Badly built housing propels the heat pandemic in Asia's cities

It is a typical summer’s afternoon in Gujarat, India. Women and children are listless as they swelter in their homes in the 34-degree Celsius heat.

It’s even hotter outside. Families that have moved into affordable housing units built in the last few years are finding their comfort and health have not been sufficiently considered in the design and construction of the new dwellings.

There are similar issues in Indonesia — where one study showed most household energy use was dedicated to trying unsuccessfully to stay cool — and Australia, where tenants in rental properties were regularly experiencing indoor temperatures above 30C in summer.

We are experiencing a heat pandemic, and it’s exacerbated by lousy buildings.