Evaluate the impact of climate change on informal workers in urban settings. In what ways can policy interventions support their health and safety?

GS3 Jobs & Inclusive Growth
Evaluate the impact of climate change on informal workers in urban settings. In what ways can policy interventions support their health and safety?

Evaluate

  • 10 marks
  • 8 min
  • 150 words
  • Easy

The Hindu

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Urban Informal Workers & Climate Change: Context

  • Urban heat island effect (≈3–5°C higher) combined with ~80–85% informal workforce (PLFS) makes climate change an occupational health crisis for construction workers, vendors, sanitation and gig workers.

Evidence For: Adverse Impacts

  • Heat Stress & Health Risks Prolonged exposure leads to dehydration, heatstroke, cognitive decline, reducing productivity and increasing accidents (ILO, 2019: working hours lost to heat stress).
  • Rising Incidence Heatstroke cases have surged (e.g., Andhra Pradesh data), while IIT Gandhinagar estimates 30× increase in heatwave frequency at 2°C warming.
  • Livelihood Vulnerability Daily-wage dependence forces workers to prioritise income over safety, normalising hazardous exposure.

Evidence Against: Mitigation Successes

  • Early Warning Systems (EWS) Initiatives like AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) show sharp decline in mortality (e.g., 1369 deaths in 2015 → near-zero in 2025).
  • Heat Action Plans (HAPs) Cities like Ahmedabad demonstrate that institutional preparedness can reduce fatalities (NRDC studies).

Weighing the Evidence

  • While fatalities decline, morbidity and productivity losses persist.
  • Advisories lack enforceability; informal workers cannot afford compliance.
  • Social safety nets (e.g., delayed MGNREGA payments) weaken resilience precisely during climate shocks.

Policy Interventions

  • Legal Protection Expand Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHWC) Code, 2020 to cover outdoor informal workers.
  • Income–Health Link Introduce heat-indexed wage compensation and IMD-triggered work suspension with pay protection.
  • Urban Planning Measures Cooling shelters, shaded worksites, water access (NDMA Heatwave Guidelines, 2019).
  • Data & Enforcement Real-time heat alerts linked to mandatory employer compliance.

Conclusion

  • Climate change has a severe, structurally embedded impact on urban informal workers.
  • While institutional measures reduce deaths, true protection requires income security—making staying safe economically viable, not optional.