Indian, Regional, and Global Partners Launch Initiatives to Address Extreme Heat in South Asia
The World Health Organization (WHO)–World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Climate and Health Joint Programme, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome announce new regional efforts to connect climate science to health action to prevent heat impacts, help communities flourish, and save lives.
MUMBAI, India, Feb. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At Mumbai Climate Week, the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome announced two new integrated initiatives to protect South Asians from extreme heat – a rapidly escalating threat to human health and economic stability in the subcontinent.
The two new initiatives, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome, will strengthen South Asia's ability to detect, prepare for, and respond to extreme heat and other weather- and climate-related health impacts.
The South Asia Climate–Health Desk, established as part of the WHO–WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and implemented with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and other partners will improve how climate and weather information is translated into action to protect health.
Complementing this work, the South Asia Scientific Research Consortium, supported through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, will deepen the region's scientific understanding of how heat affects different populations. These projects are the first two components of a broader, more ambitious regional strategy to address extreme heat risks to health. As part of a growing suite of Joint Programme initiatives, including regional activities of the Global Heat Health Information Network, these are first steps of coordinated science-driven efforts to protect communities, with more updates on the broader rollout coming soon.
"Extreme heat is a growing risk for lives and livelihoods in South Asia," said Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD's Director General of Meteorology and Permanent Representative of India to WMO. "IMD welcomes this partnership with IITM under the South Asia Climate-Health Desk, which will strengthen the science-to-services pathway, improve early warning support for health, and help decision-makers act in time to protect communities during severe heat events."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for urgent global action to address the growing risk of extreme heat worldwide, which takes a heavy toll on health in South Asia – the world's most populated region. According to WMO, Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, intensifying extreme weather and placing growing pressure on lives and livelihoods, health systems, economies, and ecosystems across the region, putting the most vulnerable and exposed communities at critical risk.
In India and Pakistan, pre-monsoon temperatures regularly rise above 50°C, and heat-related mortality in the region today exceeds 200,000 deaths per year. At the same time, extreme heat undermines economic stability and productivity. In 2024 alone, heat exposure in India led to 247 billion potential labor hours lost – reducing labor capacity and leading to an estimated $194 billion loss in income, according to the Lancet Countdown.
"Few regions feel the impacts of extreme heat as sharply as South Asia, and I welcome the clear determination to respond. We all know that every death primarily due to excess heat can be prevented and heat health action plans are saving lives," said Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization. "By uniting science, government leadership and support, and community action, countries here are proving that this challenge can be met."
Addressing extreme heat requires coordinated, transdisciplinary action. This integrated effort equips governments, public services, communities, and health systems with the actionable knowledge they need to prevent avoidable illness and save lives. The two coalition initiatives include:
- South Asia Climate–Health Desk: Led by IITM in partnership with IMD, this new unit will help meteorological institutions and health partners in South Asia work closely together to develop more robust decision support tools, such as early warning and risk assessments. Representing one of the first units to be launched as part of the Joint Programme spanning Research and Development (R&D) and operational domains in climate and health, it will strengthen the ability of a wide range of stakeholders to co-develop, validate, and share health‑relevant and fit-for-purpose weather and climate information, so communities, health authorities, and health services can build resilience and act quickly before and during dangerous heat events and other climate-related health risks including disease outbreaks.
- South Asia Scientific Research Consortium: Led by IISER Pune, this consortium of research institutions, including MS Swaminathan Research Foundation and IITM, will deepen understanding of how heat affects people across South Asia—depending on where they live, the work they do, and the different conditions they face. By developing tailored heat‑risk thresholds, this consortium aims to ultimately strengthen heat action planning, early warning systems, and preparedness efforts, helping communities and institutions better adapt to rising temperatures in one of the world's most heat-vulnerable regions.
This announcement is the first in a series of rollouts planned in 2026, highlighting work being carried out in the region. The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome's US $11.5 million investment in the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme aims to expand climate‑informed health action in vulnerable regions. The two philanthropies committed the funds to pioneer new models of science-driven collaboration between health partners and meteorological departments, aiming to bridge a gap that often leaves health systems without critical climate information that can protect communities and save lives.
Through the establishment of these initiatives, South Asia is leading the way in implementing this integrated climate and health approach that connects research, climate monitoring and forecasting, and health responses to protect people from the health risks of climate variability and change.
"After a decade of punishing and increasingly deadly heatwaves across India and the wider South Asia region, it's clear that business‑as‑usual public health approaches are no longer enough. Protecting India's most vulnerable communities requires rethinking how we deliver care and invest in the solutions frontline providers and patients urgently need today," said Dr. Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation. "Through our support to the Joint Programme, we aim to help turn cutting‑edge science into real‑world impact, helping India and the region build a resilient, climate‑ready health system fit for the 21st century."
"Rising temperatures due to climate change are a public health threat, endangering people's lives and livelihoods throughout the world. In South Asia, extreme heat is hitting communities hard - in particular children, pregnant people, older people, outdoor workers and those communities with the least resources to respond," said Dr. Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome. "We need to invest in science-led solutions that both cut emissions and build resilience, with public health at the core of decision-making. Wellcome is proud to work with partners and communities across South Asia to develop the evidence, tools and solutions that will ultimately improve health and save lives."
About the Partners and Funders:
WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme
Through their Joint Programme, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) work together to help countries protect health in a changing climate. The Joint Programme supports Member States and partners to improve the application of climate, weather, and environmental information in public health decision-making by strengthening collaboration, building technical capacity, and promoting the use of climate and environmental data to protect health and save lives.
www.climahealth.info
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM)
IITM is India's premier centre for atmospheric and climate research and an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. It advances scientific understanding of monsoon systems, extreme weather, air quality, and the ocean–atmosphere climate system, providing the foundation for better forecasts and climate‑resilient planning. IITM's work supports sectors from agriculture to urban management and plays a central role in strengthening India's preparedness for heatwaves and other climate‑driven risks.
https://www.tropmet.res.in/
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)
IISER Pune is a premier public research institute and Institution of National Importance dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary science. Established in 2006, it integrates world‑class research with high‑quality education across disciplines including biology, chemistry, physics, earth and climate sciences, and mathematics. IISER Pune fosters scientific innovation, trains the next generation of researchers, and contributes cutting‑edge insights that support India's resilience to climate and environmental challenges.
https://www.iiserpune.ac.in/
India Meteorological Department (IMD)
IMD, established in 1875, is the India's official weather and climate agency and a cornerstone of the country's disaster preparedness and climate resilience. As the National Meteorological Service under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, IMD provides real‑time observations, climate data and monitoring, forecasts, and early warnings for hazards such as cyclones, heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and storms, supporting critical sectors from agriculture and aviation to public health and emergency management. Its science, data, and nationwide network help safeguard lives and guide climate‑smart development across India.
https://mausam.imd.gov.in/
The Rockefeller Foundation
Investing $30 billion over the last 113 years to promote the well-being of humanity, The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on unlikely partnerships and innovative solutions that deliver measurable results for people in the United States and around the world. We leverage scientific breakthroughs, artificial intelligence, and new technologies to make big bets across energy, food, health, and finance, including through our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn, Instagram @rockefellerfdn, and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation.
https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/
Wellcome
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation that supports science and innovation to tackle the world's most urgent health challenges facing everyone. They support discovery research into life, health and wellbeing, and are taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health. Its climate and health work puts people's health at the centre of climate action—building research networks, advancing science on risks like extreme heat, and partnering globally to ensure communities benefit from robust, health‑focused climate solutions.
SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation
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