Editorial 1: ​It is time to protect India’s workers from the heat

Context

Millions of informal urban workers in India suffer due to flawed Heat Action Plans.

Introduction

In the first week of April 2025, Delhi hit a dangerous mark as temperatures rose above 41°C, and nights stayed hot. These extreme conditions are now the new normal. With climate change getting worse each year, Indian cities are at the center of a growing crisis.

• Heatwaves affect all, but urban informal workers bear the worst impact.
• In 2024, the RBI warned that extreme heat endangers health and livelihoods, risking a 4.5% GDP loss.
• Despite their essential roles and large numbers, these workers are excluded from urban heat response plans.
• This exclusion leads to deadly consequences.

Key challenges in current Heat Action Plans

• Many Indian cities have adopted Heat Action Plans (HAPs), inspired by Ahmedabad’s pioneering model.
• These plans are guided by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to handle frequent and intense heatwaves.
• Over a decade later, most HAPs remain perfunctory, underfunded, and poorly coordinated.
• A review reveals informal workers are largely excluded or vaguely referenced (as “outdoor workers” or “vulnerable groups”).
• Most HAPs treat heatwaves as short-term disasters, not symptoms of a deeper climate crisis.
• At the State level, HAPs lack protocols for occupational safety, hydration, cooling spaces, shade, or compensation for lost work.
• City-level HAPs focus on public health and awareness, neglecting livelihood impacts.
• Governance remains fragmented; ministries like Labour, Environment, Urban Affairs, and Health operate in silos without central coordination.
• Most city HAPs are crisis documents for summer months and lack long-term strategies such as urban cooling, heat-resilient infrastructure, or worker protections.

International and Indian Best Practices for Worker Protection

Region/Country	Worker Protection Measures
Ahmedabad, India	Adjusted working hours; shaded rest areas
Odisha, India	Mandated halt to outdoor work during peak hours
California & Oregon, USA	Employers must provide water, shade, rest breaks, and heat safety training
France (Plan Canicule)	Requires work adjustments, hydration during alerts, and opening of public cooling spaces
Qatar & Australia	Outdoor work restricted during peak heat; employers must assess and mitigate heat risks

Key Elements for a Worker-Centric Urban Heat Response

• A new urban heat response is urgently needed — worker-centred, just, and rooted in lived realities.
• NDMA’s 2019 Heat Guidelines must be updated to explicitly include informal workers.
• Framework should map occupational vulnerabilities for diverse groups:
  • Construction workers, street vendors, waste pickers, gig workers, rickshaw pullers
• Include actionable protocols:
  • Safe working hours, mandatory rest breaks, water access, emergency response mechanisms
• Worker participation in HAPs must be mandated at city and State levels.
• Top-down planning must shift to co-creation with:
  • Worker collectives, unions, welfare boards, civil society, community groups
• Recognize workers’ right to shade, rest, and cooling in public and workspaces.
• Develop shaded rest zones, hydration points, and cooling centres in:
  • Markets, transport hubs, labour chowks, construction sites, public buildings
• Ensure these are accessible, gender-sensitive, and co-managed by workers and communities.
• Institutionalise protections via norms, guidelines, and dedicated budgets.
• Enable innovative financing:
  • Use CSR funds, city budgets, and health insurance expansion for heat-related illnesses
• Promote community contributions in action plans.
• Scale up cool roofs, shaded walkways, and passive ventilation from pilots to standard practices.

Recommended Action Areas

Area	Key Measures
Policy Reform	Update NDMA guidelines to include informal workers and occupational mapping
Worker Participation	Mandate co-creation of HAPs with collectives, unions, and community groups
Infrastructure for Relief	Create rest zones, hydration points, and cooling centres in high-heat, high-density locations
Access and Inclusion	Ensure cooling infrastructure is gender-sensitive, public, and co-maintained
Institutional Mechanisms	Establish norms, operational guidelines, and allocate heat-specific budgets
Innovative Financing	Use CSR, urban development budgets, and insurance coverage for adaptation and protection
Built Environment Adaptation	Standardise cool roofs, shaded walkways, passive design in urban planning

As a part of city design and governance

• Embed heat resilience and worker safety into city design and governance.
• Integrate climate adaptation and worker inclusion into:
  • Master plans, building bye-laws, infrastructure codes
• Promote natural shade through:
  • Urban forests, tree corridors
• Plan blue networks including:
  • Water bodies, public resting spaces
• Retrofit informal workspaces (e.g., vendor markets, waste depots, labour chowks) for thermal comfort using climate-resilient materials and design.

National Coordination and Institutional Mechanisms

• Establish an inter-ministerial task force on climate and work at the national level.
• Include ministries:
  • Labour and Employment
  • Housing and Urban Affairs
  • Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • Health and Family Welfare
  • NDMA and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs)
• Develop an integrated road map linking:
  • Climate resilience, worker protection, and labour codes
• The task force must:
  • Guide cities, coordinate inter-agency efforts, and ensure accountability
• Appoint a dedicated heat officer in every city and district to:
  • Monitor heat response, manage implementation, and work across departments

Institutional and Governance Interventions

Governance Level	Key Actions
City Planning	Include heat safety in master plans, bye-laws, and infrastructure standards
Urban Greening	Expand tree corridors, create urban forests, integrate water bodies and rest areas
Informal Workspaces	Retrofit with climate-resilient designs to improve thermal comfort
National Coordination	Form inter-ministerial task force linking climate policy and labour rights
Local Implementation	Appoint heat officers to manage response, coordinate departments, and ensure accountability

Conclusion

For informal workers, the climate crisis is not a future problem — it is a daily reality. The cost of doing nothing is no longer just about rising temperatures — it is about lost lives, lost livelihoods, poor health, and uncertain futures.

