Earlier this year, May 2024 became the warmest May yet on Earth, mimicking the alarming trend in 2023. Global temperatures soared to over 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level (1850s–1900s) — a critical threshold never experienced by modern civilizations. Unsurprisingly, heatwaves in India have also become more frequent and severe, with temperatures increasing by about 0.7°C*. These extreme heat events have had devastating consequences, claiming over 22,000 lives between 1992 and 2015. The intensification of such heatwaves highlights the urgent need for proactive measures to combat climate change and safeguard public health. As per the journal Nature, India is one of the worst impacted countries in South Asia, with over 101 billion labour hours lost annually due to heatwaves, translating to an economic loss of approximately US$150–250 billion. Experts are of the opinion that limiting global warming to 1.5°C could potentially reduce the number of people frequently exposed to extreme heat waves.
As the world’s most populous nation, India’s rapid urbanization, combined with rising economic prosperity, is likely to drive a substantial increase in energy demand. However, with a large portion of its energy needs met through imports, this growing demand poses a challenge to the country’s economic self-reliance. To address this, India must explore more efficient cooling solutions and prioritize energy conservation, as increasing energy consumption is not a viable option. Encouraging energy-conscious behavior and building a strong market for energy-efficient technologies are crucial steps toward ensuring energy security—a vital foundation for sustained economic growth and long-term stability.
At Palava City, we prioritize reducing environmental impact at every stage—before, during, and after construction. As part of Lodha’s sustainability vision, we established the Lodha Net Zero Urban Accelerator in partnership with RMI as its knowledge partner to drive these efforts further. One of our key initiatives included conducting heat mapping in Palava City near Mumbai which revealed some noteworthy observations. The study showed that shaded areas of footpaths were more than 10° Celsius cooler than unshaded ones. The difference was even more pronounced when comparing a shaded lawn to an unshaded footpath, with temperatures varying by approximately 14° Celsius. These observations underscore the importance of thoughtful urban design and landscape planning in mitigating heat and creating more comfortable living environments.
To summarise, while ambient temperature in Palava typically ranges between 35-37°C, the unshaded surface temperature can reach as high as 48.5°C. However, the study revealed that nature-based solutions like shading through vegetation can reduce the temperature by 7-11°C. This study further reported that Palava City’s maximum temperature is consistently 3 degrees cooler than Kalyan-Dombivli and 2 degrees lower than weather of Mumbai. Moreover, Palava’s AQI falls under the good category (0-50 AQI) for approximately 50% of the time in a year, as compared to Mumbai (reading recorded in Worli) which is 25% of the time. Palava maintains an AQI below 100 (Satisfactory AQI) for 350 days a year (96% of the time), significantly outperforming Mumbai (215 days, 59% of the time)
The factors contributing to Palava City’s cooler environment can be attributed to several nature-based solutions such as vegetation, green roofs, multiple courtyards, and the presence of water bodies making Palava a sustainable development project. Additionally, the strategic orientation of buildings creates shading for internal roads, further reducing heat absorption. The use of light-coloured pavements has also proven to be more effective in lowering surface temperatures compared to darker pavements. For instance, high-absorbing asphalt surfaces recorded temperatures as high as 66.4°C, while highly reflective mosaic tiles were significantly cooler at 42.2°C. This evidence highlights the potential of reflective surfaces and smart urban planning in mitigating heat. Understanding these contributing factors is crucial in addressing the challenges posed by extreme heatwaves, not just in Mumbai but across India, making Palava City an important case study in sustainable and climate-resilient urban design.
In conclusion, the escalating threat of extreme heat due to climate change necessitates a comprehensive and proactive approach to sustainable real estate development. RMI and Lodha team under the Net Zero Urban Accelerator will adopt a two-pronged strategy: rigorous research and strategic implementation. Research will focus on understanding the correlation between urban heat islands and land use, enhancing on-ground monitoring, and leveraging digital technologies for precise heat mapping. For implementation, the focus will be on adopting heat resilience strategies at the community level, utilising policy incentives to drive climate resilient investments, and advocating for worker protection in extreme heat conditions. At Lodha, we aim to understand and optimise the effectiveness of various urban resilience techniques to mitigate the urban heat island effect in India. Starting with Palava City, we aim to set a precedent for sustainable and resilient urban development, supporting the growth of sustainable cities and communities not just in India, but around the world.
*between 1901 and 2018