Indian slums get ‘cool roofs’ to combat heat

Hundreds of roofs in the informal settlements of India’s western Gujarat state have been painted in a reflective, white coating over the last two months to try to keep their occupants cooler as the hottest time of year approaches.

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The effort, which involves 400 households in Ahmedabad, is part of a global scientific trial to study how indoor heat impacts people's health and economic outcomes in developing countries and how “cool roofs” might help.

"Traditionally, home is where people have come to find shelter and respite against external elements," said Aditi Bunker, an epidemiologist at the University of Heidelberg in Germany who is leading the project, supported by the UK-based Wellcome Trust.