This qualitative study introduces “Systemic Heat” to examine how persistent warming interacts with local ecological and social conditions to shape rural climate vulnerability. Drawing on lived experiences from Barwani and Mandla districts of Madhya Pradesh, it traces how climatic pressures cascade across everyday life, with repeated adjustments contributing to downward spirals of vulnerability and cumulative stress. The report offers practical directions for the Government of Madhya Pradesh, particularly through VB GRAM G, SRLM and convergent rural planning, to strengthen locally responsive climate resilience.
