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Some local governments are trying to adapt to extreme heat. Ahmedabad, a city in western India, suffered a particularly devastating heat wave in May 2010, with the official death toll reaching 800 people and up to 1,300 dead. attributed to to it indirectly. In 2013, the city launched a heat action planincluding early warning systems for residents, training for health professionals and adaptations to cool buildings naturally.
Since then, other local governments have followed suit and made plans of their own, but some are hoping for more national action to help people adapt to the heat, Mondal says.
Reducing emissions will help prevent the worst future warming scenarios, but the current reality is already hard for many to bear. And India’s deadly heatwaves are just one example of who will be most affected by a changing climate.
“These are 1.4 billion people who will be affected by this heat wave, the majority of whom have contributed very little to global warming,” Mondal said. “This phenomenon should put an end to why people should be concerned about climate change.”