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Source: The post is based on the article “Heat Action Plans(HAPs)” published in “PIB” on 7th December 2023
Why in the News?
The Union Minister of Earth Sciences has informed about the steps taken by the Government of India against Heat Waves.
What are Heat Waves?
What are the Steps taken by the Government against Heat Waves?
1) Climate Hazards and Vulnerability Atlas of India:
| Specifications | Details |
| Prepared by | India Meteorological Department (IMD) |
| Purpose | It is a web based atlas that provides information on the hazard and vulnerability of 13 disastrous meteorological events including heat waves. |
| Key Features | 1) The atlas is depicted using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. 2) The atlas offers district-level maps showcasing hazard events and vulnerability for all months and annually. 3) The maps are prepared based on the disaster data from the annual publication of IMD “Annual Disastrous Weather Reports”. |
| Key Findings of Atlas on Heat waves | 1) Vulnerability districts: 13% of districts and 15% of population are moderately to very highly vulnerable to heat waves. 2) Most vulnerable states: Rajasthan (15 districts) and Andhra Pradesh (13 districts) are the states most susceptible to heat waves. |
2) Heat Action Plans (HAP): IMD has collaborated with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and local health departments to start Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in many parts of the country to warn and advise about heat waves.
– At present, HAPs have been implemented in 23 States that are prone to high temperatures leading to heat-wave conditions.
– In these states, daily heat wave bulletins are issued with 5-day forecasts and color-coded impacts (green, yellow, orange, red).
Note: State governments are responsible for implementing and monitoring HAP.
3) Awareness generation through various platforms: IMD is conveying heat wave information with the help of daily and weekly video messages on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.
UPSC Syllabus: Disaster Management
