Heatwaves & Cool Heads – We shouldn’t panic about summer extremes, because there are well-understood solutions. The trick is to implement them smartly

Source: The post is based on the article “Heatwaves & Cool Heads – We shouldn’t panic about summer extremes, because there are well-understood solutions. The trick is to implement them smartly” published in The Times of India on 22nd April 2023.

Syllabus: GS-3: Disaster Management.

Relevance: About the impact of heatwaves.

News: Heatwaves have forced schools to close in parts of Meghalaya and Tripura. Indian Meteorological Department has also issued warning to nine states facing heatwaves simultaneously.

What are heat waves?

How can heat waves be fatal?

How heat waves are increasing along with climate change?

Heatwaves have increased every decade since the 1980s, and they now engulf most of the country. With climate change, temperature and humidity are rising together, leading to high wet-bulb temperatures.

At 1. 5°C warming, there will be more severe heatwaves. At 2°C, “deadly” heatwaves would frequently cross 35°C wet-bulb temperatures, which is the limit of human survivability.

What are the various Geoengineering solutions to combat climate change?

Can Geoengineering solutions mitigate heatwave impacts?

Geoengineering solutions have enormous uncertainty and unintended consequences to manage extreme heat. For instance, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) would not immediately cool the area or save lives. It would take months before the planet starts cooling due to sulphur spray.

Note: SAI involves spraying sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere to mimic the cooling effect of a volcanic eruption.

What are the ideal solutions for heat waves?

Reducing carbon emissions: This is the cheapest and the best option to limit warming and deadly heat waves. Further, this can be done by deploying existing technologies – solar and wind energy, energy-efficient appliances, green buildings, electric vehicles, and reducing wasteful consumption. This will also support green growth and jobs.

Redesign cities and buildings to adapt to heatwaves: This entails incorporating more open spaces, green areas, and water bodies into urban landscapes. Also, buildings must be energy-efficient, with well-insulated walls and roofs and effective shading and ventilation systems to maintain a cool interior.

Need a new heat code based on the wet-bulb temperature: This is because many regions in India are now experiencing wet-bulb temperatures exceeding 30°C during certain parts of the year. But Indian guidelines are based on dry-bulb temperature hence, they do not capture this.

Both the Global countries and India are moving in the right decarbonisation trajectory. This will aid in mitigating climate impacts with active youth participation.