Ahmedabad has been ranked the world’s second most heat-risk city in a new global study that highlights the growing threat of extreme heat in rapidly urbanising regions.
The findings, published in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society, studied 205 cities having a population of more than one million each and revealed that 14 cities from India are among the 50 most heat-risk urban areas in the world. Al Basrah, from Iraq, took first place, while Ahmedabad was in the second position.
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More than 95 per cent of the most risk-prone cities in the world belong to South and Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
What makes Indian cities so susceptible to extreme heat?
According to researchers, heat risk not only depends on temperature increases, but also on a city’s vulnerability and resilience to withstand the extreme climate.
The evaluation included such factors as the age of the population, income, availability of cooling facilities like air conditioning, health facilities, and ecological barriers such as trees.
According to lead author Nethmi Jayaratne Kariyawasam of the University of Oxford, “It isn’t just exposure to hot temperatures that matters for risk. Our study highlights the importance of multi-faceted global heat risk assessments, which reveal the diverse pathways through which urban heat risk emerges.”
She added that many cities across Asia and Africa face a dangerous combination of extreme temperatures, high vulnerability and limited coping capacity, significantly increasing the risk of heat-related illness and death.
Which Indian cities are among the world’s most heat-risk locations?
Besides Ahmedabad, the study identified Bengaluru, Jaipur, Chennai, Madurai, Nagpur, Pune, Kanpur and Lucknow among the Indian cities ranked in the global top 50.
Researchers also noted that countries including India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana account for the largest number of high-risk cities worldwide.
The study found that some cities with high temperatures ranked lower because of stronger coping mechanisms, while others with comparatively moderate heat ranked higher due to poor infrastructure and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
Co-author Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, warned against relying solely on-air conditioning.
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“Air conditioning demand is increasing worldwide, but many cannot afford it. And if we over-rely on this energy-intensive form of cooling, we risk further global warming in a vicious cycle,” she said.
She stressed the need to prioritise passive cooling solutions and energy-efficient technologies such as fans, coolers and better urban planning to improve thermal comfort while reducing emissions.
FAQs
Which city ranked highest in the global heat-risk study?
Al Basrah in Iraq ranked first, while Ahmedabad was placed second in the global heat-risk assessment.
How many Indian cities feature in the global top 50 heat-risk list?
The study identified 14 Indian cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Chennai, Lucknow, Nagpur and Pune, among the world’s 50 most heat-risk urban centres.