Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.
Department of Human Geography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Int J Biometeorol. 2018 Mar;62(3):347-358. doi: 10.1007/s00484-017-1476-0. Epub 2017 Nov 30.
During the summer of 2015, India was hit by a scorching heat wave that melted pavements in Delhi and caused thousands of deaths, mainly among the most marginalized populations. One such group facing growing heat risks from both occupational and meteorological causes are migrant brick kiln workers. This study evaluates both current heat risks and the potential future impacts of heat caused by climate change, for the people working at brick kilns in India. A case study of heat stress faced by people working at brick kilns near Chennai, India, is the anchor point around which a transdisciplinary approach was applied. Around Chennai, the situation is alarming since occupational heat exposure in the hot season from March to July is already at the upper limits of what humans can tolerate before risking serious impairment. The aim of the study was to identify new pathways for change and soft solutions by both reframing the problem and expanding the solution space being considered in order to improve the quality of life for the migrant populations at the brick kilns. Technical solutions evaluated include the use of sun-dried mud bricks and other locally "appropriate technologies" that could mitigate the worsening of climate change-induced heat. Socio-cultural solutions discussed for empowering the people who work at the brick kilns include participatory approaches such as open re-localization, and rights-based approaches including the environmental sustainability and the human rights-based approach framework. Our analysis suggests that an integrative, transdisciplinary approach could incorporate a more holistic range of technical and socio-culturally informed solutions in order to protect the health of people threatened by India's brick kiln industry.
2015 年夏天，印度遭受了一场灼热的热浪袭击，导致德里的路面融化，并造成数千人死亡，主要是最边缘化的人群。面临职业和气象原因导致的日益严重的热风险的一个群体是移民砖窑工人。本研究评估了印度砖窑工人目前面临的热风险以及气候变化引起的热的潜在未来影响。对印度钦奈附近砖窑工人面临的热应激进行了案例研究，这是应用跨学科方法的重点。在钦奈周围，情况令人担忧，因为 3 月至 7 月炎热季节的职业热暴露已经接近人类在冒着严重损伤风险之前可以忍受的上限。本研究的目的是通过重新构建问题和扩大正在考虑的解决方案空间，为砖窑移民人口的生活质量的提高，确定变革的新途径和软解决方案。评估的技术解决方案包括使用太阳晒干的泥砖和其他当地的“适当技术”，以减轻气候变化引起的热恶化。为赋权砖窑工人讨论的社会文化解决方案包括参与式方法，如开放重新本地化，以及基于权利的方法，包括环境可持续性和基于人权的方法框架。我们的分析表明，综合跨学科方法可以纳入更全面的技术和社会文化知情的解决方案，以保护受到印度砖窑行业威胁的人们的健康。
