Development and Implementation of South Asia's First Heat-Health Action Plan in Ahmedabad ( Gujarat, India)

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kim Knowlton, Natural Resources Defense Council; Suhas P. Kulkarni, Ahmedabad Municipal Corp; Gulrez Shah Azhar, Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group; Dileep Mavalankar, Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group; Anjali Jaiswal, Natural Resources Defense Council; Meredith Connolly, Natural Resources Defense Council; Amruta Nori-Sarma, Columbia University; Ajit Rajiva, Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group; Priya Dutta, Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group; Bhaskar Deol, Natural Resources Defense Council; Lauren Sanchez, Natural Resources Defense Council; Radhika Khosla, Natural Resources Defense Council; Peter J. Webster, Georgia Institute of Technology; Violeta E. Toma, Georgia Institute of Technology; Perry Sheffield, Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group; Jeremy Hess, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-04-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110403473
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 3473
• End Page: 3492
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was financially supported by CDKN, NRDC, NRDC’s Science Center, and Emory Rollins School of Public Health Travel Fund.
• Keywords: Environmental Sciences; extreme weather; Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; climate change; vulnerability; MORTALITY; climate events; disaster preparedness; heat; India; public health; adaptation; temperature forecast; urban; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Environmental Sciences & Ecology
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Recurrent heat waves, already a concern in rapidly growing and urbanizing South Asia, will very likely worsen in a warming world. Coordinated adaptation efforts can reduce heat's adverse health impacts, however. To address this concern in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), a coalition has been formed to develop an evidence-based heat preparedness plan and early warning system. This paper describes the group and initial steps in the plan's development and implementation. Evidence accumulation included extensive literature review, analysis of local temperature and mortality data, surveys with heat-vulnerable populations, focus groups with health care professionals, and expert consultation. The findings and recommendations were encapsulated in policy briefs for key government agencies, health care professionals, outdoor workers, and slum communities, and synthesized in the heat preparedness plan. A 7-day probabilistic weather forecast was also developed and is used to trigger the plan in advance of dangerous heat waves. The pilot plan was implemented in 2013, and public outreach was done through training workshops, hoardings/billboards, pamphlets, and print advertisements. Evaluation activities and continuous improvement efforts are ongoing, along with plans to explore the program's scalability to other Indian cities, as Ahmedabad is the first South Asian city to address heat-health threats comprehensively.