Women-run initiatives are leading the way in mitigating the impacts of extreme heat on India’s most vulnerable. Godavari Dange has worked for over 20 years with women farmers on sustainable climate initiatives through the nonprofit Swayam Shikshan Prayog. Women farmers are the most at risk of high temperatures, so they have developed an alternative farming model. Dange and her team devised a plan to encourage women farmers to grow seasonal, climate change-resilient crops rather than water-intensive cash crops and to avoid daytime farming, encouraging dawn and twilight work instead. In slums, cool roofs are helping in areas that experience temperatures of up to six degrees Celsius higher than surrounding neighborhoods. Bharti Ben, a slum resident, has seen her house temperature soar to 45 degrees Celsius, making her home unbearable. Mahila House Trust, a local nonprofit, painted Ben’s roof with a white reflective paint which cooled her home by five to seven degrees Celsius. This is a relatively affordable solution, costing 33 euros per coat of paint. Heat deaths go largely unnoticed in India, so the work by these nonprofits are essential.
