashyap is a Senior Research Fellow at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. He works on multilingual knowledge and communications for global initiatives on disaster-resilient infrastructure. His research interests include disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, risk communication, and translation studies, with a focus on making technical knowledge accessible to diverse audiences.

Payal Bhatnagar is a Senior Specialist – Communications at the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), where she leads strategic communications, content development, and stakeholder outreach. She shapes communication strategies that enhance the organisation's profile, strengthen partnerships, and translate resilience and infrastructure initiatives into compelling narratives for diverse audiences.