Development and Implementation of South Asia’s First Heat-Health Action Plan in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India)

Bibliographic Data

ID15469027
AuthorsKim Knowlton (0000-0002-8075-7817, Natural Resources Defense Council, corresponding author), Suhas Kulkarni (0009-0007-9733-2640, Smt. N.H.L. Municipal Medical College), Gulrez Shah Azhar (0000-0001-8614-1346, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar), Gulrez Azhar (Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 380054, India), Dileep Mavalankar (0000-0003-0498-3799, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar), Anjali Jaiswal (0000-0001-9509-7527, Natural Resources Defense Council), Meredith Connolly (Natural Resources Defense Council), Amruta Nori-Sarma (Columbia University), Amruta Nori‐Sarma (0000-0003-2335-6811, Columbia University), Ajit Rajiva (Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar), Priya Dutta (0000-0002-0233-1335, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar), Bhaskar Deol (Natural Resources Defense Council), L Ilzarbe Sánchez (Natural Resources Defense Council), Lauren Sanchez (Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY 10011, USA), Radhika Khosla (0000-0002-7730-8041, Natural Resources Defense Council), Peter Webster (0000-0001-5181-4475, Georgia Institute of Technology), Peter J Webster (0000-0003-1218-8090, Georgia Institute of Technology), Violeta E Toma (Georgia Institute of Technology), Violeta Toma (Georgia Institute of Technology), Perry Sheffield (0000-0001-9156-1193, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), Jim He (0000-0002-0440-2459, Emory University), Jeremy Hess (Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 380054, India)
Year2014
Volume11
Issue4
Pages3473-3492
Publication date2014-03-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph110403473
PMID24670386
PMCIDPMC4024996
OpenAlexW2010253983
LanguageEN
Citations received38
References cited22

Recurrent heat waves, already a concern in rapidly growing and urbanizing South Asia, will very likely worsen in a warming world. Coordinated adaptation efforts can reduce heat's adverse health impacts, however. To address this concern in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), a coalition has been formed to develop an evidence-based heat preparedness plan and early warning system. This paper describes the group and initial steps in the plan's development and implementation. Evidence accumulation included extensive literature review, analysis of local temperature and mortality data, surveys with heat-vulnerable populations, focus groups with health care professionals, and expert consultation. The findings and recommendations were encapsulated in policy briefs for key government agencies, health care professionals, outdoor workers, and slum communities, and synthesized in the heat preparedness plan. A 7-day probabilistic weather forecast was also developed and is used to trigger the plan in advance of dangerous heat waves. The pilot plan was implemented in 2013, and public outreach was done through training workshops, hoardings/billboards, pamphlets, and print advertisements. Evaluation activities and continuous improvement efforts are ongoing, along with plans to explore the program's scalability to other Indian cities, as Ahmedabad is the first South Asian city to address heat-health threats comprehensively

Action plan · Business · Climate change · Economic growth · Environmental health · Environmental planning · Geography · Government (linguistics · Heat wave · Outreach · Plan (archaeology · Political science · Preparedness · Public health · Slum · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Medicine · Nursing · Thermoregulation and physiological responses