India is facing an intensifying climate crisis, as evidenced by a new report from The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. In 2024, the nation experienced a record loss of 247 billion potential labor hours due to extreme heat exposure. Compounding these issues, air pollution was responsible for over 1.7 million deaths in India in 2022.
The annual Lancet Countdown report, which monitors over 50 indicators linking health and climate change, shows a worrying trend, with 12 out of 20 health risk indicators reaching new highs last year. On average, individuals in India were exposed to 19.8 days of heatwaves in 2024, with a significant 6.6 of these days directly attributed to climate change.
This heat exposure resulted in a staggering loss of 419 hours per person in potential labor capacity in 2024, a 124% increase compared to the 1990-1999 baseline. The agriculture sector was hit the hardest, accounting for 66% of these labor losses, followed by the construction sector at 20%. The economic fallout from this lost productivity is estimated to be US$194 billion.
The report also highlights a substantial increase in hours where ambient heat posed a risk of heat stress during physical activity. Compared to the 1990-1999 period, people experienced an additional 366 hours annually under such conditions, impacting work capacity, sleep quality, and overall physical and mental health.
Regarding air pollution, the findings are equally dire. In 2022, 1,718,000 lives were lost in India due to anthropogenic air pollution, marking a 38% rise since 2010. Fossil fuel consumption is a major contributor, accounting for 752,000 deaths, with coal alone linked to 394,000 deaths, largely from power plant emissions. Road transportation, particularly petrol use, contributed to 269,000 deaths.
The economic cost of premature mortality from outdoor air pollution in 2022 was a staggering US$339.4 billion, equivalent to 9.5% of India’s GDP. Even household air pollution from various fuels contributed significantly, with 113 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, showing higher rates in rural areas.
The impact of wildfire smoke is also on the rise, causing an average of 10,200 deaths annually between 2020 and 2024, a 28% increase from the 2003-2012 period. Globally, 2024 saw a record 154,000 deaths attributed to wildfire smoke.
Furthermore, land experiencing extreme drought has surged by 138% since the 1950s. Between 2020 and 2024, 35% of India’s land area faced extreme drought for at least one month each year, a trend mirrored globally with 61% of land area experiencing extreme drought in 2024.