A team led by Giacomo Falchetta at the Euro‑Mediterranean Center on Climate Change analysed data from more than one million households in 28 countries. The study covered nearly three billion people and found large levels of "cooling poverty". It distinguishes between moderate, severe and multi-dimensional deprivation. About 1.2 billion live in areas with moderate cooling poverty, roughly 550 million face severe cooling deprivation, and about 600 million experience high deprivation across several dimensions.
Regional patterns differ. South Asia and Sub‑Saharan Africa are the most affected. Almost 80 per cent of people in the South Asia sample live in regions where the systemic cooling poverty index exceeds 55 out of 100. The study names Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Malawi as having extremely high deprivation in housing quality, water and sanitation, energy access and cooling green and blue spaces. It estimates about 1.5 billion people live in places with inadequate infrastructure and health conditions to cope with heat.
Experts warn that air conditioning alone is neither sufficient nor sustainable. The study calls for coordinated, low‑cost policies across housing, water, health, labour and urban planning. Suggested measures include better housing and cool roofs, more trees and water bodies, public cooling shelters, improved water and sanitation, and labour protections such as rest breaks. Researchers say policies must be mandatory and funded, and they warn that limits to adaptation exist if extreme heat continues to intensify.
Difficult words
- cooling poverty — lack of ability to keep cool in hot weather
- deprivation — lack of basic services or needed conditions
- multi-dimensional — having problems in more than one area
- infrastructure — basic systems and services for a community
- sustainable — able to continue without harming future needs
- coordinated — planned to work together between different groups
- labour protection — rules to keep workers safe and treated fairlylabour protections
- adaptation — process of adjusting to new climate or conditions
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which suggested measure (for example, more trees or cool roofs) do you think would work best in your city? Why?
- How could public cooling shelters or better water and sanitation change life for people during heat waves where you live?
- What difficulties might a government face when trying to make cooling policies mandatory and funded?
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