Heat Officer: If Bangladesh can, India should, Uttar Pradesh must!

Extreme heat stands as the foremost health and mortality menace spawned by our shifting climate. Alarming projections suggest that, by 2050, heat waves will encroach upon the lives and sustenance of over 3.5 billion individuals globally. Half of this staggering number will dwell in urban sprawls, rendering extreme heat a grave concern for cities. The peril of extreme heat is a growing specter that threatens to intensify with each passing year.

India’s heat dilemma: A rising menace

India, housing a population nearing 1.5 billion, finds itself uniquely susceptible to heat stress due to its geographic disposition. Resting in the tropics, the country receives copious solar radiation all year round. Compounding this, a significant portion of India’s landmass is arid or semi-arid, making it prone to the ravages of heatwaves and droughts. Additionally, the concentration of India’s populace in urban areas fosters the urban heat island effect, amplifying the temperature disparity between urban and rural zones.

Economic ramifications: The cost of inaction

India, on its trajectory to becoming a 5 trillion-dollar economy, confronts a hidden economic toll due to falling productivity in the face of extreme temperatures. Astonishingly, this could already be siphoning off a significant 5.4% of India’s GDP, as revealed by a Climate Policy Initiative report.

Uttar Pradesh: The frontline battler

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and the world’s largest sub-national entity, shoulders a daunting responsibility in confronting the burgeoning impacts of climate change. Thankfully, the state has already taken significant strides, emerging as a pioneer in climate action within India. It boasts the distinction of being the first state in the country to establish a dedicated Climate Change authority and promulgate climate action plans at the gram panchayat level. Remarkably, Uttar Pradesh has also delved into promoting climate-resilient agriculture, notably the cultivation of aromatic plants in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.

But just as there are economic ramifications for India, Uttar Pradesh is no different, especially in the light of the fact that the State government plans to make Uttar Pradesh a trillion-dollar economy in the next five years.

However, heat stress and other vagaries have the potential to pull back the growth of the State.

An unprecedented move: The proposal for a Heat Officer

In June 2023, Uttar Pradesh found itself in the grip of a scorching heatwave that, according to media reports, claimed nearly a hundred lives due to heat-aggravated conditions. Over 54 fatalities occurred within the Ballia district, situated about 300km southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. The state government however refrained from attributing the deaths to intense heat, prompting a rethink on disaster response strategies.

Considering the alarming escalation of extreme heat events, there is a pressing need for an innovative approach in disaster response.

The Relief Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, Naveen Kumar GS, advocates for a comprehensive climate-centric approach to tackle natural disasters. He is actively contemplating the appointment of a dedicated heat officer for Uttar Pradesh, a pioneering step that could make the state the first sub-national entity in the world to have such a specialized position.

The role of a Heat Officer: Charting the path forward

A Heat Officer bears the crucial responsibility of harmonizing the response efforts of their local governments in the face of extreme heat. This officer shall carry the mandate to both expedite existing heat protection initiatives and pioneer new endeavors aimed at mitigating the risks and consequences of extreme heat for their residents and constituents.

A heat officer’s primary focus centers on combatting the perils posed by extreme heat and curtailing the adverse effects of urban heat islands. Here are some of the key duties and obligations of a heat officer:

Raising Awareness: They take the lead in enlightening their constituents and peers about the risks associated with extreme heat and promoting viable solutions.

Vulnerability Assessment: Identifying communities and population segments most susceptible to the impacts of extreme heat and devising comprehensive strategies to safeguard them.

Collaborative Efforts: They work in close coordination with local government agencies, community organizations, and various stakeholders to formulate and execute heat mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Emergency Response Planning: Developing and implementing comprehensive heat emergency response plans, which may involve the establishment of cooling centers and other measures designed to protect vulnerable populations during heatwaves.

Research and Analysis: Conducting in-depth research and analysis to gain a better understanding of how extreme heat affects local communities and to identify effective strategies for mitigating its impacts.

The global precedent: Heat Officers worldwide

Currently, there are eight heat officers worldwide, all functioning at the city level. If Uttar Pradesh eventually appoints a Heat Officer, it will become the first sub-national entity globally to appoint a dedicated heat officer.

Over the past three years, there has been a notable global trend of appointing chief heat officers (CHOs) in various local governments to address the pressing issue of heat vulnerability. In the United States, cities such as Miami, Los Angeles, and Phoenix have embraced this innovative approach, with Miami taking the pioneering step in April 2021 by appointing Jane Gilbert, an esteemed environmental expert, as the world’s inaugural CHO.

The global adoption of this approach extends beyond American borders. In July 2021, Athens, Greece, joined the ranks by appointing its CHO. Similarly, in October of the same year, Sierra Leone emerged as a trailblazer in Africa, designating Eugénia Kargbo to oversee the management of extreme heat in Freetown, its capital. Moving south to South America, Chile’s Santiago appointed its CHO in November, marking a significant development for the continent. In Mexico, Monterrey also took proactive measures by dedicating an official specifically to address heat-related issues. Australia’s Melbourne stands out with the distinction of having not one, but two chief heat officers, underscoring the severity of the issue in the region.

Meanwhile, our neighbour Bangladesh takes the lead in Asia, being the sole country on the continent to have an official tasked with tackling rising temperatures.

Potential benefits of appointing a Heat Officer

Considering the State’s intention of becoming a trillion dollar economy in the next few years and the potential of heat and climate vagaries to pull back economic growth, the appointment of a dedicated heat officer in Uttar Pradesh could herald a host of socioeconomic benefits. From bolstering public health and labor productivity to enhancing urban livability and agricultural productivity, the positive ramifications of such a move are substantial. Furthermore, it can fortify the state’s resilience to the growing specter of climate change, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for its citizens.

As global temperatures surge, the urgency to appoint heat officers becomes ever more pronounced. By 2050, a staggering 970 cities globally are projected to experience average summertime highs of 35°C, a nearly threefold increase from the current 354 cities. The need for local adaptation strategies is paramount, and heat officers can serve as the vanguards in implementing these strategies. Drawing inspiration from successful initiatives in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico, Uttar Pradesh can forge its path toward a cooler, more sustainable future.

Parting thoughts

As the Relief Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh contemplates the groundbreaking appointment of a dedicated heat officer, hope blossoms for the 230 million residents of the world’s largest sub-national entity. The potential positive impact of such a proactive step cannot be overstated, promising a safer, more resilient future for the people of Uttar Pradesh. The world watches, awaiting the dawn of a new era in climate-resilient governance.

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