ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND AIR POLLUTION IN INDIA: A REVIEW OF RECENT EVIDENCE
Nanduri Gayatri Devi, NVNB Srinivasa Rao, C. A. Jyothirmayee, M. Rama, V. Nagalakshmi, K. Swarnalatha
ABSTRACT
Climate change and environmental degradation present unprecedented threats to India, home to more than 1.4 billion people. Air pollution, heat waves, and ecological contamination have emerged as leading causes of mortality and morbidity, particularly impacting vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those in poverty. Drawing on ten recent Scopus-indexed studies (2019–2025), this comprehensive review synthesizes evidence on the interlinked health and environmental crises in India, highlighting air pollution, heat stress, combined climatic hazards, and ecosystem contamination. Studies such as the India State- Level Disease Burden Initiative (2021) and de Bont et al. (2024, 2025) reveal that ambient PM2.5 and NO2 exposure contribute to millions of premature deaths annually, while combined heat and pollution exposures exacerbate daily mortality beyond additive risks. Research on heat stress (Lahari et al., 2023; Mehta et al., 2025) indicates a 6–8% increase in mortality risk during heatwaves across climate zones, while Qureshi and colleagues (2022, 2023) demonstrate risks posed by crop residue burning and toxic trace elements in the food chain. This paper synthesizes these findings to identify gaps in research, policy, and action, calling for integrated climate-health frameworks, investment in renewable energy, co-benefit policies, and protective interventions for at-risk populations.
Keywords: Climate change; air pollution; heat stress; public health; PM2.5; India; environmental contamination; climate-health nexus.
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