Improved Habitability Under Extreme Environments at High Attitude

Indian Armed Forces protect the boundaries of our country under diversified climatic conditions like the hot and dry deserts of Rajasthan, the humid forests of the northeast, coastal regions, cold deserts with snowbound areas with extremely low temperatures, and hypoxic conditions at high altitudes and underwater. The hypoxic and cold conditions at high and extreme altitudes lead to many physiological and psychological problems. The inclement weather conditions and the lack of proper facilities further exaggerate the problem. These soldiers fight more against harsh climatic conditions rather than the enemy. The survivability aspects of the soldiers have already been addressed by the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS). Problems related to high-altitude exposure have largely been addressed by providing an acclimatization schedule, which is currently followed by the Armed Forces.