By Mihir R. Bhatt*, AIDMI, India

All disaster deaths may not be avoidable but all heatwave deaths are avoidable.

This is what I have picked up today here from over a hundred participants and panellists during this Avoidable Deaths Network’s (ADN) International Awareness Day for Avoidable Deaths (IAD4AD) global campaign event. We now know enough about how to reduce heatwave-caused mortality as well as reducing the number of heatwave-affected people who may suffer loss of life.

We also know from the efforts of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of India how best to reduce and avoid direct heatwave-related economic losses that lead to deprivation and deaths. We also know how to reduce damage to health and life during a heatwave. The Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPS) has also accelerated its efforts to protect the health and well-being of citizens from heatwaves.

We have more and more cities coming up with heatwave action—plans since their inception in Ahmedabad, India—that can protect life and, therefore, prevent deaths. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now has more actionable outreach to key sections of the Indian population of heatwave-affected cities.

We know how to cooperate around heatwaves to save lives, may it be through local or international collaboration or alliances among the best expert and experienced agencies. We have a universal multi-hazard Early Warning System (EWS) that is effectively focused on heatwave warning to each citizen who can take action to save lives as an individual, as an institution, or as a part of an enabling policy environment. And this EWS is improving each season, as is evident.

It has been established that states such as Gujarat and Odisha in India and cities such as Dhaka in Bangladesh and Karachi in Pakistan have taken broad steps to mitigate heatwave impacts in time to save lives and livelihoods.

Therefore, there is no reason to have any more heatwave deaths in India. Heatwave deaths are avoidable. And we must do all that we can to avoid heatwave deaths.

ADN has clearly shown a way ahead for us all now for some time on how to prevent avoidable deaths from disasters. We must focus our efforts. Heatwave is one such important focus for us. We must move ahead on that path to save lives during any heatwave in 2024 and from 2025 onwards. Now, allow me to list down how to achieve this.

What is needed is universal awareness that heatwave deaths are avoidable. We need this awareness among all authorities, across the private sector, and among citizens. All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI)‘s new work with the Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (UPSDMA) on the agriculture sector shows that heatwave awareness is possible to be actionable when convergence takes place. AIDMI’s work with ALNAP on global lessons from heatwave response also suggests the collaborative role of awareness among the affected population.

What is needed is investment, specifically in areas that are hotspots: cities, economic sectors, and social strategy. A recent ongoing national demand study of small businesses affected by heatwaves in Odisha, Kerala, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh by AIDMI shows what affected businesses know, what they want, and how much money to use for loss and damage, anticipation, and insurance fund.

What is needed is governance to reduce the impact of heatwaves, increase the impact of cooling measures, and actions that protect life, especially at the local level. AIDMI work with communities in the deserts of Gujarat, the coastline of Mumbai, and the delta of Sundarbans with leading social scientists in project TAPESTRY shows the local, decentral, inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance works in addressing the impact of heatwave on people in marginal environments.

What is needed is anticipatory actions to reduce deaths as the heatwaves and related loss of life are and will accelerate in the coming years. In this affected poor, migrants, women, youth, and small farmers must be leading actions to avoid heatwave deaths. AIDMI’s work with the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK on the ANTICIPATE project findings in north Gujarat underlines that it is possible for locally affected population groups to anticipate protection and preparedness actions from the lessons they have learned from heatwaves.

This is what I have learned from ADN and AIDMI on heatwave deaths: heatwave deaths are avoidable. It is up to us, to save lives. And that is what each of the contributors is saying in the Southasiadisasters.net on Heatwave Deaths Are Avoidable

*Mihir R. Bhatt presented at ADN’s IAD4AD global campaign event in Odisha”, March 12, 2024.