Increasing temperatures are likely to impact human health. An increase in severe heat wave days and heat mortalities has been observed in India over the past few decades. A report by National Disaster Management Authority states that about 22,562 heat related deaths were reported between the periods 1992 to 2015.

This paper charts the institutions and actors in the climate change adaptation (CCA) space in rural and urban semi-arid India and finds that development and adaptation span a continuum in policy and practice. The publication interrogates policies, programmes and projects in India.

The discourse on urban vulnerability over the last decade and a half has undergone substantial shifts prompted by differences in disciplinary orientations. This enables multiple framings and causal linkages, influencing the nature and scale of responses.