Heatwaves in India: A Growing Climate Challenge

In 2024, India faced an average of nearly 20 heatwave days per person, with climate change accounting for about 6.6 days. This resulted in a loss of 247 billion labour hours and a potential income loss of USD 194 billion. The agriculture and construction sectors were heavily impacted.

The Lancet journal has published a startling report revealing that in 2024, residents of India experienced nearly 20 days of heatwaves each, on average, with climate change making 6.6 of those days avoidable. This is part of a broader global trend highlighting the devastating health and economic impacts of climate change.

According to this comprehensive international analysis, the extreme heat exposure resulted in an unprecedented loss of 247 billion potential labour hours in India as of 2024, equating to nearly 420 hours per person annually. The agriculture sector shouldered 66% and the construction sector accounted for 20% of these losses.

Published in context with COP30, the report stresses the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels and adapt to climate change. It calls attention to the rising heat-related deaths, which have increased by 23% since the 1990s, and the surge of dengue spread potential globally by up to 49% since the 1950s.