Editorials on heatwave point to infra burden, food security threat, need for parametric cover

India has been reeling under a prolonged heatwave, with over 100 deaths and around 40,000 suspected heat stroke cases. Cities are dealing with high power demand, the poor and sick are left more vulnerable, hospitals are seeing a surge in patients, and birds are collapsing from the sky.

While scientists have attributed such conditions to human-driven climate change, editorials in prominent dailies pointed to the burden on states and ways to protect the vulnerable.

The Hindu underlined the pressure on infrastructure in several states.

“The minimum day temperatures in some States have consistently remained above 45° C and those in the relatively cooler ones, at least 3°-6° C above what is usual for this time of the year. Even night temperatures have consistently been 3°-6° C above normal, a consequence of the near-absence of moisture and rain. To add to this, the monsoon has been sluggish….a prolonged hiatus could mean an even greater load on the infrastructure in these States.”

“On June 17, the Power Ministry said that demand in northern India had surged to 89 GW (89,000 MW) — the highest in a single day. To meet this power requirement, nearly 25%-30% had to be “imported” from the other four regions — south, west, east and north-east — and possibly Bhutan. A precise break-up was not provided. Though the Ministry claimed credit in meeting the demand, it indirectly reveals the strain on the infrastructure. The installed power capacity in northern India is 113 GW (1,13,000 MW) and if the northern grid still needed to import power, it suggests an inability to utilise its full capacity. Delhi’s international airport had a half-hour blackout on the same day and it stands to reason that prolonged heatwaves and demands on cooling are only going to further strain the grid. Compounding this is the water crisis that has gripped Delhi. While water pilferage is a common woe, the heat has exacerbated demand, and Haryana, a key source of water for Delhi, has refused to increase supply citing its own constraints. It is high time that politics is set aside and the prolonged summer is holistically addressed by the Centre and States as a natural disaster.”

Meanwhile, the Telegraph pointed out that agriculture is going to be adversely affected and, with it, global food production would plunge, leading to attendant challenges to economies, food security and public health.

“Worse, scientists argue that this kind of inclement weather will only get worse in the future — thanks to that spectre called climate change, which, in spite of its catastrophic potential, remains in the footnotes of national policymaking and interventions. The consequences of lengthening heatwaves are devastating and manifold. Human health will be imperilled by a plethora of ailments, with children and the elderly at the highest risk. Agriculture is going to be adversely affected and, with it, global food production would plunge, leading to attendant challenges to economies, food security and public health.”

“The only option of surviving this doomsday is through adaptative protection that needs to be implemented across constituencies. The public discourse, these days, is full of advice on personal protection measures: the usage of protective gear and cooling gadgets for homes figure among these. But in a deeply iniquitous society such as India, large segments of the impoverished population cannot afford many of these tools of survival. This, quite rightly, puts the onus of undertaking adaptive mechanisms on the State. Authorities across India’s metropolises must take urgent steps to battle heatwaves by investing in such measures as the retrofitting of buildings and roads to minimise heat exposure, afforestation, and investments in greener transport as well as critical medical emergency services. These transitions would also require seamless coordination among administrations at the national and local levels: conceiving of a standard operating procedure with inputs from specialists in the matter could hold the key. Adaptive steps are mandatory and must form the fulcrum of civic responsibilities and actions — now.”

The Economic Times pointed to the need for parametric insurance to protect people, especially those who work in the informal sector, from sudden losses.

“Parametric solutions are a type of insurance that covers the probability of a predefined event happening, instead of indemnifying the actual loss incurred. Last year, some 21,000 SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association) workers, out of 2.9 mn members, were provided with an innovative heat insurance cover. This year, the number has increased to 50,000. The insurance provides a critical risk solution by compensating for the loss of income due to extreme heat events. The beneficiary gets a cash payout of Rs 400 when the day's temperature reaches 40° C. Once it crosses 43° C, beneficiaries receive payouts between Rs 535 and Rs 1,800, depending on the heat's severity. Premiums for these women are paid by SEWA and Climate Resilience for All.

Besides NGOs, National Disaster Management Authority is also initiating parametric insurance pools for enhanced disaster protection. The reason is similar: the biggest impact of natural calamities is on the poor, who can't pay insurance premiums. Parametric insurance coverage is a welcome mitigation plan that should become the norm, for both women and men ‘out there’.”

Meanwhile, an editorial in the Guardian also noted that “Britain may be chilly, but from Greece to India, people are dying due to record temperatures. The death toll will grow without urgent action.”

“While Britons don jumpers and complain about the unseasonable cold, much of the world has been reeling due to excessive temperatures. India has been in the grip of its longest heatwave in recorded history, with thermometers hitting 50C in some places.  Greece closed the Acropolis in the afternoon last week as temperatures hit 43C; never has it seen a heatwave so early in the year. Soaring temperatures in the Sahel and western Africa saw mortuaries in Mali reportedly running short of space this spring, while swathes of Asia suffered in May.”

“These bouts of extreme weather are increasing as the climate crisis worsens. Although the El Niño weather pattern contributed to heatwaves over the last 12 months, they are becoming more frequent, extreme and prolonged thanks to global heating. By 2040, almost half the world’s inhabitants are likely to experience major heatwaves, 12 times more than the historic average.

“These pose a major threat to food security. But the immediate effects are frightening too. There were more than 60,000 heat-related deaths across Europe in 2022, with 4,500 in the UK alone. In the US, 11,000 died last year. Already hot climates in some countries are becoming unbearable. Young, old, pregnant and disabled people are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death. So are the poorest, due to their living conditions and often physically demanding work. Experts say deaths are vastly under-reported and many occur well after temperatures fall. Doctors around the world have reported surging rates of chronic kidney disease related to hard labour in excessively hot and humid conditions. One study found that over a third of heat deaths were attributable to the climate crisis.”

Small teams can do great things. All it takes is a subscription. Subscribe now and power Newslaundry’s work.