Examining Climatic Response, Vulnerability and Adaptation in Rural Indian Dwellings to Climate Change: Case studies in three climatic zones

Abstract

Buildings have evolved traditionally based on local resources and skills. They predominantly relied on passive climate-response mechanisms to provide indoor comfort. However, contemporary buildings, made primarily of bricks, concrete and steel, depend mainly on active (energy-intensive) mechanisms in achieving thermal comfort. Such buildings are becoming less habitable when subject to climate-change and global warming. The risk due to climate change and related extreme weather events poses a severe threat to human well-being. This inter-disciplinary research integrates building and climate sciences to investigate the vulnerability and adaptation of buildings to climate change. Given the warming tendency that causes overheating in buildings, this study aims to examine appropriate adaptation strategies. A conceptual framework has been developed to examine the vulnerability and adaptation of buildings to climate change. In line with the framework, the conventional climate-classification adopted for buildings has been reexamined. It has been found that existing classifications must be revised to account for climate change and in providing appropriate guidelines for building adaptation and design.

As this study spans the spatial scales of diverse climatic zones and building typologies, a few rural dwellings were selected from three climate zones. Subsequently, a thermal vulnerability assessment was carried out to study the impact of climate change on these houses. Thermal performance of the building envelopes and the thermal comfort of occupants were examined, considering the warming trend in these locations. Conventional buildings (made of brick/concrete) were found to be more vulnerable than vernacular buildings (made of local materials), given climate change. Evaluation of building adaptation follows vulnerability analysis according to the framework, to identify and propose strategies for adaptation. A few adaptation strategies were selected to retrofit the conventional buildings without disturbing the existing structures. These strategies were further assessed for their thermal performance and comfort. The current study has devised and tested a novel ‘Effective U-value’ index as an aggregated measure of overall building-envelope (walls and roof) thermal performance and climatic response. While results from this dissertation could provide guidelines for climate change adaptation in buildings, it also provides a structure for more region-specific and passive design strategies for a comfortable and healthy built environment.