Climate experts seek “right to cool down” to heat protection for informal sector workers in summer

Climate experts have proposed urgent measures, including paid heating leave, free water ATMs at the labor hub and legal recognition of the “right to cool down” to protect the informal Indian labor force in the extreme summer months.

More than 80% of workers in Delhi, including street vendors, construction workers and ugly workers, face serious health risks and loss of income due to extremely high calories. Experts say that women are disproportionately affected.

Amruta, an activist at Indian Greenpeace, stressed that heat waves are no longer just weather events, but disasters for people without shelter, water or rest space.

A Greenpeace India report last year found that 61% of street vendors lost more than 40% of their daily income during extremely high calorie periods, while 75% of street vendors were unable to access cooling infrastructure near their workplaces.

The impact of heat waves on informal workers

Chief Advisor Hisham Mundol, Chief Advisor for the Environmental Defense Foundation, said informal workers were the brunt, dehydration, heat stroke and chronic diseases such as kidney damage, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that between April and June, the highest temperatures in the northwest, central and eastern India will be higher than normal.

In the seasonal outlook, IMD warns that the number of heat wave days this summer may be higher than usual, especially in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and western Madya.

Complex risks faced by female workers

In April 2024 alone, Delhi recorded seven heat wave days, with a normal average of 2-3.

With 82% of working women in India engaged in informal labour, gender-responsive urban planning is crucial.

Amruta of India said women face more complex risks – lack of shadow vending areas, unsafe toilets and care burdens.

“Gender-responsive urban planning may include (free) public toilets with water and sanitation facilities that are accessible and safe seating areas near transport centers and markets. A feminist approach to confirming the importance of end-to-end connections in public transportation ensures that from buses and reliable people live, while enjoying good work and valuable work and enjoying good work.

Mr Mondor said urban planning needs general improvement, but the situation of women does have a great impact on them.

“Better facilities are needed for all facilities such as shelter, drinking water and other public facilities, and sensitive thinking must be adopted to ensure they are equally accessible and welcoming women,” he said.

Pradeep Shah, co-founder of the Social Project Initiative grow-trees.com, highlights the creation of shadows, child-friendly workspaces for enhanced security and resilience through gender-dispersed data.

India Cooling Action Plan

India’s Cooling Action Plan (2019) considers cooling to be a development need, but experts say it lacks in ensuring equitable access.

“The cooling gap must be resolved as a fundamental right. The ‘cooling right’ under Article 21 will make the shaded bus stops, cooling shelters and thermal comfort for all.”

Mr. Mundol stressed the need for city-level thermal action plans with enforceable measures – in red racing, uncommercially affordable paid leave hours, water stations and cooling shelters.

Experts have proposed several direct solutions to mitigate the impact of extreme heat on vulnerable groups.

These include installing shadow canopies made of heat-reflective materials in high flow areas, setting up free water cash machines near labor hubs to ensure hydration, and deploying mobile cooling stations with fans and basic first aid facilities.

Additionally, Amruta recommends making public parks accessible 24×7 as a natural cooling area for people without shelter.

She called for the formal declaration of heatwave as a national disaster that would unlock emergency funds and compensation mechanisms for affected workers.

“The legal framework must integrate climate justice to ensure that informal workers are not left behind,” she said.

Mondor responded to her sentiment, “Climate justice means supporting the impact of those who are under the lowest sense of responsibility but are affected the most.” He said that incorporating climate justice into urban planning would be a key determinant in making the city an attractive place to live and invest.

He added: “There is a need for green areas, shadows, water and health care services and they need to be especially organized in the presence of informal workers.”

Experts also highlighted the need for hyperterrestrial climate risk mapping and participatory programs to tailor solutions to community needs.

“Green space, shadows and water acquisition is not a luxury,” said Shah of Grow-Trees.com.

Amruta added that ward-level climate plans developed through direct community input can promote a more inclusive and resilient urban environment.