Practical actions: Homes
What to do, who acts, what it takes to run, what could stop it, and what it only works with.
Where people sleep, cook and care for others, often under thin roofs that stay hot after dark. The full cards, with who each protects, where it suits and its evidence, are on the live page.
What to do: A white, solar-reflective coating on tin, asbestos or concrete roofs, so less heat reaches the room below.
Who acts: City and local governments, Community and civil society groups, Development banks, donors and climate funds
Running and upkeep: Recoating every few years, and a thermometer to check it works. Rough cost: about US$2.6–US$3.7 per m² (₹250–₹350 at Indian prices).
What could stop it: Promising degrees nobody measured, renters who cannot change the roof, and no money to recoat.
Works only if: Rooms are measured before and after; Tenants are protected from rent rises; Someone pays to recoat.
Evidence: source 1 below.
What to do: Bamboo blinds, jute screens or awnings on the sunny side, and higher vents that let hot air out at night.
Who acts: Community and civil society groups, City and local governments
Running and upkeep: Fixing and replacing screens each season; vents need rain and mosquito screens.
What could stop it: Openings that let in dust, rain or intruders, and screens that block all air.
Works only if: Air can still move; Vents are secure; Someone replaces worn screens.
Evidence: source 2 below.
What to do: Efficient fans, lifeline electricity tariffs and reliable supply in the hottest weeks.
Who acts: Utilities and energy regulators, City and local governments, National governments
Running and upkeep: Monthly power bills, and a grid that holds in a heatwave.
What could stop it: Power cuts at the hottest hours, and bills people cannot pay.
Works only if: Power is reliable when it is hottest; Tariffs protect the poorest; Fans are efficient.
Evidence: source 3 below.
What to do: Let heat and smoke out of the kitchen, move cooking to cooler hours, and make cleaner fuel affordable through the season.
Who acts: Community and civil society groups, Utilities and energy regulators, National governments
Running and upkeep: Fuel costs every month, and upkeep of vents and chimneys.
What could stop it: Clean fuel bought once but not refilled, and kitchens with no way for air to escape.
Works only if: Refills stay affordable all season; There is an opening for heat and smoke; Women decide how it is designed.
Evidence: source 4 below.
What to do: Neighbours, health workers or volunteers call or visit older, ill and disabled people who live alone, day and night, during alerts.
Who acts: Community and civil society groups, Health authorities, City and local governments
Running and upkeep: A list kept up to date, and volunteers’ or health workers’ time during alerts.
What could stop it: No list of who lives alone, and calls that stop at sunset.
Works only if: Someone keeps the list; Calls continue after dark; Callers know when to send help.
Evidence: source 5 below.
Costs, where shown, are rough Indian planning ranges from the site’s cooling options, not quotes. Every action also needs a named owner and a running budget. Labels next to each title say what kind of evidence the card cites.
Sources
- Reuters, via South China Morning Post, 2025. scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3301810/indian-slums-get-cool-roofs-beat-summer-heat
- Tasgaonkar et al., Scientific Data, 2022. nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01314-5
- Sustainable Energy for All, 2023. seforall.org/our-work/research-analysis/chilling-prospects-series/chilling-prospects-global-access-to-cooling-gaps-2023
- Ghimire and others, Frontiers in Public Health, 2025. frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1657267/full
- Minor et al., One Earth, 2022. orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/rising-temperatures-erode-human-sleep-globally