KOLKATA, INDIA – With temperatures in parts of India now reaching 45°C, researchers are experimenting with solutions to make life bearable in a post-climate change landscape that is only getting hotter.
With vulnerable people the most affected by the increasing heat, cost is a significant issue. And so it is that a simple coat of white paint is being successfully applied to roofs to reflect the sun’s rays, reducing heat absorption and offering much-needed relief to inhabitants.
The REFLECT project is a global collaboration between the University of Auckland and several universities, including the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH). In 2025, researchers trialled the effects of a white, solar-reflective paint in a year-long experiment across India, Burkina Faso, Mexico, Niue and Fiji, targeting communities experiencing severe heat exposure.
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In Ahmedabad, the Gujarat state capital, IIPH researchers earmarked 400 households with tin or cement roofs. Around 200 received the cool roof intervention while another set served as a control. In both, indoor environmental sensors measured temperature and humidity.
