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The document details the implementation of South Asia's first Heat Action Plan in Ahmedabad, which has since influenced 17 cities and 11 Indian states. It outlines the multifaceted threats of heat waves—including health risks, economic productivity loss, and infrastructure damage—and provides a framework for preparedness through early warning systems, public awareness, medical capacity building, and long-term urban adaptation like 'cool roofs'. The guide emphasizes the roles of political will, inter-agency partnerships, and scientific evidence in successfully scaling these interventions.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the cost-effectiveness and feasibility of decarbonizing Indian Railways (IR) by 2030. It evaluates various pathways for the traction and non-traction segments, concluding that transitioning to renewable energy—specifically through captive generation at an accelerated rate—is significantly cheaper than a business-as-usual scenario. The report emphasizes the necessity of full electrification and identifies regulatory barriers regarding state-level net metering and open access policies.

The report assesses the decarbonization of Indian Railways (IR), the world's second largest railway network and India's largest electricity consumer. It identifies that transitioning to an electrified network is a prerequisite for decarbonization. The study compares eight pathways based on procurement (captive generation vs. purchasing), rate (accelerated by 2020 vs. normal by 2030), and technology (solar vs. solar-wind mix). Findings indicate that accelerated captive generation is the most cost-effective pathway for both traction and non-traction segments, offering savings of 32% and 61% respectively over business-as-usual scenarios. Implementation challenges include inconsistent state policies on net metering and open access, as well as the need for load balancing technologies like power banking and pumped hydro storage.

On 19 May 2016, Phalodi, India, recorded an all-time record high temperature of 51°C. An analysis by the Raising Risk Awareness Project found that while annual mean temperatures across India are increasing and heat waves in some small areas are becoming more frequent and intense, human-induced climate change did not play a detectable role in this specific event or a similar one in Andhra Pradesh in May 2015. The study suggests this lack of a detectable trend might be caused by irrigation use and the masking effect of aerosols on warming.

The document discusses the increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme heat events in India, highlighting the role of climate attribution science in identifying the human-induced causes of these events. It emphasizes that such science helps decision-makers create targeted heat action plans that account for vulnerability, exposure, and local factors like the urban heat island effect, air pollution, and humidity. The brief notes that while aerosols can temporarily lower peak temperatures, their reduction through clean energy policies may increase heat wave intensity. It advocates for coordinated government responses, early warning systems, and capacity building to protect marginalized populations, such as slum dwellers and outdoor workers, who are most at risk.

The report investigates the 51°C record temperature in Phalodi, Rajasthan, on 19 May 2016. While annual mean temperatures in India are increasing, the analysis found that human-induced climate change did not play a statistically significant role in this specific event or a similar 2015 event in Andhra Pradesh. The authors suggest that the warming effect of greenhouse gases may be masked by the cooling effects of aerosols and increased irrigation. However, the report warns that as energy policies shift away from fossil fuels, the diminishing cooling effect of aerosols could increase the intensity of future heat waves.

The analysis found that while human-induced climate change slightly increased the probability of the 2016 record-breaking heat in Rajasthan, the effect was not statistically significant. The study suggests that the warming effect of greenhouse gases in India is being partially offset by the cooling effects of aerosols and increased irrigation. Despite the lack of a strong temperature trend, the combination of high heat, pollution, and humidity is increasing the health risks and mortality associated with heat waves.

The report documents severe water and soil contamination caused by the bulk drug industry in India, particularly in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It highlights a systemic failure of waste treatment infrastructure and regulatory oversight, linking local pollution to the global spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The investigation identifies major pharmaceutical companies, including Aurobindo, Dr Reddy's, Hetero, and Mylan, as significant polluters whose products enter global markets, while local communities suffer from chronic health issues and destroyed livelihoods.

The report documents systematic pharmaceutical pollution in India, particularly in the bulk drug manufacturing hubs of Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. It argues that the discharge of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into waterways contributes to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and causes severe local health and environmental degradation. The document highlights a failure of regulatory oversight and a lack of supply chain transparency, which allows multinational pharmaceutical companies to outsource production to polluting sites without accountability. It recommends integrating environmental standards into the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) framework and increasing transparency in supplier relationships.

The report finds that while renewable energy auctions are generally cost-effective and fair in project allocation, they often suffer from low deployment due to poor risk management. By analyzing 20 global auctions, the study identifies that project risks (such as transmission and land acquisition) have a greater negative impact on deployment than auction-specific risks. The authors recommend a 'controlled environment' for introducing wind energy auctions in India, including pre-identified sites and resource assessments, alongside the use of strong penalties for non-commissioning and payment guarantee mechanisms to ensure financial viability.

