Pulse of Survival: Ahmedabad’s Heatwave Fighters Strap On Smartwatches

As temperatures in Ahmedabad soar past 43°C, the city is pioneering a novel approach to protect its most vulnerable residents from the relentless heat: smartwatches. In the low-income neighborhood of Vanzara Vas, over 200 men and women have been equipped with wristwatch-style health monitors as part of a year-long study aimed at understanding and mitigating the health impacts of extreme heat.

 

Residents like Sapnaben Chunara, a mother of three, spend most of their days outdoors because their tin-roofed homes become unbearably hot. The smartwatches track heart rate, pulse, and sleep patterns, while participants also receive weekly blood pressure checks. This data will help researchers assess how the heat is affecting daily life and health in these communities.

 

In addition to the wearable tech, researchers have coated some rooftops with reflective paint-so-called "cool roofs"-to see if they can significantly lower indoor temperatures. Indoor heat sensors will compare the effectiveness of these cool roofs to untreated homes.

 

Ahmedabad’s initiative is part of a larger global research effort to find scalable solutions for millions living in informal settlements threatened by rising temperatures. For residents, the hope is that these innovations will soon bring lasting relief from the city’s ever-intensifying heatwaves.

 

Source: Associated Press