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Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan (IHCAP)
Context: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with iFOREST and the Singapore-ETH Centre, launched the Integrated Heat and Cooling Action Plan (IHCAP).
What is IHCAP?
IHCAP is a pioneering urban climate strategy and a comprehensive approach to tackle rising heat stress and exploding cooling demand.
- Seeks to break the vicious cycle of heat and cooling
- Provides a five-pillar framework combining urban planning, green infrastructure, resilient systems, and energy-efficient cooling.
- Aims to cut cooling-related electricity demand by 44–67% and reduce surface temperatures by 0.5–9.4°C compared to a business-as-usual scenario.
Why is it required?
- Rising Heat Stress: More frequent, longer, and intense heatwaves across India
- In Bhubaneswar: 230 days of yellow/orange alerts in 2024
- Heat stress now extends from February to October
- Worsening Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect: Bhubaneswar’s temperature is now 2–5°C higher than nearby rural areas due to:
- Rapid urbanisation
- Shrinking water bodies (down by 75%)
- Declining vegetation (down by 10%)
- Rising built-up areas (up by 23%)
- Soaring Cooling Demand: AC ownership in Bhubaneswar rose from 6% in 2021 to 15% in 2023. Cooling now consumes one-third of total electricity, up to two-thirds in summer. By 2050, cooling electricity demand may increase 7.6x if current trends continue
- Economic Impact: Workers lose 20–30% productivity and wages due to heat
. The city lost 8.6% of its annual income to heat stress. - Vulnerability of Urban Populations: By 2050, India will have 600–700 million urban residents, many in heat-stressed cities. Lack of intervention will:
- Worsen inequality
- Make outdoor work unsafe
- Lead to overdependence on energy-intensive cooling
How is it different from NDMA’s Heat Action Plan (HAP)
The IHCAP and the NDMA’s HAP serve overlapping goals—reducing heat stress and protecting vulnerable populations—but they differ significantly in scope, integration, and strategic ambition.
