When extreme weather events occur, the damage is usually measured in collapsed buildings, damaged roads and flooded homes. But the aftermath also brings a less visible threat.
Heatwaves, droughts, erratic rainfall and flash floods, in combination or alone, also reshape the ecology of diseases. They can affect how long pathogens survive, change the distribution of disease-carrying insects and bring people, animals and pathogens into closer contact, increasing the risk of outbreaks in new places at unexpected times.
The latest assessment report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that heatwaves and extreme rainfall events are projected to increase in the coming years.
A 2025 study by IPE Global, an international development consultancy, and Esri India, a GIS mapping company, warns that extreme weather could become more severe by 2030, with heatwaves projected to double in major cities and extreme rainfall events expected to rise by 43% across the country.
Health experts state that we need to factor in and prevent climate-related outbreaks rather than simply responding to them.
Monsoon and drought risk
The World Meteorological Organisation reports that the past decade has witnessed some of the worst floods on record. India, too, has experienced devastating floods, including those in Mumbai in 2025 and Kerala in 2018.
“Heavy rainfall and flooding create ideal conditions for the emergence and spread...