The Indian Public Servant Helping Disadvantaged Communities Adapt To Rising Heat

In one of India's most heat-vulnerable regions, Supriya Sahu is putting in place a suite of effective cooling regulations and nature-based adaptation measures to improve the health and safety of families. Residents of Tamil Nadu's most vulnerable communities are already feeling the benefits.

Sahu, serving as Additional Chief Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forests in Tamil Nadu, has championed a multi-pronged approach to urban cooling that combines regulatory reform, green infrastructure, and community engagement. Her initiatives have included mandatory cool roof programmes, tree planting in urban areas, and the creation of cooling centres accessible to outdoor workers and low-income families during peak heat periods.

Tamil Nadu regularly records some of the highest temperatures in India during summer months, with heat-related mortality concentrated among agricultural labourers, construction workers, and elderly populations in low-income urban neighbourhoods. These communities typically live in poorly ventilated housing without access to air conditioning, making them acutely vulnerable to heat stress.

Sahu's approach has emphasised equitable access to cooling as a public health imperative. By framing heat as a climate risk requiring systematic policy response — rather than a natural condition to be individually managed — her work has helped shift the governance conversation around heat vulnerability in India.

The cool roof initiative, which involves applying reflective coatings to rooftops of homes and public buildings, has demonstrated measurable reductions in indoor temperatures. This low-cost, scalable intervention is particularly relevant for slum settlements and informal housing areas where structural improvements are constrained by tenure insecurity and limited resources.

Sahu's recognition with the UN's Champions of the Earth award in 2025 has amplified international attention to Tamil Nadu's heat adaptation model, positioning it as a potential template for other heat-vulnerable states and cities in South and Southeast Asia.