Bengaluru a city once known for its salubrious climate is now under mounting threat from climate-change-induced heatwaves. A recent study by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP) signals an alarming shift in the city’s climatic risk profile, placing both Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts under the ‘moderate risk’ bracket on the heatwave vulnerability index.
Although the city may not face the searing highs of North Interior Karnataka, researchers warn that its urban vulnerabilities render it highly susceptible to severe health consequences. Bengaluru’s worsening heat risk is not merely about rising temperatures but also about who bears the brunt of it. High population density, inadequate green cover, and a growing demographic with pre-existing health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and disabilities are intensifying the city’s susceptibility to heat stress. These risk factors, according to the study, create a perfect storm for health emergencies, particularly in densely packed urban areas. What makes matters worse is the sheer number of pedestrians and informal workers who are constantly exposed to extreme heat with little to no protective infrastructure.
Analysts argue that the risk is disproportionately high among vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, and those working in the informal sector who lack adequate access to cooling spaces or medical care. Already, the health impacts are being felt in pockets across the city. Without targeted interventions, these impacts are poised to worsen with the projected increase in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves over the coming decades. The city’s public health preparedness, however, remains inadequate. According to the Economic Survey 2022–2023, Bengaluru Urban is supported by only 75 government medical facilities, a figure vastly disproportionate to the needs of its rapidly growing and densely packed population.
Climate experts stress that an immediate revamp of Bengaluru’s Heat Health Action Plan is not just advisable—it is imperative. The Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change (2024–2025) underscores the urgency of improving hospital preparedness, expanding health surveillance systems, and conducting cross-sectoral capacity building to protect the city’s most at-risk residents. This includes investing in green infrastructure, heat-resilient urban design, and strengthening neighbourhood-level health services that are accessible to low-income and marginalised communities.
What adds urgency to this unfolding crisis is the fact that many of the city’s heat-sensitive populations, particularly construction labourers, street vendors, and traffic police, continue to function in environments with minimal shade and water access. Urban planners and public health authorities now face a moral and civic challenge—to rethink how Bengaluru evolves in an era of escalating climate shocks. The path forward must not only prioritise carbon neutrality and sustainability but also embed equity and climate justice at the heart of its urban policy.
As Bengaluru warms under the weight of climate inaction, the cost of delay is not just environmental—it is human. The need to recalibrate policies, redesign public health systems, and restore ecological buffers is no longer a future requirement but a present-day mandate. Whether the city can withstand the coming waves of heat will depend on how swiftly it transforms this early warning into effective action.
Bengaluru faces increasing heatwave endangering public health and safety
