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Hyderabad's Green Buildings Struggle Against Urban Heat
31 Jul
Summary
- Green buildings in Hyderabad are outnumbered by conventional ones.
- Isolated green buildings cannot cool entire hot neighborhoods.
- More city-wide planning needed to combat the Urban Heat Island effect.
Glass-clad towers and sprawling communities in Hyderabad contribute significantly to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, paradoxically making some of the city's greenest areas its hottest. While IGBC-certified buildings aim to reduce heat absorption and enhance energy efficiency, their impact is limited due to their sheer numbers being far fewer than conventional structures.
Urban planner Srinivas Murthy highlights that expecting a few green buildings to cool an entire neighborhood is unrealistic, as they constitute only a small fraction of the built-up area. Though Telangana boasts over 1,200 IGBC-certified projects, this is a minor portion of Hyderabad's total building stock.
Experts advocate for more than just cool roofs and reflective materials; they suggest revising building bylaws to discourage excessive glass façades and promote climate-responsive architecture. Siraz Hirani of ClimateRISE Alliance stresses the need for coordinated, neighborhood-wide action rather than isolated projects to effectively cool the city.
Currently, only about 10% of Hyderabad's buildings are green-certified. IGBC chairman C Shekhar Reddy notes that while Gold certification is common, wider adoption and more Platinum-rated projects are needed for a significant impact. He reassures that green certifications, like Gold, typically increase project costs by only 1%, with the investment often recovered within three to four years through lower operating costs.
