A project applying reflective paint to roofs in African townships is measurably reducing indoor temperatures, helping families sleep better and children concentrate on homework during extreme heat. The intervention addresses climate-driven heatwaves that now account for 80% of heat exposure days in South Africa.
Guardian Global Development · Monday, 1 June 2026
A project to measure how reflective paint reduces indoor temperatures is delivering tangible benefits across AfricaThe brick house Sylvia shares in a Western Cape township on the outskirts of Cape Town with her three children gets unbearably hot every summer, causing the youngest to cry and her two older children to struggle to concentrate on their homework. Sylvia is not alone, according to a recent report in the Lancet: “In 2024, people in South Africa were exposed to 13 heatwave days, on average. Of these, 10.5 (80%) would not have been expected to occur without climate change.”But summer is more bearable for the family now that her asbestos roof has been painted with reflective paint. Continue reading...
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