The intensity and severity of heatwaves in India and across the globe have been steadily rising. Some desert regions in India are now experiencing extreme temperatures—reaching as high as 52°C. What once felt exceptional is now becoming the norm. Every summer, the front pages of newspapers have startling headlines on how heat has broken a new record, TV anchors warn people not to step outside in the afternoon, while energy drink advertisements flood our personal electronic screens.

We hear about various heat-related advisories about what to do and what not to do. But the real question is: Where does heat sit in people’s list of priorities? Can everyone afford to stay indoors during peak heat hours? Can they avoid outdoor work or choose not to cook in front of a wood-fired stove? Can everyone afford to have energy drinks? During our field visits to low income settlements in Jodhpur, Rajasthan—a desert region known for its dry heat—we asked residents about how rising temperatures were affecting their lives and what was their perception about increasing heat. Their responses were revealing: “We have bigger problems to worrabout.”; “We’re used to the heat, we have no option.”; “We don’t even have electricity”; “Ourhomes get flooded in the rainy season”; “We don’t have enough to eat or enough money to send our children to school” In Bhubaneswar, the same questions elicit different responses –“heat makes me feel fatigued,” “heat is exhausting” and “we get heatwave warnings” is oft accompanied by “but, I don’t seek treatment for it”, “there isn’t much to do about it”, or “home remedies are the only things to do”.

It became abundantly evident, that for many heat is not a concern to be denied, not is it one to be prioritised. Extreme heat while being recognised as causing discomfort, is a part of normal life, to be indeed “normalised”, and coping with heat doesn’t really make it to the top of the to do list. in a list of things to do. No doubt the list of vulnerabilities can appear overwhelming and play a significant role which contributes to normalization of heat. Nonetheless, there is a
lot to build upon – the presence of some level of awareness of heat related illnesses, , using home remedies to cope, and knowledge of heat warnings. In particular, it is a shout-out to the need for planned interventions that don’t rely solely on individual action among the most vulnerable. Solutions beyond those that are perceived to place the burden of adaptation on the very people who are least equipped to carry it are important – for instance, public health interventions at the community door-step, at the pharmacy, the local community centre, a trained local health worker, cool water in schools. Co-creating solutions with communities, that account for place-specific heat vulnerabilities, will account for the lived realities of people in developing acceptable and effective solutions. We can achieve so much by mixing innovative approaches with traditional practises.

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