{"id":20114232,"date":"2023-03-28T14:37:29","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T09:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?post_type=video&p=114232"},"modified":"2025-11-03T13:30:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T13:30:14","slug":"surviving-south-asias-heatwaves-part-2-india","status":"publish","type":"video","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/climate\/surviving-south-asias-heatwaves-part-2-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Surviving South Asia\u2019s heatwaves \u2013 Part 2, India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/strong> This is the second in a three-part video series that explores how people in some of South Asia\u2019s hottest towns and cities experience crippling heatwaves. Filmed at the height of last year\u2019s heatwave in May, and published on the cusp of this year\u2019s hot season, vloggers from Bangladesh<\/a>, India and Pakistan<\/a> use video diaries to share a day in their lives in times of intense heat.

Through these vlogs, we explore the human impacts of soaring temperatures through the experiences of journalists from diverse backgrounds in three different countries. Complementing our reporting and analysis on the science of the climate crisis, the series depicts what it means to live in a region highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When South Asia swelters under a heatwave, air conditioners and refrigerators can help to beat the heat inside some homes \u2013 but this is not an option available to all. From farmers to students, many people across South Asia must look for other ways to keep cool. For Kumkum Yadav, a young journalist working for the news outlet Khabar Lahariya<\/a> in Ayodhya, the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, this means working early in the morning, covering her face and arms before going out, and retreating to the cooler washroom to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yadav is preparing for India\u2019s Civil Services Examination, a nationwide competitive recruitment test for civil service posts across the country. But the scorching temperatures of the spring heatwave make studying difficult. Adding to the challenge are frequent power cuts that stop her fan \u2013 one of her few defences against the melting heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, India has already recorded the hottest February<\/a> since 1901. The country is now preparing for another heatwave, expected to hit<\/a> between March and May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year in April, heat strikes dominated news headlines across South Asia, as an early heatwave<\/a> brought the summer heat unannounced, finding citizens unprepared. The average maximum temperature that month was 40.2C<\/a>, the hottest since 2010. In an unusually early summer, the country witnessed four spells<\/a> of heatwaves in March and April with temperatures mounting 8C higher<\/a> than the average and the number of heatwave days being five times more<\/a> than 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soaring temperatures affected both yields and the nutritional value of wheat crops<\/a>, raising concerns over the future of agriculture and food security in an increasingly hot India. A World Bank report<\/a> says that in a country where 75% of the workforce \u2013 380 million people \u2013 depend on heat-exposed labour, the rising temperatures could impact the country\u2019s economic productivity. The report also says India could soon become one of the first places where heatwaves break the human survivability limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amid a pressing need for cooling, experts say building resilience<\/a> during heatwaves requires early warning systems and heat action plans. To ensure those most affected get the support they need \u2013 without triggering further warming of the atmosphere \u2013 accessible and low-impact cooling<\/a> techniques must be built into development strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch part 1<\/a> and part 3<\/a><\/em> of our video series on surviving South Asia\u2019s heatwaves.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Production credits:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Filmed by Kumkum Yadav
Edited by Lizi Hesling<\/p>\n\n\n\n