A powerful visual depiction of increasing global temperatures is documented in a series of photographs showing the effects of India’s recent record smashing heatwave. A concurrent theme in the photos is the need for clean water and the preservation of rivers and lakes, both of which have been affected by major drought and temperatures that have reached as high as 51 degrees Celsius. Schools have also closed, hospitals have stopped preforming surgeries, and even cooking dinner is restricted, due to concerns over more forest fires.
India has recently become more proactive in addressing climate change, emphasizing the need to drastically reduce domestic carbon emissions. This is a positive shift forward as it comes in stark contrast from their assertion last summer that the country could not take steps to reduce emissions. This was largely due to India’s plans to tackle poverty by keeping industries that are major polluters running at full tilt. In recognizing the vulnerability of their citizens, especially those living in poverty, and engaging in the effects of climate change, they have agreed to quantify their efforts to mitigate climate change. In doing so, they are taking the first steps to protect their natural resources, which will help to improve quality of life for their citizens.