How Hyderabad can build its way out of the heat

Glass-clad towers and sprawling gated communities have become defining features of Hyderabad’s skyline. But they have also become major contributors to one of the city’s biggest climate challenges — the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, where built-up areas become significantly hotter than their surroundings. Ironically, many of these hotspots are also home to the city’s largest concentration of Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)-certified buildings, which are designed to reduce heat absorption, improve energy efficiency and create healthier indoor environments. So why are some of Hyderabad’s hottest neighbourhoods also its greenest on paper? Experts say the answer is not that green buildings don’t work, but that there simply aren’t enough of them, and they need to be backed by neighbourhood-wide planning. IGBC guidelines promote measures such as cool roofs, reflective materials, shaded landscapes, native vegetation and green roofs to reduce heat absorption.