Examining perceived heat stress: health and livelihood effects on auto-rickshaw drivers in Satara city (India) of the South Asia Region

A significant research gap exists in understanding and mitigating strategies for auto-rickshaw drivers in the context of extreme temperatures (heat stress) and their vulnerabilities. There is an urgent need to better understand the impact of extreme temperatures on auto-rickshaw drivers’ health, well-being, income, and exposure. A sample of 107 auto-rickshaw drivers was selected for the study; all were male, aged 22–60, and were interviewed from four localities of Satara city (Maharashtra, India) during the peak summer month (May) of 2024. We recorded respondents’ responses on heat stress, impacts on human health, adaptive responses, well-being, and livelihood impacts through scheduled interviews. The remote sensing indices were used, such as Land Surface Temperature (LST) for day and night, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalised Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) and Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) for the summer month (May) from 2020 to 2024 (the last five years) to understand the temperature variation in Satara city. The sampled survey data were analysed using principal components of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), such as exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators. The primary factors were sensitivity (self-reported heat-related symptoms, age), exposure (livelihood, cooling device), and adaptive capacity, such as drinking water resources and area under vegetation cover. The order of heat-health vulnerability indicators was exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The self-reported heat-related symptoms (in number) were heat rash (74), fatigue (74), dry mouth (61), small blisters or pimples (51), headache (47), heavy sweating (34), leg swelling (14), eye irritation (10) and muscle cramps (10). As the study was exploratory, no hypotheses were established. Auto-rickshaw drivers earn an average income of Rs. 11,500/-per month for 12 h of work daily. LST analysis for 2020, 2023, and 2024 clearly demonstrates a rise in high-temperature zones and a strong intensification of daytime heat. The municipal corporation should include heat and health guidelines, particularly for auto-rickshaw drivers.