India
Cpr: CPR: Heat action plans lack strong legal foundations, vulnerability assessments, financing and transparency | India News
[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: Amid the prediction of more number of heatwaves this summer, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) has critically assessed India’s 37 ‘heat action plans’ (HAPs), comprising of dos and don’ts for authorities and general public, in 18 states and found major gaps at different levels noting how it lack location-specificity, vulnerability assessments, financing and transparency.
The CPR, New Delhi-based think tank, also found out that none of the reviewed HAPs indicate the legal sources of their authority and nearly all plans fail to identify and target vulnerable groups.
The 37 reviewed HAPs include nine of city-level plans, 13 of district levels and 15 of state levels. The reviewed cities are Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Bhubaneshwar, Vijaywada and Rewari whereas the reviewed districts are Gorakhpur, Hazaribagh, Vellore, Patiala, Wardha, Gondia, Akola, Nanded, Latur and Jalgaon among others.
“India has made considerable progress by creating several dozen heat action plans in the last decade. But our assessment reveals several gaps that must be filled in future plans. If we don’t, India will suffer damaging economic losses due to decreasing labour productivity, sudden and frequent disruptions to agriculture and unbearably hot cities as heatwaves become more frequent and intense,” said Aditya Valiathan Pillai, associate fellow at CPR and co-author of the report.
Noting lack of legal sources of authority for plans, the report said, “This reduces bureaucratic incentives to prioritise and comply with HAPs instructions.”
The HAPs are guidance documents prepared by state, district, and city governments to help prepare for, respond to, and recover and learn from heatwaves. One of their most important functions is to direct scarce healthcare, financial, information, and infrastructural resources to those most vulnerable to extreme heat in that jurisdiction. Though the exact number of HAPs in India is unknown, some estimates claim the existence of well over 100 nation-wide HAPs.
The HAPs regularly include a heatwave warning system (sharing alerts with vulnerable populations); means of coordination between several government departments; an awareness, training, and behaviour change component to reduce heat exposure; a list of short-term actions (focused on healthcare or changing work hours); and longer-term solutions such as investing in infrastructure (e.g., cool roofs, water harvesting bodies), changes in agricultural practice, or adjusting urban planning (e.g., green corridors).
“Without implementation-oriented HAPs, India’s poorest will continue to suffer from extreme heat, paying with both their health and incomes,” said Pillai.
The CPR, New Delhi-based think tank, also found out that none of the reviewed HAPs indicate the legal sources of their authority and nearly all plans fail to identify and target vulnerable groups.
The 37 reviewed HAPs include nine of city-level plans, 13 of district levels and 15 of state levels. The reviewed cities are Nagpur, Chandrapur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Bhubaneshwar, Vijaywada and Rewari whereas the reviewed districts are Gorakhpur, Hazaribagh, Vellore, Patiala, Wardha, Gondia, Akola, Nanded, Latur and Jalgaon among others.
“India has made considerable progress by creating several dozen heat action plans in the last decade. But our assessment reveals several gaps that must be filled in future plans. If we don’t, India will suffer damaging economic losses due to decreasing labour productivity, sudden and frequent disruptions to agriculture and unbearably hot cities as heatwaves become more frequent and intense,” said Aditya Valiathan Pillai, associate fellow at CPR and co-author of the report.
Noting lack of legal sources of authority for plans, the report said, “This reduces bureaucratic incentives to prioritise and comply with HAPs instructions.”
The HAPs are guidance documents prepared by state, district, and city governments to help prepare for, respond to, and recover and learn from heatwaves. One of their most important functions is to direct scarce healthcare, financial, information, and infrastructural resources to those most vulnerable to extreme heat in that jurisdiction. Though the exact number of HAPs in India is unknown, some estimates claim the existence of well over 100 nation-wide HAPs.
The HAPs regularly include a heatwave warning system (sharing alerts with vulnerable populations); means of coordination between several government departments; an awareness, training, and behaviour change component to reduce heat exposure; a list of short-term actions (focused on healthcare or changing work hours); and longer-term solutions such as investing in infrastructure (e.g., cool roofs, water harvesting bodies), changes in agricultural practice, or adjusting urban planning (e.g., green corridors).
“Without implementation-oriented HAPs, India’s poorest will continue to suffer from extreme heat, paying with both their health and incomes,” said Pillai.
#Cpr #CPR #Heat #action #plans #lack #strong #legal #foundations #vulnerability #assessments #financing #transparency #India #News
