India faces escalating heat stress and soaring demand for cooling. Bhubaneswar, one of the country’s most heat-affected cities, has introduced the first city-level Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan (IHCAP) in 2025. This plan aims to break the vicious cycle of rising urban temperatures and increasing air-conditioning use that worsens heat and emissions. It combines urban planning, green infrastructure, sustainable cooling, and heat adaptation under one strategy.
Heat Stress and Urban Heat Island Effect in Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar’s temperatures and humidity have steadily increased over four decades. Night-time heat has risen, reducing relief and increasing health risks. Heat stress now lasts from February to October. In 2024, the city experienced nearly 230 days of heat alerts. Rapid urban growth expanded built-up areas by 23%, while vegetation and water bodies shrank drastically. This intensified the urban heat island effect, making the city 2 to 5°C hotter than nearby rural areas. Outdoor workers suffer productivity losses of 20-30%, and the city lost 8.6% of annual income due to heat. Meanwhile, air conditioner ownership more than doubled between 2021 and 2023, with cooling consuming up to two-thirds of summer electricity.
Projected Future Challenges
By 2050, under moderate climate warming, typical hot days in Bhubaneswar will feel like ’s extreme heat days. Cooling demand could increase 7.6 times if current trends continue. This will strain electricity systems and deepen dependence on energy-intensive cooling, further worsening heat and emissions.
Core Components of Bhubaneswar’s IHCAP
The plan rests on five pillars: – Cool the City – Increase greenery, restore water bodies, promote cool roofs, and redesign streets to reduce heat. – Cool Buildings – Enforce energy conservation codes and climate-responsive designs to lower indoor heat. – Sustainable Cooling for All – Provide affordable, efficient cooling options like efficient fans, district cooling, and white roofs for low-income homes. – Enhance Heat Resilience – Strengthen electricity, water, and health infrastructure; create cooling shelters and public cooling points. – Adapt to Heat – Update heat alert systems to include humidity and night temperatures, offer insurance to vulnerable workers, and run awareness campaigns. These measures could reduce surface temperatures by up to 9.4°C and cut cooling electricity demand by 44-67% compared to a business-as-usual scenario.
Policy Integration and Wider Implications
Bhubaneswar’s IHCAP merges two national policies – the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) and the National Disaster Management Authority’s Heat Action Plan (HAP). This unified approach covers mitigation, sustainable cooling, and adaptation. However, scaling this framework requires updating master plans, building codes, and disaster management guidelines. Currently, only a fraction of new buildings comply with energy and eco-friendly codes. Urban planning must incorporate heat mitigation and resilient infrastructure.
Significance for India’s Urban Future
India’s urban population could reach 600-700 million by mid-century, mostly in heat-stressed cities. Without integrated action, heat will threaten outdoor work, deepen inequality, and increase energy demand. Bhubaneswar’s IHCAP offers a model for scientific, innovative, and policy-driven responses to urban heat challenges.
Questions for UPSC:
- Discuss the impact of urban heat islands on public health and energy consumption in Indian cities with suitable examples.
- Critically examine the role of sustainable urban planning in mitigating climate change effects in rapidly growing cities.
- Explain the challenges and opportunities of integrating disaster management and environmental policies in urban governance.
- With suitable examples, discuss the implications of rising heat stress on labour productivity and economic inequality in developing countries.