With country-wide reports of rising temperatures and subsequent health risks, heatwaves have increasingly become a cause of concern. But health problems may not be the end of what the temperature increase may be causing. As per a new study, heatwaves could have a negative impact on India’s economy and agriculture in addition to public health.
A team of scholars from the University of Cambridge led by researcher Ramit Debnath recently published a study about heatwaves' effects on India’s economic state. As per the study, India is currently facing a collision of multiple, cumulative climate hazards which led to extreme weather-related events almost every day from January to October in 2022. Additionally, 80 per cent of India’s population of 1.4 billion will be endangered due to rising temperatures.
While various advisories released by the government suggest steps to help citizens combat health-related consequences, the study’s calculations suggest that legislators in India may be underestimating the impact of the heatwaves. As per the study apart from heat-induced illnesses, the closing of schools, and loss of crop can also play a part in slowing India’s progress. The authors said, "This study shows that heatwaves make more Indian states vulnerable to climate change than previously estimated with the climate-vulnerability index (CVI). The heatwaves in India and the Indian subcontinent have become recurrent and long-lasting, it is high time that climate experts and policymakers re-evaluate the metrics for assessing the country's climate vulnerability. This offers scope for developing a holistic vulnerability measure through international cooperation and partnership."
Recently, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) also released a report that suggested that most parts of India will witness an increase in heatwave durations by 12-18 days by the year 2060.
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