<p>The Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in India need to be strengthened, according to the Centre for Policy Research. </p>.<p>HAPs are India’s primary policy response to economically damaging and life threatening heatwaves. They prescribe a variety of preparatory activities, disaster responses, and post-heatwave response measures across state, district, and city government departments to decrease the impact of heatwaves.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/health-ministry-lists-dos-and-donts-for-protection-against-heatwave-1195992.html" target="_blank">Health Ministry lists 'dos and don'ts' for protection against heatwave</a></strong></p>.<p>The CPR report has pointed out half a dozen key areas of development in the arena of HAPs - most HAPs are not built for local context and have an oversimplified view of the hazard, nearly all HAPs are poor at identifying and targeting vulnerable groups; HAPs are underfunded; HAPs have weak legal foundations; HAPs are insufficiently transparent; capacity building is sectorally-targeted.</p>.<p>“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 like we saw last year, 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.</p>.<p>CPR’s report recommends that HAPs identify sources of financing - either from new funds or by combining actions with existing national and state policies - and set up rigorous independent evaluations as a basis for constant improvement.</p>.<p>“Without implementation-oriented HAPs, India’s poorest will continue to suffer from extreme heat, paying with both their health and incomes,” he said. </p>
<p>The Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in India need to be strengthened, according to the Centre for Policy Research. </p>.<p>HAPs are India’s primary policy response to economically damaging and life threatening heatwaves. They prescribe a variety of preparatory activities, disaster responses, and post-heatwave response measures across state, district, and city government departments to decrease the impact of heatwaves.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/health-ministry-lists-dos-and-donts-for-protection-against-heatwave-1195992.html" target="_blank">Health Ministry lists 'dos and don'ts' for protection against heatwave</a></strong></p>.<p>The CPR report has pointed out half a dozen key areas of development in the arena of HAPs - most HAPs are not built for local context and have an oversimplified view of the hazard, nearly all HAPs are poor at identifying and targeting vulnerable groups; HAPs are underfunded; HAPs have weak legal foundations; HAPs are insufficiently transparent; capacity building is sectorally-targeted.</p>.<p>“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 like we saw last year, 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.</p>.<p>CPR’s report recommends that HAPs identify sources of financing - either from new funds or by combining actions with existing national and state policies - and set up rigorous independent evaluations as a basis for constant improvement.</p>.<p>“Without implementation-oriented HAPs, India’s poorest will continue to suffer from extreme heat, paying with both their health and incomes,” he said. </p>
