Climate change and its impact on people’s lives is more than evident in India. It has been learnt that at least 31 million people in India aged over 65 years have faced health problems due to heatwaves between 2000 and 2016. Weather-related disasters increased 46 per cent in 2007-16 as compared with the 1990-99 average, Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change said. The increasing heat had also played its part leading to a loss in labour productivity in India due to a decline in the capability for physical labour, especially in rural areas. In just one immediately impactful example, it has been revealed that the ability of just one type of dengue-carrying mosquito to transmit the disease to humans had increased by 9.4 per cent since 1950 as a result of rising temperatures.
The Lancet Countdown is a comprehensive analysis that tracks progress on climate change on 40 key indicators. It is a collaboration between 24 academic institutions and intergovernmental organisations including WHO and the World Meteorological Organization. As events worsen over time, current levels of adaptation will quickly become insufficient, Dr Nick Watts, executive director, The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, told Indian Express.
By combining multiple data sources, undertaking new analysis and devising new indicators, the report tracks progress in five areas: climate change impacts, exposures and vulnerabilities; adaptation planning and resilience for health; mitigation actions and health co-benefits; economics and finance; and political and public engagement. The report has noted that an increasing number of countries and cities were developing preparedness plans to mitigate the impact of climate change. In 2016, 449 cities worldwide reported having undertaken a risk assessment. However, the majority were in high-income countries, with 83% of European cities surveyed, compared to 28% of African cities.