The report finds that India's LPG subsidy system is highly regressive, primarily benefiting wealthy urban households while the poorest fifth of the population receives less than 1% of the total direct subsidy. While an initial household cylinder cap of six in September 2012 temporarily limited subsidy growth and improved distribution, subsequent increases of the cap to nine and then 12 cylinders effectively reversed these gains. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) program is criticized for failing to decouple subsidy receipt from fuel consumption and for introducing administrative inefficiencies without improving equity or fiscal responsibility.

The document examines the institutionalization and impacts of subsidized agricultural electricity in India, noting that while intended for food security, it has led to economic inefficiencies, groundwater depletion, and financial distress for utilities. It critiques the 'get the price right' approach as politically infeasible and socially regressive. Instead, it proposes a 'bundling' strategy that combines price rationalization with improved surface irrigation, groundwater recharge, the adoption of water-efficient technologies like drip irrigation, crop diversification, and the realignment of food procurement and fertilizer subsidies to encourage resource-efficient farming.

The report argues that while India has robust legal frameworks for environmental and social safeguards in infrastructure procurement, poor implementation and a narrow definition of 'value for money' (VfM) lead to significant ecological losses and financial risks. It examines four key safeguards—Environmental, Forest, Wildlife, and Land Acquisition clearances—finding a disconnect between pre-concession approvals and post-signing monitoring. The authors propose shifting to a 'whole-life value' approach to VfM, integrating sustainability criteria into tender documents, and reforming financial risk models like the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to better account for long-term green infrastructure gains.

The author critiques the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for being corporately controlled and failing to deliver promised benefits to poor communities, particularly in India. The text argues that carbon trading should function as reparation for environmental damage, benefiting the underprivileged rather than subsidizing industry. To demonstrate an alternative, the author highlights LAYA's micro-scale projects involving energy-efficient woodstoves and clean drinking water, which share surplus resources with the community, and notes the Fair Climate Network's goal to facilitate 50 similar projects.

The document argues that 'mainstreaming' adaptation—integrating it into existing policies and plans—is the most effective way to scale up resilience in the Asia and Pacific region. It describes mainstreaming as an iterative, multi-year process that must occur across national, sectoral, and sub-national levels to avoid policy conflicts and ensure efficient resource use. Key entry points identified include poverty reduction strategy papers, national development plans, and sectoral strategies for water and disaster risk reduction. The brief emphasizes that successful integration requires extensive stakeholder engagement, including vulnerable populations, and the translation of climate data into scaled-down, usable information for local planners.

The document details CDKN's efforts in India to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) with climate change adaptation (CCA), specifically through technical assistance to state governments and research on gender-responsive policies and resilient construction.

The report examines the tension between India's centralized conservation laws, such as the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, and the rights of forest-dependent communities. It highlights the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 (FRA) as a critical tool for securing community tenure and management rights. The document details various types of CCAs, including sacred groves and community-managed forests, while criticizing the 'ecodevelopment' model and the lack of legal recognition for marine and wetland conservation initiatives. It concludes with recommendations for legal reforms to prioritize site-specific, decentralized governance and the recognition of customary laws.

A study of irrigation subsidies in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala estimated annual subsidies at US$575 million between 2004 and 2008, primarily covering interest on capital and operation and maintenance costs. The report notes that actual subsidies are likely higher due to the exclusion of smaller schemes and private groundwater electricity subsidies, and warns that poor data recording and cost overruns in incomplete projects hinder effective policy assessment.

The author contends that national adaptation plans, such as National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs), are overly state-driven and top-down, failing to engage the local communities that actually experience climate impacts. Because adaptation is inherently local, the paper argues that CSOs and NGOs are best positioned to build adaptive capacity, represent vulnerable populations, and ensure that technological interventions are socially embedded and sustainable. The author details several roles for CSOs, including resource mobilisation, vulnerability mapping, and advocating for regulatory changes to protect nature-based livelihoods. The document concludes by recommending a multi-tier institutional framework, citing India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) as a model for coordinating efforts between government, CSOs, and local stakeholders.

The report argues that India's push for jatropha to meet biodiesel targets has led to the forced displacement of tribal and lower-caste communities from their traditional lands. While promoted as a pro-poor, non-food crop for 'waste land', the report finds that jatropha often displaces food crops and common resources, fails to thrive due to poor understanding of growing conditions, and is unlikely to be commercially viable as a monoculture.