By Jorge Gastelumendi, Senior Director, Climate Resilience Center, Atlantic Council, United States

Indian cities are warming almost twice as fast as rural areas, largely driven by the urban heat island effect. As temperatures continue to rise, there is an urgent need to strengthen coordinated heat adaptation efforts, particularly in dense, urban areas where vulnerable groups including women, children, and informal workers face heightened risk of heat-related illness. Local and state governments are at the forefront of this challenge. They play an important role in coordinating adaptation efforts and translating Heat Action Plans into tangible solutions. Building on our work supporting the global network of Chief Heat Officers who lead heat resilience efforts in their jurisdictions, the Atlantic Council’s Climate Resilience Center is expanding this initiative through a new capacity-building program that will equip local and state officials across India with the practical knowledge and peer networks needed to accelerate Heat Action Plan implementation.

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