In 2022, India experienced an unprecedented heatwave, with March the hottest month ever recorded. In northern India, temperatures regularly rose above 45°C, causing crops in the country’s wheat-producing regions to wilt in the fields. Rising temperatures, coupled with piles of untreated garbage, led to excess methane emissions from landfills, often resulting in blazes and worsening air quality across the national capital region. Other northern Indian states, including the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, also recorded temperatures far above normal levels this season.
According to the World Bank, heat waves in India could soon exceed human survivability limits. About 380 million people, which accounts for 75% of the national workforce, depend on heat-exposed labour, contributing to almost half of India’s gross domestic product. Climate scientists attribute the prolonged heatwave to global warming and climate change around the world. Climate scientists warn that climate change is here to stay, even worsen, as searing winds blow across swathes of north India, including New Delhi, where temperatures have exceeded 49°C.
Environmentalists and climate scientists predict that we will experience more intense, frequent, and longer heat waves in India due to global warming and the consequent extreme levels of heat and humidity. In July, Delhi witnessed its highest single-day rainfall since 1982, due to the interaction of a western disturbance, monsoon winds, and a cyclonic circulation over northwest India. The heavy rain transformed roads into gushing streams, parks into watery labyrinths, and marketplaces into submerged labyrinths. The floods have been devastating, with more than 27,000 people evacuated from their homes.
The draft action plan on climate change projects that the national capital may suffer losses of INR 2.75 trillion (USD 33.18 billion) by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change, with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to the most vulnerable populations. The impact of climate change is amplified in cities, as urban areas are usually warmer than their surroundings due to concentrated structures and less greenery. If the frequency of heat waves continues as predicted, food, water, and energy security in the region will be adversely impacted.
