By Vaishali Tiwari and Rohan Trivedi, AIDMI, India

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in India have shifted from being an environmental concern to becoming a serious humanitarian and development challenge. Rising temperatures are placing growing pressure on livelihoods, particularly among small businesses that form the socio-economic backbone of many urban areas. This article explores how anticipatory action and locally driven adaptation can help reduce the impacts of extreme heat on livelihoods and strengthen resilience in cities.

Across diverse regions—from the coastal climate of Kochi to the semi-arid plains of Ahmedabad—small businesses face mounting risks from prolonged heatwaves. Many vegetable sellers, fruit sellers, and street food sellers work outdoors in temperatures that can exceed 45°C, often without adequate shade or cooling infrastructure. Under such conditions, workers experience severe heat stress, including exhaustion and dehydration, which directly affects their health and ability to work safely.

Extreme heat also has significant economic implications. Higher temperatures often force businesses to reduce operating hours, leading to lower daily earnings. Perishable goods spoil faster, particularly for vegetable and fruit sellers, resulting in further financial losses. These challenges are compounded by gaps in preparedness, including limited access to localised early warning information and financial safety mechanisms that could help small businesses recover from climate-related losses.

In response to these growing risks, AIDMI has been advancing a proactive approach through anticipatory action. Instead of responding only after disasters occur, anticipatory action focuses on providing support before peak heat periods begin. This shift helps move disaster management away from a purely reactive relief approach towards preventive risk reduction.

Through its work, AIDMI has provided targeted financial and technical support to 2,003 small businesses across 11 cities in India, contributing to efforts aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. A strong emphasis has been placed on supporting women-led small businesses, recognising that women entrepreneurs often face additional barriers to climate adaptation. Currently, 67 percent of the supported businesses are women-led.

With modest financial support, often around ₹5,000, business owners have implemented practical heat adaptation measures. These include whitewashing roofs to reduce indoor heat, installing shade structures, improving ventilation, and adopting other simple cooling practices. Such measures help create safer working environments while also protecting goods from heat damage.

Evidence from these efforts demonstrates meaningful results. Participating businesses reported a 65 percent reduction in heat-related illnesses, a 40 percent reduction in potential income losses, and a 90 percent rate of business continuity during periods of extreme heat.

These experiences highlight how small, low-cost solutions—such as cooling umbrellas, reflective sheets, and hydration kits—can generate wider resilience when adopted across communities. Strengthening urban heat resilience will require scaling such anticipatory actions and ensuring that climate adaptation becomes a core part of urban planning, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian strategy.

Protecting small businesses from extreme heat is not only about safeguarding livelihoods; it is also essential for maintaining the economic and social stability of rapidly growing cities in India.

(The article is based on the panel presentation and discussion that taken place at HNPW2026. The panel –“Heating Up – Humanitarian Preparedness and Response to Heatwaves”, was organised by ADAPT Initiatives.)