About
Climate models suggest that South Asia will experience a greater number of days with very high temperatures that will have disastrous direct and indirect impacts on health and livelihoods. There is limited understanding of how low resolution temperature measurements from weather stations and satellites translate to the heat stress experienced by human beings, the factors that modify these exposures , and how they impact day-to-day lives and livelihoods.
To address this knowledge gap, our team, in collaboration with the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India, is collecting empirical high resolution data on ambient temperature and humidity across a variety of home and work-based settings in communities most at-risk of extreme temperatures. In addition, we are tracking the impact of these exposures through the use of wearable technologies and smart phones. This first of its kind study anywhere in the world, will use quantitative and qualitative data to improve our understanding of a range of physiological and behavioral responses to extreme heat.
We expect this to be a first-of-its-kind study providing empirical and downscaled data on the lived experiences of the poor suffering from high or prolonged heat exposure at home or work or both. The study will inform current and proposed work regulations. The methodology will establish a new standard for evaluating adaptation interventions.