A new study has estimated that a single day of extreme heat in India can lead to around 3,400 excess deaths, while a five-day heatwave could claim nearly 30,000 lives.
The research, conducted by Piyush Narang and Ashok Gadgil, found that Uttar Pradesh alone could account for around 8,100 excess deaths during a five-day heatwave.
The study also identified a significant mismatch between mortality burden and economic capacity, with the 100 most vulnerable districts accounting for 44% of projected excess deaths.
The researchers warned that the findings have important implications for India's heat adaptation and resilience planning, and called for federal adaptation investment to be weighted towards high-burden, low-GDP states.
