Opinion | How economic inequality magnifies exposure to crippling, extreme heat

In this second instalment in a series of articles for Hindustan Times, Neelanjan Sircar, Director, Centre for Rapid Insights (CRI), on how citizens cope with heat — i.e., their capacity to mitigate the negative impacts of extreme temperatures. Excerpts below:

“Overall, about 32% of the sample said that their home is hot and uncomfortable, displaying widespread lack of capacity to deal with extreme temperatures in India. Among those who can make the inside of their home comfortable, 42% require an air conditioner or cooler — suggesting that coping with the heat often requires energy intensive and cost intensive cooling strategies.”

“On the flip side, approximately 40% of people who own either a two-wheeler or four-wheeler require an AC or cooler to keep their homes comfortable, whereas only about 16% of those without a vehicle use either an AC or cooler. ”

You can read the full article here.

Image sourced from Hindustan Times.

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