Increasing heat sources—and reducing heat sinks—in cities in India entrap both heat from the sun and their own waste heat. This places a huge public health threat as temperatures soar beyond adaptive capacity. While the built environment is a big contributor to the urban heat crisis, it also holds the key to reduce its ill effects. The Centre for Science and Environment found that appropriate planning and design techniques can bring ambient temperatures down by more than 7°C.

This toolkit presents a methodology to evaluate heat stress at the city, neighbourhood and local scales. It also touches upon the impact of land-use intensity (private vehicles, air conditioners, industries, etc.) and anthropogenic activities that intensify urban heat. By using several geo spatial, spatio-temporal, climatological and socioeconomic datasets and indicators with remote sensing, it helps understand the rounded impact of heat and strategies to mitigate it. This assessment can empower city managers and policymakers to prioritize action and prevent damage in most vulnerable areas and communities.