A City That Learned to Cool: Lessons from Ahmedabad’s Heat Action Plan

Burning up by Nivedita Bansal

Fifteen years ago, Ahmedabad faced a brutal heatwave that claimed 1,344 lives in May 2010 compared to the preceding and following years. This tragic statistic laid bare the vulnerability of our urban population to extreme heat and highlighted a shocking lack of preparedness for weather-related emergencies. It was a wake-up call that spurred action, leading to a pioneering initiative that would not only save lives but also set a precedent for cities across India.

In 2013, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in partnership with public health and policy experts, launched the Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan, marking a groundbreaking step as the first municipal plan of its kind in South Asia. A Heat Action Plan (HAP) provides a framework for implementation, coordination, and evaluation of extreme heat response activities that reduce the negative impact of heat waves. This policy tool plays a critical role in preventing heat-related deaths, safeguarding vulnerable populations, reducing the incidence of heatwave-induced illnesses, strengthening the preparedness of hospitals and health centers, and advancing toward greater climate resilience. 

(Also read: Please, don’t bring the heat: On Urban Heat Islands)

Ahmedabad pioneered a HAP that employs a strategic framework including public awareness campaigns, an early warning system, and capacity building for city officials, coupled with practical measures aimed at reducing heat exposure for vulnerable populations. During the summer, temperature forecasts trigger heat warnings, with a dedicated nodal officer issuing alerts to a wide array of stakeholders—from hospitals and outdoor workers to schools and places of worship. Each entity has a defined role in safeguarding the community.

Free ORS packets are distributed at health centers and bus stands, construction sites close during peak heat hours, and water stations are set up throughout the city. Public parks remain accessible until 11 pm, while places of worship serve as cooling centers, ensuring refuge from the sweltering heat. The AMC even activates 95 fountains to provide immediate relief on particularly hot days.

Heat soaring sky high

What truly sets the Ahmedabad model apart is its emphasis on training and education. Officials across various sectors undergo rigorous training to enhance their capacity and resilience, while citizens are encouraged to hydrate, rest, and seek help. Multilingual information campaigns have made vital knowledge on adapting to heat stress widely accessible through mass messaging and local news.

(Also read: Monsoons: a lifeline and threat, will climate change tip the balance?)

Since the implementation of the HAP in 2013, it is estimated to have saved around 1,100 lives annually, with the most significant reductions in mortality observed during extremely hot days. This remarkable success is attributed not only to efficient regulatory measures but also to the framing of heat stress as a public health crisis that affects everyone. 

As we look ahead, the Ahmedabad HAP stands as an instructive case for cities worldwide, especially with escalating temperatures looming over our future. A simple yet effective measure was using color-coded heat alerts, which triggered quick and coordinated responses across agencies. Vulnerable groups were identified and targeted through local media and multilingual awareness campaigns. Additionally, medical staff received training to better treat heat-related illnesses. A crucial insight from the Ahmedabad HAP is its adaptive character. The plan undergoes annual updates using mortality and temperature data to enhance its effectiveness.

With soaring, unbearable temperatures across the Indian subcontinent and increasingly frequent extreme heatwaves, heat action plans serve as a powerful tool to manage heat stress. Between 2010 and 2022, heatwaves caused over ten thousand deaths in India. India is among the most vulnerable countries to increasing heat, and the adoption of well-designed and implemented HAPs can be critical in reducing heat-related mortality and illnesses in the coming decades.

(Also read: What does becoming a C40 city mean for Mumbai?)

Map of Indian states with Heat Action Plans

The Ahmedabad story sparked a cascade of responses across India, with over 100 cities and districts developing their heat action plans in the following years. However, there is still much to be done. Only 37 out of these HAPs are publicly accessible. Research from the Centre for Policy Research found that merely three of the 37 evaluated Heat Action Plans (HAPs) disclosed their funding sources, highlighting a significant gap that jeopardizes the sustainability of these vital interventions. To effectively execute heat action plans, substantial investment is necessary for enhancing infrastructure and health initiatives, emphasizing the need for transparency regarding financial resources to ensure sound governance.

Map of cities and districts in India with Heat Action Plans

(For the full list of states, districts, and cities with a Heat Action Plan, scroll to the table at the end of the article.)

