Knowlton Kim, Kulkarni Suhas P, Azhar Gulrez Shah, Mavalankar Dileep, Jaiswal Anjali, Connolly Meredith, Nori-Sarma Amruta, Rajiva Ajit, Dutta Priya, Deol Bhaskar, Sanchez Lauren, Khosla Radhika, Webster Peter J, Toma Violeta E, Sheffield Perry, Hess Jeremy J
Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, NY 10011, USA.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Medical Officer of Health, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380001, India.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Mar 25;11(4):3473-92. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110403473.
Recurrent heat waves, already a concern in rapidly growing and urbanizing South Asia, will very likely worsen in a warming world. Coordinated adaptation efforts can reduce heat's adverse health impacts, however. To address this concern in Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), a coalition has been formed to develop an evidence-based heat preparedness plan and early warning system. This paper describes the group and initial steps in the plan's development and implementation. Evidence accumulation included extensive literature review, analysis of local temperature and mortality data, surveys with heat-vulnerable populations, focus groups with health care professionals, and expert consultation. The findings and recommendations were encapsulated in policy briefs for key government agencies, health care professionals, outdoor workers, and slum communities, and synthesized in the heat preparedness plan. A 7-day probabilistic weather forecast was also developed and is used to trigger the plan in advance of dangerous heat waves. The pilot plan was implemented in 2013, and public outreach was done through training workshops, hoardings/billboards, pamphlets, and print advertisements. Evaluation activities and continuous improvement efforts are ongoing, along with plans to explore the program's scalability to other Indian cities, as Ahmedabad is the first South Asian city to address heat-health threats comprehensively.
热浪频发，这在快速发展和城市化的南亚地区已然是一个令人担忧的问题，而在全球变暖的情况下，情况很可能会恶化。不过，通过协调一致的适应措施，可以减少高温对健康的不利影响。为解决印度古吉拉特邦艾哈迈达巴德市的这一问题，已组建了一个联盟，以制定基于证据的防暑计划和早期预警系统。本文介绍了该团队以及该计划制定和实施的初步步骤。证据收集工作包括广泛的文献综述、对当地气温和死亡率数据的分析、对高温易受害人群的调查、与医护人员的焦点小组讨论以及专家咨询。研究结果和建议被整理成政策简报，分发给主要政府机构、医护人员、户外工作者和贫民窟社区，并综合纳入防暑计划。还制定了一个7天概率天气预报，用于在危险热浪来临前启动该计划。该试点计划于2013年实施，并通过培训讲习班、广告牌、宣传册和平面广告进行了公众宣传。评估活动和持续改进工作正在进行中，同时还计划探讨该项目在其他印度城市的可扩展性，因为艾哈迈达巴德是第一个全面应对高温对健康威胁的南亚城市。
