SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being | SDG 13: Climate Action
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
A recent insight article from Development Asia — the knowledge platform of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — warns that beyond heatwaves, “chronic heat” is becoming a pervasive public health threat across tropical and subtropical regions. Unlike acute heat events, chronic heat affects people daily by weakening immune systems, aggravating chronic illnesses (like cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney disease), undermining productivity, and eroding well-being over time.
The article highlights that climate change will intensify both the frequency and persistence of such heat conditions, especially in heat-vulnerable parts of Asia. Vulnerable groups i.e. those in poor housing, low-income communities, and with preexisting health vulnerabilities or occupational exposure—bear the brunt. The piece emphasizes the need for year-round heat monitoring, improved health-climate data integration, and early warning and adaptation systems tailored to local risk profiles.
For India, confronting chronic heat means going beyond seasonal heat-action plans. Policymakers will need to mainstream climate-resilient public health systems, enhance urban heat mitigation (cooling, green cover, building design), and integrate long-term monitoring and data systems under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Strengthening coordination with MoEFCC will help align health adaptation with climate and environmental planning.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India build health systems and urban infrastructure resilient against sustained heat stress, not just episodic heat waves, across its most climate-vulnerable regions?
Follow the full news here: https://development.asia/insight/unseen-risk-chronic-heats-growing-threat-public-health