Phase IFoundation
Background
Overview
UPSC examines environmental hazards, disaster management, public health challenges, and the direct impacts of climate change. Heatwaves serve as a critical case study for understanding these interconnected issues, requiring policy responses for mitigation and adaptation.
Heatwaves are periods of abnormally high temperatures that pose significant risks to human health, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Their increasing frequency, intensity, and duration globally are strongly linked to anthropogenic climate change, which alters atmospheric circulation patterns and raises baseline temperatures, making extreme heat events more likely and severe.