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2 min readBengaluruApr 8, 2026 04:44 PM IST
Studies have shown that Asia is warming at a rate twice that of the rest of the continents, and the risk of heat-related deaths is comparatively higher.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia-led Heat Information Hub was launched in New Delhi on Tuesday on the occasion of World Health Day.
The hub will work in tandem with the South Asia Climate and Health Desk to ensure heat-related early warnings and bring together the regional-level players, ensuring smooth exchange of knowledge and good practices, and inform about policy, all of which is aimed at reducing heat-related risks, both to life and property.
India suffers from heatwaves during the summer and has been experiencing multi-sectoral heat-related stress, making communities and resources more vulnerable. Studies have shown that Asia is warming at a rate twice that of the rest of the continents, and the risk of heat-related deaths is comparatively higher.
Some of the warmest years India experiences were in the 21st century, with the warmest years being 2024, 2016, 2009, 2010, and 2017. Last year, India recorded the eighth warmest year with the mean land surface-air temperature remaining 0.28 degrees Celsius above the 1991 – 2020 long-term average.
The Heat Hub will work with regional and national partners to deliver tangible benefits for families, workers, schools, hospitals, and city administration officials starting this summer by providing temperature and heat-related alerts.
They suggest safer working windows, issue timely cooling actions, and work towards strengthening policy advice for health services.
The hub will work closely with the regional centres of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) along with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, towards bridging the gap between heat forecast and actionable public response.
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The Heat Hub is a partnership between the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Natural Resources Defense Council, and BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health.
Over the next few years, the Heat Hub aims to join hands with over 60 institutions, train over 500 professionals, and strengthen heat action plans across India and South Asia.
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