Rising temperatures are familiar across the globe, as each year both average highs and lows increase exponentially. The climate crisis behind these temperatures, while often overlooked, continues to be relatively well-documented. An overlooked impact of the changing climate is the effects of indoor heating. Extreme indoor temperatures are a unique facet of climate change that disproportionately affect women and low-income communities in India.
Contributing to this crisis are the poor construction standards to which informal housing settlements are held. A study documenting the mortality and susceptibility to heat-related illnesses found that people living in houses with cement roofs in rural areas of Maharashtra, a western Indian state on the coast of the Indian Ocean, were less likely to experience heat-related symptoms such as intense thirst, headaches, fatigue, and hallucinations than those living with tin roofs. Many houses in informal settlements are created with tin roofs and narrow entrances that don’t allow for proper air circulation. Homes in these areas are made of heat-trapping materials such as tin, bricks, and concrete.
The Indian city of Bengaluru is known for its mild weather compared to the rest of India, averaging around 27 degrees Celsius every April. However, throughout April 2025, its population faced temperatures that soared to over 35 degrees Celsius. The government falls short in providing for its citizens, as people living in the city’s slums are unable to follow instructions advising them to stay indoors throughout the afternoon. Even those who own fans are unable to use them as the city faces blackouts, and water through in-home plumbing is only available every other day or every third day.
Within this greater context, minorities suffer greatly.
Up to 75 percent of India’s workers are exposed to extreme temperatures. This statistic will only increase as the heat intensifies. The majority of these workers are in the informal workplace, many of whom have migrated from the countryside into major cities. Informal workers cannot regard heat warnings, and continue to labor under these harsh conditions. Workers manufacturing brick kilns, over 50 percent of whom are members of the Dalit or lowest caste, must continue working with furnaces despite soaring temperatures. These informal workplaces create unsafe environments for their workers, who already have so little.
Women are disproportionately affected as they reconcile their domestic responsibilities with paid work, often cooking in unventilated spaces that increase indoor-heat-related suffering. Heat-related symptoms require them to take more frequent breaks and consequently lose income.
One solution proposed to tackle the indoor heat problem is solar-reflective paint. This paint, created by the Mahila Housing Trust in western India, is white and can be applied to homes made of heat-trapping materials, therefore reducing indoor temperatures. This solution is low-cost and effective, easily applicable for low-income households. Another alternative roofing solution is called ModRoof: made of paper and wood waste, designed specifically to keep homes cooler. Unfortunately, the material remains more expensive than the oft-used tin that keeps homes unbearable.
While there may be some relief for indoor heat, the greater issue of rising temperatures will continue to affect India’s most marginalized for the foreseeable future.
Edited by Lindsay Hayes
Disclaimer: This is an article written by a Staff Writer. Catalyst is a student-led platform that fosters engagement with global issues from a learning perspective. The opinions expressed above do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.
