Experts like Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry, who authored Pakistan’s first National Climate Change Policy, believes that the heat wave in Karachi, the capital of Sindh, which has killed over 1,000 people, is “one of the manifestations of climate change”. Others have pointed to the fact that the city is suffering from the ‘urban heat island’ (UHI) effect, which has turned the city into a furnace, and this is the reason behind such a high death toll.

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In both Pakistan and India, the poor have borne the brunt of the angry weather gods.

Two Indian states have taken the lead in tackling this problem: Ahmedabad has a Heat Action Plan that warns people, especially the vulnerable, on how to protect themselves from heat waves. The authorities install drinking water stations and conduct survey of all construction sites to ascertain the availability of drinking water and shelter for rest in afternoon for labourers working there. Odisha has changed its official working hours so that people can stay indoors during the peak heat hours.

These urban heat islands could turn into death traps unless, as Dhar Chakrabarti said, authorities invest heavily in constructing  green buildings, install energy-efficient equipment and increase green spaces.