Bhubaneswar Leads with Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan

Bhubaneswar has gone a step ahead and is the first city in India to launch an action plan on heat and cooling known as the Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan (IHCAP). This project is a reaction to the increasing heat waves and the growing demand to cool, as it can help combat the cycle of rising temperatures that leads to higher air-conditioning use that further drives urban heat.

Heat Stress and Urban Risks

The city has become a victim of a prolonged heat season in the country that spans over a period of two months between February and October. Heat alerts were recorded 230 days in Bhubaneswar alone in the year 2024. The night temperatures have also increased and this deprives the people of natural restoration. This has been aggravated by rapid urbanization that has limited the green cover by 10 percent, and water bodies by almost 75 percent in the period of 2018-2024. Such alterations have intensified the urban heat island effect, in which the city is 2-5degC warmer than the rural environment.

The consequences of the economic impact have been harsh. The effect of heat stress on the productivity of outdoor workers was a reduction between 20 and 30 percent and the annual earnings of the city were reduced by 8.6 percent. In the meantime, the penetration of air-conditioners increased 6 percent in 2021 to 15 percent in 2023. As a portion of the total electricity consumption, cooling already consumes one-third and almost two-thirds in summer at peak periods.

Future Projections

The uncontrolled cooling demand will increase 7.6 times in 2050, which is a significant burden to electricity, more emissions, and poor health states of people. The livability of the city will be threatened unless there is a high level of adaptation.

Key Strategies of IHCAP

The plan is based on 5 pillars:

• Cool the city : green the urban environment, waterways, and cool roofs and climate-friendly streets.
• Cool buildings : impose energy codes and designs.
• Cooling to every one : encourage low-cost cooling such as fans, efficient air conditioning, white rooftops, and district cooling.
• Strengthen resilience : strengthen electricity, water, health infrastructures, and develop cooling shelters.
• Get used to heat : reinforce warnings, insure susceptible workers, and provide education.

A combination of these measures would reduce the surface temperatures by 0.5-9.4degC and decrease electricity consumption of coolers by 44-67 percent than is the case today.

Policy Significance

IHCAP provides an integrated structure by combining Cooling Action Plan and Heat Action Plans of India. Nevertheless, broader changes in building code, city overarching plans and NDMA rules are necessary. The entire urban population in India is projected to be 600-700 million by 2050, and, therefore, integrating heat management is not only required, but a matter of urgency in terms of health, productivity, and equity.