Editorial 2: ​Sprouting sustainable, nutrition-sensitive food systems

Context

India’s battle with nutritional challenges must catalyze a transformation, ensuring that nutrition is woven into the fabric of agriculture and economic planning.

Introduction

The global food system is grappling with resource constraints and climate change while striving to maintain food accessibility and affordability. Despite being a key producer of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and livestock, India faces significant nutritional challenges, including both undernutrition and overnutrition, along with widespread micronutrient deficiencies. These issues threaten its demographic dividend and economic resilience. Ranked 105th out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2024, India’s food insecurity demands urgent intervention.

Addressing Malnutrition and Food System Challenges in India

• Undernutrition in India: The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-21) reveals alarming data:
  • Nearly 194 million Indians are undernourished.
  • 35.5% of children under five are stunted.
  • 32.1% of children under five are underweight.
  • 19.3% of children under five suffer from wasting.
• Rising Overweight and Obesity: There is a concerning rise in overweight and obesity:
  • 24% of women and 22.9% of men are affected by overweight and obesity.
• Anaemia in Women: A critical issue is the high prevalence of anaemia:
  • 57% of women of reproductive age are anaemic, highlighting the widespread problem of hidden hunger.
• Need for a Holistic Strategy: The data underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to tackle malnutrition in a holistic manner.
• Global Impact of Food System Failures: On a global scale, food system failures result in annual costs of nearly $12 trillion due to health, nutrition, and environmental degradation.
• India’s Vulnerabilities and Opportunities: Given India’s rapid population growth and climate vulnerabilities, an unsustainable trajectory is not viable. However, this crisis presents a powerful opportunity to:
  • Transform food systems around nutrition, sustainability, and equity.
  • Boost national well-being and support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The nutrition challenge as a perfect storm

• Food Insecurity Beyond Hunger: Food insecurity is now about more than just hunger; it encompasses all forms of malnutrition, including diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Affordability of Healthy Diets: Millions, including food producers, are unable to afford a healthy diet. According to the FAO, 55.6% of Indians are unable to afford nutritious food.
• Rising Cost of Nutritious Food: The cost of nutritious food has risen significantly, from $2.86 per person per day in 2017 to $3.36 (purchasing power parity, PPP) in 2022.
• Structural Flaws in Food Systems: Structural flaws in food systems worsen the situation, while climate change threatens crop yields, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, intensifying nutritional vulnerability.
• Impact of Malnutrition: If not addressed, malnutrition will continue to hinder human capital development, increase health-care costs, and reduce economic productivity.

Transforming food systems

Strategy	Description
Sustainable, Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems	Ensure access to healthy, safe, and affordable food through a multi-sectoral approach involving governments, businesses, communities, and health & nutrition sectors.
Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture	Integrate nutrition goals in agricultural policies:  – Promote climate-resilient and biofortified crops  – Enhance crop diversity  – Improve post-harvest storage for better food security and dietary quality.
Community-Led Nutrition Interventions	Address nutrition determinants using the NSCP model:  – Soil & water conservation  – WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)  – Healthcare access through bottom-up approaches.
School-Based Nutrition Programs	Combat childhood malnutrition through Nutri-Pathshala:  – Incorporate biofortified grains in school meals  – Support local agriculture by sourcing from nearby farmers.
Strengthening Social Safety Nets	Improve access to nutritious food for vulnerable populations by:  – Enhancing PDS and mid-day meals with nutrient-rich, indigenous foods  – Incorporating behavioral change campaigns for healthy eating.
Private Sector Contribution	Shift food production towards nutrition priorities:  – Use clear labeling, digital education tools (e.g., QR codes)  – Innovate in fortification, plant-based foods, and nutrient-dense foods.
Tackling Climate and Economic Vulnerabilities	Address vulnerabilities through:  – Climate-smart agriculture  – Rural economic opportunities  – Gender-sensitive policies to enhance resilience.
Widespread Awareness Campaigns	Promote nutrition awareness through grassroots initiatives:  – Interactive tools (e.g., ‘MyPlate Blast Off’ game)  – Radio programming to reach communities with limited digital access.
Place-Based Innovation for SDGs	Support SDGs 2, 3, and 12 by using region-specific innovation:  – Micronutrient-rich crops  – Decentralized processing  – Local food networks connecting farmers, processors, and consumers.

Role of nutrition and health communities

• The health and nutrition sectors play a crucial role in driving the transformation of food systems. Nutritionists, public health experts, and policymakers must work together to integrate nutrition into agriculture and economic planning.
• Addressing malnutrition and NCDs requires systemic approaches that tackle inequality and foster climate resilience.
• Initiatives like NSCP and Nutri-Pathshala demonstrate the power of combining nutrition with agriculture, education, and social development.

Conclusion

Incremental changes are no longer adequate. A bold transformation of food systems is essential. Governments must align policies with nutritional goals, businesses must adopt sustainable practices, and civil society must champion inclusive, community-driven solutions. Nutrition must be the cornerstone in shaping food systems, economies, and policies. A healthy, well-nourished population is the bedrock of a resilient and equitable society. The challenge is great, but the opportunity is equally vast. Now is the time to act.