Record-breaking heatwaves severely impact health and economy, costing billions in lost labour hours. Driven by climate change and the Urban Heat Island effect, mitigating this "silent disaster" requires aggressive Heat Action Plans, climate-resilient infrastructure, and urgent global decarbonization
Click to View MoreIntensifying heatwaves actively accelerate the formation of toxic ground-level ozone from precursor emissions, severely impacting public health and agriculture. This secondary pollutant exacerbates respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, demanding integrated climate action, airshed management, and robust health advisories within national policies.
Click to View MoreUN ESCAP’s 2025 report warns that Asian megacities may experience an additional 2–7°C due to urban heat island effects, with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh facing 300+ days above 35°C. Extreme heat is now the region’s fastest-growing climate hazard, threatening health, livelihoods and economic stability.
Click to View MoreIndia’s rapidly growing gig economy has become vital to urban services, but extreme heatwaves are exposing serious gaps in worker protection. Delivery partners, cab drivers, and other platform-based workers are forced to work long hours outdoors without shade, hydration, or social security benefits—putting their health and livelihoods at risk. While advisory measures exist, enforcement remains weak and retaliation against workers raising concerns is common. To sustain both productivity and human dignity in a warming climate, India must strengthen legal safeguards, ensure heat-safety infrastructure, and expand social protection for gig workers.
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