Tamil Nadu and UK Unite Against Extreme Heat: Launch Groundbreaking Heat Resilience Centre
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Tamil Nadu and the United Kingdom have joined forces to combat the rising threat of extreme heat conditions in the state. A 'Heat Resilience Centre' was launched on Friday, aiming to strengthen the state's capacity to address heat-related issues. The centre will serve as a nodal institution, coordinating heat-risk management across various sectors. The centre will establish a robust scientific and institutional framework, build technical capacity, and generate evidence-based climate data and policy tools. It will also support city and district-level heat action planning, helping to identify heat-risk zones and inform decision-making. The initiative is backed by the UK's Climate Action for a Resilient Asia programme, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Resources Institute. The programme will run until September 2026, making Tamil Nadu one of India's first states to create a dedicated institutional mechanism to tackle extreme heat. According to Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, the centre will use high-resolution satellite data and ground sensors to create accurate heat maps, enabling planners to redesign neighbourhoods and create thermal safety pockets. Seema Malhotra MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Government of the United Kingdom, highlighted the urgent need for targeted action against extreme heat, which affects millions of people in the region. The UK is proud to partner with Tamil Nadu in this pioneering effort, building on the state's leadership in climate initiatives.
