By AIDMI, India

Extreme heat has become a defining condition of urban life in India. Each summer now arrives earlier, lasts longer, and places increasing strain on health systems, livelihoods, and local economies. As the summer of 2026 approaches, effective cooling requires alignment between immediate actions, state-level institutional support, and national policy direction. Together, these form the foundation for enduring extreme heat in cities.

Key Cooling Actions for the Summer of 2026

The most urgent cooling actions for 2026 are those that can be implemented before and during peak heat, using existing systems and local capacity. First, cities must act early, treating heat as a seasonal risk rather than an emergency. Cooling measures—such as water access, shade, ventilation, and service adjustments—should be in place before temperatures cross danger thresholds.

Second, cooling must be prioritised where heat is actually felt: dense neighbourhoods, market areas, transport hubs, public service points, and poorly ventilated housing. Place-based action is more effective than citywide averages.

Third, cities should scale low-cost, high-impact measures. Simple interventions—shade structures, reflective surfaces, improved airflow, and cooling spaces—can significantly reduce heat stress when applied widely. These actions work best when affected people and small businesses are supported to adopt them proactively.

How and Where SDMAs Can Support Local Cooling Initiatives

State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) play a critical enabling role in turning cooling intent into action. SDMAs can support local cooling initiatives by translating heat warnings into operational guidance, issuing clear standard operating procedures that specify what districts and cities should do as temperatures rise.

SDMAs can also enable the preventive use of disaster management funds for cooling measures before peak heat, recognising cooling as disaster risk reduction rather than post-impact relief. Their coordination mandate allows them to align health, urban development, water, labour, and housing departments around shared cooling priorities.

In terms of location, SDMA support is most impactful in high-exposure urban areas, small-business and livelihood zones, public and community spaces, and housing with high indoor heat stress, especially where night-time temperatures remain high.

Top Three Cooling Directions from NDMA of India

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) provides clear national direction that underpins these efforts.

First, NDMA emphasises preparedness over response, calling for anticipatory planning and early action.

Second, it stresses prioritised protection of those most exposed to heat, recognising unequal risk.

Third, NDMA highlights the need to integrate cooling into everyday governance, embedding heat management within routine service delivery rather than treating it as a stand-alone intervention.

Conclusion

Cooling for the summer of 2026 is not about inventing new solutions; it is about acting early, targeting wisely, and aligning local action with state support and national direction. When cities, SDMAs, and NDMA priorities work together, cooling becomes not just an emergency response but a sustained strategy for enduring extreme heat.