Thermal comfort in low-income housing in informal settlements in Lima, Peru Towards a localised adaptive comfort standard

Abstract

The rapid urbanisation of the Global South is of growing concern to policy makers especially since the formation of informal settlements is the prevalent pattern of growth. Housing conditions in these settlements are largely precarious and health hazards, for the low-income urban dwellers, are part of their daily living experiences. This work explores thermal comfort of the houses in some largest informal settlements using hourly measured internal temperatures from 30 homes in Lima, Peru. The results reveal the magnitude of exposure to adverse indoor environmental conditions in these homes. This first step in understanding some of the key issues these communities are facing, is critical in improving the planning decisions towards dignified housing in low-income communities in the Global South.