NEWS: India has more cities in the world’s 50 most heat-vulnerable list than any other country

CONTEXT

• An Oxford University studyà Found that India has the highest number of cities among the world’s 50 most heat-vulnerable cities, with 14 Indian cities on the list.
• Titled “Moving beyond exposure: A globally comparable framework for heat risk assessment in cities,”
• Assessed heat risk across 205 cities with populations of over one million.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The study measured heat risk through three factorsà hazard exposure, vulnerability, and coping capacity.
• India leads the list with 14 cities, followed by Nigeria with five and Pakistan with four among the top 50 heat-vulnerable cities.
• Among Indian cities, Ahmedabad ranks 2nd globally, followed by Nagpur at 4th, Madurai at 7th, Bhopal at 15th, and Kanpur at 20th.
• Maharashtra has the highest number of Indian cities in the top 50, with Nagpur, Pune and Mumbai, followed by Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh with two cities each.
• People living in slums, poorly ventilated homes, and areas with unreliable electricity or water are at higher risk, while cities with low tree cover and fewer open spaces have weaker coping capacity.
• Heat risk in cities depends not only on extreme temperatures but also on factors such as humidity, radiant heat, wind speed, socio-demographic vulnerability and the city’s capacity to cope.