New Delhi, March 16 -- As the India Meteorological Department warns of above- normal temperatures across much of India in the coming weeks, the country is once again preparing for a hotter summer. But for many Indians, rising heat is more than a seasonal forecast; it shapes everyday life.

Climate change is no longer an abstract environmental challenge. It is experienced through heat stress, illness, income loss and rising energy costs. In cities such as Delhi, rising temperatures are already reshaping daily routines, from when people work and travel to how households cope inside their homes.

However, a persistent gap remains between climate ambition and ground outcomes. This gap widens when policies and programmes are not designed aroun...