India faces severe air quality and heatwave challenges, Lancet report reveals
India faces severe air quality and heatwave challenges, Lancet report reveals
IN · Published Nov 1, 2026
• The 2026 Lancet Countdown Report highlights alarming health and environmental challenges in India due to climate change. The report reveals that virtually no Indian residents live in air quality conditions meeting the World Health Organization's (WHO) Target-III standards. Only 5% of the population experiences air quality better than WHO Target-II, while 25% live in conditions worse than Target-I. Heatwave exposure among infants and the elderly has more than doubled compared to the 1986-2005 period, with infants exposed to an average of 7.6 heatwave days annually and the elderly to 7.2 days during 2021-
• These figures represent increases of 162% and 136%, respectively. The report also notes that man-made fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution caused an estimated 239,000 deaths in India in 2023.

Impact & Risks

The findings underscore significant health risks for vulnerable populations, including infants and the elderly, who are disproportionately affected by heatwaves and air pollution. The economic cost of heat-related deaths among people aged over 65 averaged $3.8 billion annually between 2021 and 2025. Additionally, the report highlights the severe impact of PM2.5 pollution, which is linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. These challenges are compounded by the increasing carbon intensity of India's energy system, which grew by 9.9% between 2016 and 2023.

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