Launch and Objectives
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia has inaugurated the Heat Information Hub in New Delhi in recognition of World Health Day. This initiative aims to address the growing threat of heat-related incidents in the region.
The hub will collaborate with the South Asia Climate and Health Desk to provide early warnings regarding heat events. It seeks to unite regional stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, thereby informing policies designed to diminish heat-related hazards that jeopardize both health and property.
Context of Rising Temperatures
India faces severe heatwaves during the summer months, leading to a multi-sectoral strain on communities and resources. Recent research indicates that Asia is warming at twice the rate of other continents, with a corresponding increase in the likelihood of heat-related fatalities.
Historical data highlights that the current century has experienced some of the hottest years on record in India, with 2024, 2016, 2009, 2010, and 2017 noted as particularly warm. The previous year, 2025, was classified as the eighth warmest, with mean land surface temperatures recorded at 0.28 degrees Celsius above the long-term average from 1991 to 2020.
Operational Approach
The Heat Hub plans to provide immediate benefits to various sectors, including families, workers, schools, hospitals, and local government officials, through the dissemination of temperature and heat-related alerts. These alerts will guide safer working conditions, timely cooling actions, and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing health services.
Moreover, the hub will establish a close partnership with regional offices of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) located in Pune. This collaboration aims to close the gap between heat forecasts and actionable responses from the public.
Collaborative Partnership
The Heat Hub is a joint effort involving the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health. This partnership is poised to strengthen collective action against rising heat risks in the region.
In the coming years, the Heat Hub aspires to collaborate with more than 60 institutions, train in excess of 500 professionals, and bolster integrated heat action plans across India and the wider South Asian region.
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Contents
Launch and ObjectivesThe UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia has inaugurated the Heat Information Hub in New Delhi in recognition of World Health Day. This initiative aims to address the growing threat of heat-related incidents in the region.The hub will collaborate with the South Asia Climate and Health Desk to provide early warnings regarding heat events. It seeks to unite regional stakeholders to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, thereby informing policies designed to diminish heat-related hazards that jeopardize both health and property.Context of Rising TemperaturesIndia faces severe heatwaves during the summer months, leading to a multi-sectoral strain on communities and resources. Recent research indicates that Asia is warming at twice the rate of other continents, with a corresponding increase in the likelihood of heat-related fatalities.Historical data highlights that the current century has experienced some of the hottest years on record in India, with 2024, 2016, 2009, 2010, and 2017 noted as particularly warm. The previous year, 2025, was classified as the eighth warmest, with mean land surface temperatures recorded at 0.28 degrees Celsius above the long-term average from 1991 to 2020.Operational ApproachThe Heat Hub plans to provide immediate benefits to various sectors, including families, workers, schools, hospitals, and local government officials, through the dissemination of temperature and heat-related alerts. These alerts will guide safer working conditions, timely cooling actions, and policy recommendations aimed at enhancing health services.Moreover, the hub will establish a close partnership with regional offices of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) located in Pune. This collaboration aims to close the gap between heat forecasts and actionable responses from the public.Collaborative PartnershipThe Heat Hub is a joint effort involving the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health. This partnership is poised to strengthen collective action against rising heat risks in the region.In the coming years, the Heat Hub aspires to collaborate with more than 60 institutions, train in excess of 500 professionals, and bolster integrated heat action plans across India and the wider South Asian region.
