Unpacking collaborative Heat Action Plans with CEEW

In this short interview, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) discusses efforts to collaboratively develop the Heat Action Plan for Thane in partnership with the Thane Municipal Corporation, shedding light on the key technologies used, challenges encountered, financing, and learnings for the ecosystem. 

 

 

 

What is the main objective of Thane’s Heat Action Plan (HAP)? What are the core features of the plan, and the type of interventions it includes, and how does it aim to reduce heatwave impacts in the city?

 

The primary objective of Thane’s Heat Action Plan (HAP) is to achieve zero mortalities from heat extremes while reducing heat-related illnesses. It aims to identify vulnerable and at-risk populations for targeted interventions and enhance decision making capacity of administrators based on evidence-based approaches. This HAP incorporates detailed short- and long-term interventions across 9 wards of the city, guided by NDMA’s framework focusing on “when, where, who, and how” (3WH). Developed by CEEW in partnership with the Thane Municipal Corporation, it is one of India’s first city-level HAPs grounded in a detailed ward-wise heat and humidity risk assessment. The plan incorporates climate science, including observed and projected trends of day and night heat extremes, local health data, and urban vulnerability to prioritise targeted interventions such as early warning systems, cool roofs, cool pavements, water stations, shaded areas, heatwave preparedness in schools and hospitals, and awareness campaigns. The HAP operationalises a multi-department Heatwave Task Force chaired by the Additional Municipal Commissioner and includes SOPs for emergency response. It also introduces locally relevant heat thresholds based on both dry and felt heat (which includes humidity) and risk triggers for heat alerts. These interventions aim to build institutional capacity and adaptive infrastructure while reducing heat-related mortality, especially among vulnerable groups such as outdoor workers, children, and slum residents. 

 

 

Launch of the Thane Heat Action Plan 2024

 

 

 

What were the key factors that prompted the development of the Heat Action Plan for Thane? What specific gaps or risks were identified that made it necessary?

 

Thane has seen a steady rise in high-temperature days and is experiencing a growing urban heat island effect due to dense construction and limited green cover. In addition, its coastal proximity makes humidity a significant contributor to heat stress—an aspect often overlooked in conventional heat planning. As the city continues to grow rapidly, embedding heat resilience into long-term planning became essential. CEEW’s granular analysis showed that nearly 60% of the city’s wards faced moderate to high heat risks. Vulnerable groups such as daily wage labourers, slum dwellers, and children lacked access to cooling, water, or early alerts. Importantly, there was no institutional mechanism or operational plan to address extreme heat, prompting the need for a structured, evidence-based Heat Action Plan to address institutional, awareness, and coordination gaps. 

 

 

 

 

Could you describe the key technologies or platforms CEEW is using or developing to automate HAP formulation? Why are these important?

 

CEEW is developing an open-access, automated platform that uses high-resolution climate data, remote sensing, AI-based classification models, and modular data pipelines to streamline HAP development. Most datasets are open source, while select socio-economic and health indicators are provided by city authorities. The system integrates gridded reanalysis datasets, urban land-use mapping, demographic exposure indices, and health vulnerability data to generate risk scores for each city ward. It incorporates future projections of heat indices and develops city-specific heat thresholds based on both felt and dry heat. Using CEEW’s repository of 40+ global heat resilience pilots, the platform recommends short-, medium-, and long-term interventions suited to local climatic conditions. It also generates draft policy documents aligned with NDMA’s HAP guidelines for city validation. This automation significantly reduces planning time and costs while enhancing accuracy, standardisation, and scalability of heat risk planning across India’s 4,500+ urban local bodies. 

 

“Heatwaves are no longer seasonal anomalies—they’re public health emergencies. Thane’s Heat Action Plan shows how science, governance, and community action can come together to protect lives. With the right tools and local leadership, every Indian city can get heat-ready.”

       – Dr Vishwas Chitale, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW

 

 

 

What challenges did you encounter while developing or implementing the plan? How were these addressed, and what lessons have emerged from the process?

 
Extreme heat is a fairly unique issue at the city level and requires a deep understanding of how to identify heat risk zones etc. A major challenge was the access to the data related to the health status, socioeconomic indicators, and other relevant indicators. While such data existed, it was fragmented across departments like health and town planning, making coordination difficult. We addressed this by using satellite-derived indices and validated climate-health thresholds. Inter-agency coordination was another hurdle, since key services were split across departments. This was mitigated through joint workshops and a dedicated task force involving health, disaster, PWD, and water departments. Additionally, awareness about humid heat stress was low, especially when temperatures were below 40°C. Capacity-building sessions and IEC materials helped bridge this gap. The key lesson: data-driven planning must be supported by political will, local ownership, and continuous institutional engagement. 

 

 

 

How was this plan financed? What kinds of capital were needed and what role did funders play?

 

The Thane HAP was developed by CEEW on a pro-bono/ no-cost basis in collaboration with the Thane Municipal Corporation, and CEEW was funded by India based philanthropic foundations for carrying out the research. The implementation of the plan is being financed through a collaborative model and led by the Corporation with technical support from CEEW. The Thane Municipal Corporation committed INR 1 crore from its own funds for FY 2025-26 implementing cool roofs, cooling shelters, shelters, cool pavements and other public outreach. Funders played a pivotal role by enabling pre-policy research and stakeholder convenings. However, future implementation demands more flexible, outcome-oriented funding—particularly for building municipal capacity, retrofitting infrastructure, and sustaining monitoring systems. Plans like this need sustained philanthropic, CSR, and public finance convergence to move from paper to long-term climate adaptation impact. 

 

 

 

What are the most pressing gaps in India’s heat resilience ecosystem that need funders’ attention?

 
India’s heat resilience ecosystem suffers from five major gaps: (1) lack of city-specific hyperlocal risk data and thresholds; (2) low awareness and prioritisation within urban governance for long term heat resilience planning; (3) weak coordination between health, disaster, and planning departments; (4) no ring-fenced funds for implementation; and (5) limited community-centric cooling infrastructure. While technological solutions such as automation of HAPs to develop HAPs can lower the costs incurred by cities on designing the plans, funders can play a catalytic role by supporting and strengthening sub-national capacity for response planning, and funding innovation pilots such as community cooling centres, parametric insurance, or urban heat forecasting. Support is also needed for bridging long-term implementation gaps—particularly in smaller cities and districts with constrained budgets and staffing. 

 

 

 

Key learnings for funders/ecosystem from Thane HAP  

 

The Thane HAP shows that local political will combined with technical support can rapidly institutionalise climate action at the city level. Funders should prioritise projects that embed climate resilience into existing governance frameworks rather than creating parallel systems. Equally important is the sequencing—early investment in data and decision-support tools lays the foundation for sustained action. Moreover, flexibility is key; cities need funding that allows piloting solutions and learning from implementation. Thane also demonstrated the value of local champions—supporting capacity-building for these individuals within municipal bodies can unlock long-term, system-wide resilience gains across urban India. 

 

 

 

About CEEW

  

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) — a homegrown institution with headquarters in New Delhi — is among the world’s leading climate think tanks. The Council is also often ranked among the world’s best-managed and independent think tanks. It uses data, integrated analysis, and strategic outreach to explain — and change — the use, reuse, and misuse of resources. It prides itself on the independence of its high-quality research and strives to impact sustainable development at scale in India and the Global South. In over fourteen years of operation, CEEW has impacted over 400 million lives and engaged with over 20 state governments. Follow them on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) for the latest updates.