Despite these challenges, the lessons learned from India's successes and failures should not be confined to our borders but shared widely to inform other cities looking to bolster their resilience against extreme weather. A key takeaway is that one-size-fits-all strategies don't work. In countries across Africa, India's model of combining scientific forecasts with indigenous coping practices, like adjusting work hours and using traditional cooling methods, can be adapted to fit local realities. Standardizing these behaviours into official action plans makes them easier to scale and implement. 

In regions like Europe, climate change has disrupted atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to more frequent heatwaves. These heatwaves are often intensified by the urban heat island effect and compounded by inadequate adaptation capacity. This year, at least 8 people have died across Europe as the early summer heatwave has hit the continent with soaring temperatures. Europe must prioritize long-term, data-informed, and infrastructure-focused initiatives, such as urban greening and the restoration of natural water bodies. Nature-based solutions, paired with culturally relevant public messaging, will be crucial for enhancing resilience in cities that are not accustomed to life-threatening heat.

India’s HAPs also demonstrate the power of low-cost, scalable interventions: early warning systems, interagency coordination, and public awareness campaigns have saved countless lives at minimal expense. Perhaps most importantly, India’s approach shows that learning from past disasters, integrating local knowledge, and maintaining flexible, community-centered plans is key to surviving a hotter future. 

In a time when climate change is an omnipresent threat, Ahmedabad’s story forms a beacon of hope. It exemplifies that with regulation, community engagement, and targeted education, cities can transform vulnerability into resilience, ensuring the safety and well-being of their populations in the face of rising temperatures.

(Also read: How Urban Green Spaces Can Lead To Gentrification?)

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Name	Type
Ahmedabad	City
Akola	District
Andhra Pradesh	State
Arunachal Pradesh	State
Bhubaneshwar	City
Bihar	State
Buldhana	District
Chandrapur	District
Chhattisgarh	State
Goa	State
Gondia	District
Gorakhpur	City
Gujarat	State
Haryana	State
Hazaribagh	District
Himachal Pradesh	State
Jalgaon	District
Jharkhand	State
Karnataka	State
Kerala	State
Latur	District
Nagpur	City
Nanded	District
Odisha	State
Patiala	City
Rajasthan	State
Rajkot	City
Rewari	District
Surat	City
Tamil Nadu	State
Telangana	State
Uttar Pradesh	State
Vadodara	City
Vellore	District
Vijayawada	City
Wardha	District
Washim	District

References: 

Al Jazeera. (2025, July 2). Several people die amid record-breaking heatwave across Europe. Al Jazeera. Retrieved July 3, 2025, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/2/several-people-die-amid-record-breaking-heatwave-across-europe

Centre for Policy Research. (2023, March 27). How is India adapting to heatwaves? Retrieved July 3, 2025, from https://cprindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Heat-Report_27March-23_Updated-Table.pdf

C40 Knowledge Community. (2019, April). Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Ahmedabad-Heat-Action-Plan-2019?language=en_US

Knowlton, K., Kulkarni, S., Azhar, G., Mavalankar, D., Jaiswal, A., Connolly, M., Nori-Sarma, A., Rajiva, A., Dutta, P., Deol, B., Sanchez, L., Khosla, R., Webster, P., Toma, V., Sheffield, P., & Hess, J. (2014). Development and implementation of South Asia’s first heat-health action plan in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(4), 3473–3492. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110403473

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2019). Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan 2019 update. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ahmedabad-heat-action-plan-2019-update.pdf

Natural Resources Defense Council. (n.d.). Ahmedabad Resilience Toolkit. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ahmedabad-resilience-toolkit.pdf

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2022, May). Expanding heat resilience across India: Heat action plan highlights. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/india-heat-resilient-cities-ib.pdf

NDTV. (2010, May 26). Gujarat reels under severe heat wave, 100 dead. NDTV. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/gujarat-reels-under-severe-heat-wave-100-dead-419109

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2019, June 4). New evidence shows pioneering heat action plan helps millions avoid killer heat. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/media/2019/190603-0

Natural Resources Defense Council. (2015). Evaluation of Ahmedabad’s heat action plan. Retrieved July 22, 2022, from https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ahmedabad-hap-evaluation.pdf