Mitigating Climate Change through Traditional Knowledge in Tropical Housing: An Overview

Abstract

Climate Change and Rapid Urbanization have brought a new challenge for architects and urban planners. Errant weather conditions in the form of prolonged heat waves causing heat strokes, torrential rainfall leading to floods in urban settlements, and extreme cold conditions have worsened the situation. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect has further elevated the temperatures of cities and towns. Urbanization has brought more construction activities and increased vehicles on the road leading to polluted environments. It has resulted in degrading the quality of life in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Tropical houses have some of the highest population concentrations in the world. Tropical climate consists of hot summers and cool winters with plenty of rainfall which makes the weather hot and humid. Proper ventilation is essential in this weather. The application of mechanical means of cooling and heating has made the buildings feel thermally comfortable but resulting in environmental degradation and other problems. However, before the advent of electricity, all vernacular houses have been naturally ventilated. Windows is used to control light, solar radiation, and ventilation in a building. In this context, this paper examines climate change adaptation in tropical housing through basic knowledge of locally available techniques. It focuses on the change of climate in the tropical regions of India. It employs examining documented studies related to the mitigation of climate change as a research methodology. It concludes that climate change can be significantly reduced by implementing efficient design practices, such as green walls, roofs, and balconies, minimizing energy use in traditional and vernacular houses.