SUSTAINING LIVELIHOODS ON THE FRONTLINES: CLIMATE VULNERABILITY AND HEAT STRESS AMONG CHENNAI STREET VENDORS

Abstract

This study evaluates the compounding pressures of climate vulnerability, severe urban heat stress, and occupational precarity among street vendors in Chennai City, Tamil Nadu. As rising surface temperatures and intense heatwaves characterize South India’s urban microclimates, outdoor informal workers face acute health risks, daily income volatility, and severe productivity losses. Utilizing a stratified random sampling methodology, primary data was gathered from 400 street vendors across commercial hubs within the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The empirical framework applies a four-stage statistical testing architecture: the Chi-Square Test of Independence, Independent Samples $t$-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Multiple Linear Regression. The empirical findings indicate that daily earnings and physiological heat stress resilience vary significantly based on access to cooling infrastructure, mobile shading, hydration availability, and vendor product classifications. The paper concludes with actionable policy measures to institutionalize heat-resilient urban planning, safeguard outdoor livelihoods, and incorporate climate adaptation strategies into the implementation of the Street Vendors Act.