India, May 25 -- In India, the very notion of summer is being rewritten by climate change in 2025, as record-breaking temperatures scorch some regions while unexpected rains unsettle others. But the latest scientific evidence is clear: We are stepping into an era defined by intense and prolonged heat and rising humidity levels. India is no stranger to high temperatures, but something is changing. The heat is lasting longer, arriving earlier, and pushing the limits of human endurance. It's no longer just a meteorological problem but an institutional challenge and an economic crisis. Unlike floods or cyclones, extreme heat leaves no visible trail of destruction. It creeps up on us - through restless nights, breathless afternoons, drained workers, silent hospital admissions, and wilting yields on farms. The numbers are stark. Across the world, about 2.2 billion children - that's almost every child - will be exposed to frequent heatwaves by 2050. The equivalent of 35 million jobs could be lost in India by 2030 due to heat stress. But extreme heat has long fallen through the cracks of governance - "no one's baby," as it is sometimes called in policy circles. Is it the responsibility of health departments? Disaster management? Urban development? Or environmental ministries? We must go beyond the acuteness of heat stress and address the chronic nature of the problem. The question before us is no longer if we will face heat stress, but whether we are prepared for its cascading and compounding impacts. Three priorities must now define our approach to beating the heat. First, overhaul city-level Heat Action Plans (HAPs) to account for ward-level vulnerabilities to heat risk. HAPs are India's structured response to a growing climate crisis. Odisha was the first state to develop one in 1999, followed by Ahmedabad's launch of South Asia's first city-level HAP in 2013. These plans focus on preparedness, early warning systems, public awareness, and long-term mitigation measures such as urban greening and cooling shelters. But as the impacts of extreme heat intensify, it's clear that we need better coordinated, data-driven efforts. Heat doesn't affect everyone equally - slums tend to be hotter than planned housing complexes, and groups such as the elderly, the marginalised, gig workers, police personnel, and outdoor labourers are especially vulnerable. Yet, a 2023 study found that 35 of the 38 HAPs reviewed lacked risk and vulnerability assessments - tools that are essential to identifying where interventions are most needed. At the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), we recently published a district-level Heat Risk Index that integrates more than 35 indicators. By analysing high-resolution datasets spanning four decades across 734 districts, we are observing two troubling trends: First, the rise of relative humidity in traditionally dry regions of north India, and the increase in warm nights in three-fourths of all districts, both of which severely hinder the body's ability to cool down and recover, thereby compounding heat stress. This makes a strong case for HAPs that map local risks at a granular level. Heat is deeply contextual - what's unbearable in Mumbai may be tolerable in Jaipur - and so must our response be. That's why it is important to enable city-specific and ward-level HAPs grounded in science and scaled through technology. We are supporting over 50 cities across five states to develop these plans, with the aim of jointly scaling to more than 300 cities in heatwave-prone states by 2027. Second, balance immediate emergency measures with long-term heat resilience planning. Cities must prioritise long-term resilience strategies, in addition to short-term emergency preparedness, to tackle rising heat stress. While political and economic factors often drive cities to prioritise important life-saving emergency interventions, cities and states (Goa and Gujarat, for instance) are beginning to focus on longer-term adaptation as heat stress becomes more chronic. The National Disaster Management Authority's eight-step checklist for HAPs already encourages this mix. We recommend a three-tiered strategy. First, create a national heat resilience initiative, modelled on the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, that allocates funds for emergency cooling shelters, heat and health early warning systems in high-risk areas. The 16th Finance Commission should include this in its recommendations, building on the precedent of the 15th Finance Commission's funding for flood and drought management. For medium- to long-term action, HAPs must be embedded within broader climate adaptation, disaster management, cooling, and public health frameworks - ensuring convergence between State Action Plans on Climate Change, State Disaster Management Authorities, and National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health. Simultaneously, urban planning missions like AMRUT and PMAY should integrate heat mitigation into building codes and design guidelines, while enabling adoption of passive cooling measures and cool roofs. Third, enhance heat-health early warning systems by building collaborative data infrastructure between the meteorological department, the ministry of health and family welfare, and research institutions. This will enable city- and ward-level health risk forecasting beyond weather alerts. Finally, data and dashboards won't be enough, cities need financing to become heat resilient. Heatwave is now eligible under disaster mitigation funds. This unlocks access to 20% of the total State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) for heatwave-related interventions. However, to ensure efficient use of this fund, states should conduct scientific risk assessments to identify heat hotspots. Crucially, this funding must prioritise long-term solutions such as urban greening, cooling shelters, and infrastructure upgrades. Moreover, when states declare heatwaves as a notified disaster, they become eligible to access 10% of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). However, SDRF allocations are restricted to relief and compensation - such as ex gratia support for deceased persons or support for crop and livestock losses - rather than for proactive or preventive solutions. Since only 30% of total disaster funding is available for heatwave-related interventions, it is crucial to align and converge heat action with existing schemes and programmes to reduce duplication and maximise resources. For example, as part of recently developed HAPs across 10 cities in Gujarat, 10 existing schemes were identified that could unlock significant funding for heat resilience. Overall, we need national attention and ambition. India reduced cyclone deaths through early warnings and cyclone shelters. Why not apply the same urgency to heat? Heat is not the future. It is here and now. It cannot be invisible anymore. With science, technology, an equity lens, macroeconomic sensitivity, and greater political will, we can make our responses more practical and visible....