The impact of climate change is spread disproportionately across the planet. The global south, which includes developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, experiences devastating consequences of extreme weather events on national economies, local communities, and ecosystems. They are more vulnerable to climate change and extreme events.
At the building scale, climate adaptation strategies such as climate-responsive design, and low-energy cooling technologies are becoming increasingly essential to maintain thermal comfort in the built environment, which is a prerequisite for the health and well-being of occupants. Beyond the building scale, the wide-ranging impacts of the phenomenon such as changing land use patterns and variable energy demands are significant and unique challenges.
Overcoming the severe impacts of climate change, especially in the global south, calls for strengthening climate resilience in the rapidly growing built environment. Climate resilience or adaptation is necessary to ensure occupant comfort during extreme events. Similarly, nature-based solutions that leverage natural systems to co-benefit the environment and occupant well-being hold great potential to mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve air quality which is worsening from climate change. Moreover, prioritizing regenerative resources through measures such as restoring local ecosystems, using renewable energy sources, and shifting to a circular economy at all scales is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.