Heat waves are a silent killer, particularly in Indian cities, where they are responsible for more deaths than any other natural disaster. Between 2010 and 2022, 10,104 deaths were attributed to heat waves in India. In cities in South Asia, where temperatures are already high and rising due to climate change, heat stress is exacerbated by the urban heat island effect.
In Rajkot, the fourth-largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat, the frequency of heat waves has increased substantially in 2001-2010, compared to earlier decades. In 2017, an action research project was initiated by Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe). Supported by the International Development Research Centre in Canada, the project worked with Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and local communities to formulate a first-of-its-kind gender-sensitive climate adaptive Heat Action Plan for Rajkot city. To learn more about the Heat Action Plan for Rajkot and other locally-led stories of resilience: https://gca.org/reports/stories-of-resilience-lessons-from-local-adaptation-practice/