Development and Implementation of South Asia’s First Heat-Health Action Plan in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India)

Ahmedabad, India, has pioneered South Asia’s first comprehensive Heat-Health Action Plan to mitigate the growing threat of heat waves, which are expected to intensify with climate change. The plan combines evidence-based strategies—including probabilistic weather forecasting, policy briefs for vulnerable populations, and targeted public outreach—to reduce heat-related health risks. Developed through a coalition effort involving local data analysis, expert consultations, and community engagement, the pilot program was implemented in 2013 and has since served as a model for scalability to other Indian cities. Key innovations include a 7-day early warning system that triggers adaptive measures before extreme heat events, demonstrating an effective framework for urban heat resilience.

Knowlton, K., Kulkarni, S., Azhar, G., Mavalankar, D., Jaiswal, A., Connolly, M., Nori-Sarma, A., Rajiva, A., Dutta, P., Deol, B., Sanchez, L., Khosla, R., Webster, P., Toma, V., Sheffield, P., Hess, J., & The Ahmedabad Heat and Climate Study Group. (2014). Development and Implementation of South Asia’s First Heat-Health Action Plan in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(4), 3473–3492. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110403473