Assam Unveils Cooling Action Plan as Rising Heat Threatens Public Health and Livelihoods

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Based on a government report that the average rise in temperature in the state is 0.59°C over the past six decades, the anticipated maximum temperature in the state will be 0.85°C by 2040. Hence, the urgent focus should be on strategies to protect public life. 

With the help of the central government, the Assam Climate Change Management Society prepared the Assam Cooling Action Plan to check the rising trend of temperature in the state. The report mentioned that as per the energy conservation building code classification, the majority of areas in Assam fall under the ‘warm and humid’ climate zone and a few areas are in the ‘cold zone’. The state, once known mainly for its high humidity and heavy rainfall, has recently begun experiencing extreme summer heat. The temperature approaches 40 degrees C, a phenomenon previously unheard of, alongside persistently high humidity.

The report attributed the rise in temperature to four sectors – industries, buildings, cold chain, and transportation.         

Commenting on the rise in the temperature in the state, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that in a warming world, cooling is no longer merely a matter of comfort. It is closely linked to public health, food security, productivity, livelihood, and quality of life. For Assam, its biodiversity and varied climatic conditions mean meeting these needs while protecting the environment is both a challenge and an opportunity. “The Assam Cooling Action Plan contributes to building an Assam that is cooler, healthier, energy-efficient and better prepared for a changing climate,” he said.

The report said that rapid urban growth leads to expansion of build-up areas, an increase in paved surfaces, and densification, often without adequate climate-responsive planning. Such patterns of urbanisation, characterised by reduced vegetation cover and limited natural ventilation, are known to increase heat stress and cooling demand in buildings, especially in warm and humid climates. The government must develop a regulatory policy to address the excessive use of coolers, ACs, fans, and refrigerators in high-rises and commercial buildings to achieve a balance.

The growth of industries is leading to pollution, adding to the ever-rising temperature in the state. The state government also needs to adopt a policy to counterbalance the trend. The report also took note of the increasing number of vehicles, especially private ones using ACs, in the state. The EV vehicles for public transportation of the government also use ACs. The government needs to adopt an alternative policy like cool cars for officials and staffers. The corporate sector and PSUs may provide shuttle bus services for their staff as measures to reduce the cooling demand within air-conditioned vehicles through passive measures.

Cold storages meant for agri-horti produce consume huge quantities of power and release hot air to the atmosphere. The report recommends (i) enabled integrated cold chain governance and single-window decision-making, (ii) shifting from asset creation to cluster-based, end-to-end cold chain systems, (iii) locking in energy efficiency and low-carbon cooling as a design standard, (iv) moving to performance-led cold chain planning and asset management, etc.

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