The effects of passive home cooling interventions on health, behavioural and economic outcomes in rural Africa

适应对于减轻日益增加的热暴露对人类健康的不利影响至关重要。适应能力最差的人口和社区-特别是生活在萨赫勒地区的人-也正在经历全世界最极端的高温暴露。在DFG研究单位“气候变化与健康”第一阶段的试验中，我们发现阳光反射屋顶涂料可将屋顶温度降低10-15 ºC，白天室内空气温度降低2 - 3 ºC-使“凉爽屋顶”成为布基纳法索农村和萨赫勒地区其他社区理想的气候变化适应干预措施。 然而，白天的气温下降并没有持续到晚上。因此，我们在研究单元第二阶段的研究目标是确定在关键的夜间睡眠和休息时间降低室内温度的最佳策略。 为了实现这一目标，我们将追求五个具体的研究目标：（1）使用定量设计和模拟研究，根据布基纳法索农村地区的乡土建筑和当地需求，证明候选通风方法的技术可行性，（2）使用定性设计研究，确定布基纳法索农村地区不同通风技术的观念、文化可接受性和可取性，（3）使用配对机制研究，阐明布基纳法索农村地区通风对有无凉爽屋顶房屋室内温度和空气流速的影响机制，（4）使用随机对照试验，确定布基纳法索农村地区通风对健康、行为、房屋气候和社会经济结果的因果影响，（5）使用随机对照试验，确定布基纳法索农村凉爽屋顶对健康和福祉的长期影响。我们的研究将提供关键数据，以支持布基纳法索和更广泛的萨赫勒地区气候脆弱的资源贫乏人口成功适应气候变化。

Adaptation is essential for mitigating adverse human health effects from increasing heat exposure. The populations and communities least able to adapt – in particular, people living in the Sahel region – are also experiencing the most extreme heat exposures worldwide. In our trial in the first phase of the DFG research unit on ‘Climate change and health’, we found that sunlight-reflecting coof-roof coatings reduce roof temperatures by 10-15 ºC and indoor air temperatures by 2 ºC to 3 ºC during daytime – making ‘cool roofs’ an ideal climate change adaptation intervention in rural Burkina Faso and other communities in the Sahel region. The daytime temperature reductions, however, did not persist into the night. Our research goal in this second phase of the research unit is thus to identify optimal strategies for reducing indoor temperatures at during the critical night-time hours of sleep and rest. To achieve this goal, we will pursue five specific research objectives: To (1) Demonstrate the technical feasibility of candidate ventilation approaches given the vernacular architecture and local needs in rural Burkina Faso – using quantitative design and simulation studies, (2) Identify the perceptions and cultural acceptability and desirability of different ventilation technologies in rural Burkina Faso – using qualitative design studies, (3) Elucidate mechanisms of ventilation in affecting indoor temperature and air velocity in houses with and without cool roofs in rural Burkina Faso – using a matched-pair mechanism study, (4) Establish the causal effects of ventilation with and without cool roof on health, behavioural, house climate and socio-economic outcomes in rural Burkina Faso – using a randomized controlled trial, and (5) Establish the long-term effects of cool roofs in rural Burkina Faso on health and well-being – using a randomized controlled trial. Our research will provide critical data to support climate-vulnerable resource-poor populations in Burkina Faso and the wider Sahel region in successful climate change adaptation.