Heat Stress Hits Hard: The Unsung Plight of India's Migrant Workers

A recent study highlights a significant challenge faced by migrant workers in India: heat stress-related declines in productivity. Estimated at around a 10% drop over the past forty years, the issue is attributed to high temperatures experienced by those working outdoors.

Conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, the study focuses on rural-to-urban migration hotspots in north, east, and southern India, where an increased humidity level has compounded the problem of heat stress. Major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad have borne the brunt of this issue with a growing influx of migrants. The authors warn that with global warming, workers could experience more intense heat stress and diminished capacity for physical labor.

India's migrant workforce, comprising a substantial portion of its population, remains vulnerable to climate-induced heat stress, impacting their productivity and income. As global temperatures climb, the adverse effects on labor capacity pose significant and growing challenges across the country.