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India’s informal workers, comprising over 90% of the workforce, are acutely vulnerable to escalating heatwaves. Prolonged exposure, inadequate housing, and lack of social protection amplify health risks and economic instability, underscoring the urgency for comprehensive, inclusive, and climate-resilient urban strategies.

Multidimensional Challenges Faced by India’s Informal Workers Due to Severe Heat Vulnerabilities

• Health Risks: Prolonged heat exposure leads to dehydration, heatstroke, and chronic illnesses among outdoor workers.
• Income Loss: Heat stress reduces working hours and productivity, leading to decreased earnings.
  Example: Research indicates a 19% drop in net earnings for every 1°C increase in wet-bulb temperature among informal workers.
• Inadequate Housing: Many live in poorly ventilated homes with heat-trapping materials, exacerbating heat exposure.
• Lack of Social Protection: Absence of formal employment contracts denies workers access to health insurance and paid leave.
  Example: Informal workers often cannot afford to take breaks during extreme heat due to financial constraints.
• Gender Disparities: Women in informal sectors face compounded risks due to caregiving responsibilities and limited access to resources.

Shortcomings of Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in India

• Limited Coverage: Many HAPs focus on urban centers, neglecting peri-urban and rural areas where informal workers reside.
  Example: Delhi’s heat hotspots are often located on the outskirts, yet HAPs primarily target central areas.
• Insufficient Funding: HAPs often lack dedicated budgets, hindering effective implementation and outreach.
• Lack of Interdepartmental Coordination: Effective heat mitigation requires collaboration across sectors, which is often missing.
• Limited Targeting of Informal Workforce Needs: Most Heat Action Plans lack tailored interventions for informal workers, addressing them only in broad terms.
• Eg. NDMA’s 2019 heatwave guidelines refer generally to “outdoor workers” but do not outline specific protections for vendors, construction workers, or waste pickers.
• Inadequate Public Awareness: Lack of community engagement and awareness campaigns reduces the effectiveness of HAPs.
  Example: Limited dissemination of heat-related information hampers preparedness among informal workers.

Comprehensive Framework for Heat-Resilient Cities

Worker Protection

• Mandate Occupational Safety Measures: Enforce regulations requiring employers to provide shaded rest areas, hydration stations, and scheduled breaks during peak heat hours.
  Example: Bihar adjusted labor working hours under government schemes to protect workers during extreme heat.
• Implement Heat-Responsive Labor Codes: Develop labor laws that include provisions for heat stress, ensuring workers can cease work during extreme temperatures without wage penalties.

Urban Planning

• Promote Climate-Responsive Architecture: Encourage the use of traditional building designs and materials that naturally regulate indoor temperatures, reducing reliance on artificial cooling.
  Example: Revival of vernacular architecture in parts of India has demonstrated improved thermal comfort in homes.
• Develop Green Infrastructure: Integrate urban green spaces, such as parks and tree-lined streets, to mitigate urban heat island effects and provide cooling.
  Example: Ahmedabad expanded its use of cool roofs and green spaces to combat rising urban temperatures. 

Economic Safeguards

• Establish Heat-Linked Insurance Schemes: Introduce parametric insurance products that provide payouts to informal workers during extreme heat events, compensating for lost income.
• Provide Financial Support for Cooling Solutions: Offer subsidies or low-interest loans for the installation of passive cooling technologies in homes and workplaces of informal workers.

Institutional Reforms

• Strengthen Interdepartmental Coordination: Establish dedicated climate resilience units within urban local bodies to coordinate heat mitigation efforts across departments.
  Example: Surat’s Climate Change Trust unites various stakeholders to enhance the city’s resilience to climate impacts.
• Enhance Legal Frameworks for Heat Action Plans: Legislate the development and implementation of Heat Action Plans with clear mandates, accountability mechanisms, and regular updates.

Addressing heat vulnerabilities among India’s informal workers necessitates a multifaceted approach integrating worker protection, urban planning, economic safeguards, and institutional reforms. By adopting inclusive and well-funded Heat Action Plans, and fostering community engagement, India can build resilient cities that safeguard its most vulnerable populations against escalating heat risks.

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