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Heat Wave Vulnerability Mapping for India

Author

Listed:
  • Gulrez Azhar

    (The RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA
    Pardee RAND Graduate School, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA)

  • Shubhayu Saha

    (Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA)

  • Partha Ganguly

    (Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382042, India
    Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi 110070, India)

  • Dileep Mavalankar

    (Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382042, India
    Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi 110070, India)

  • Jaime Madrigano

    (The RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA)

Abstract

Assessing geographic variability in heat wave vulnerability forms the basis for planning appropriate targeted adaptation strategies. Given several recent deadly heatwaves in India, heat is increasingly being recognized as a public health problem. However, to date there has not been a country-wide assessment of heat vulnerability in India. We evaluated demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental vulnerability factors and combined district level data from several sources including the most recent census, health reports, and satellite remote sensing data. We then applied principal component analysis (PCA) on 17 normalized variables for each of the 640 districts to create a composite Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) for India. Of the total 640 districts, our analysis identified 10 and 97 districts in the very high and high risk categories (> 2SD and 2-1SD HVI) respectively. Mapping showed that the districts with higher heat vulnerability are located in the central parts of the country. On examination, these are less urbanized and have low rates of literacy, access to water and sanitation, and presence of household amenities. Therefore, we concluded that creating and mapping a heat vulnerability index is a useful first step in protecting the public from the health burden of heat. Future work should incorporate heat exposure and health outcome data to validate the index, as well as examine sub-district levels of vulnerability.

Suggested Citation

  • Gulrez Azhar & Shubhayu Saha & Partha Ganguly & Dileep Mavalankar & Jaime Madrigano, 2017. "Heat Wave Vulnerability Mapping for India," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:4:p:357-:d:94554
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alan Barreca & Karen Clay & Olivier Deschenes & Michael Greenstone & Joseph S. Shapiro, 2013. "Adapting to Climate Change: The Remarkable Decline in the U.S. Temperature-Mortality Relationship over the 20th Century," NBER Working Papers 18692, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Whitman, S. & Good, G. & Donoghue, E.R. & Benbow, N. & Shou, W. & Mou, S., 1997. "Mortality in Chicago attributed to the July 1995 heat wave," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(9), pages 1515-1518.
    3. Junzhe Bao & Xudong Li & Chuanhua Yu, 2015. "The Construction and Validation of the Heat Vulnerability Index, a Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-15, June.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wei Zhang & Phil McManus & Elizabeth Duncan, 2018. "A Raster-Based Subdividing Indicator to Map Urban Heat Vulnerability: A Case Study in Sydney, Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, November.
    3. Minxuan Zheng & Jiahua Zhang & Lamei Shi & Da Zhang & Til Prasad Pangali Sharma & Foyez Ahmed Prodhan, 2020. "Mapping Heat-Related Risks in Northern Jiangxi Province of China Based on Two Spatial Assessment Frameworks Approaches," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Fei Li & Tan Yigitcanlar & Madhav Nepal & Kien Nguyen Thanh & Fatih Dur, 2022. "Understanding Urban Heat Vulnerability Assessment Methods: A PRISMA Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-34, September.

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