sierra leone
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Credit: Antonio López/Pixabay
Reflective roofs combat extreme heat in Sierra Leone
Reflective panels installed on homes in Freetown, Sierra Leone, are helping residents cope with extreme heat by reducing indoor temperatures by over 6°C.
In short:
- Reflective roofs in Kroo Bay, Freetown, are mitigating extreme heat, making homes more livable.
- Panels made from recycled materials reduce indoor temperatures and are more durable than traditional paints.
- MEER’s project in Sierra Leone aims to expand to India to tackle similar heat challenges.
Key quote:
“People are effectively baking inside their own homes.”
— Peter Dynes, managing director of MEER
Why this matters:
Extreme heat increases health risks and reduces quality of life, especially in densely populated informal settlements. Innovative cooling solutions like reflective roofs can significantly improve living conditions in vulnerable regions.
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Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
Sierra Leone's long road to clean cookstoves
In Sierra Leone, 99 percent of the population still uses polluting cooking methods, including fires and uninsulated cookstoves.
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Citizen scientists map urban heat down to the block level
Thousands of volunteers have taken part in a federal agency-led initiative to better understand where US cities’ hot zones are.
How ‘heat officers’ plan to help cities survive ever-hotter summers
Heat-focused officials in these four cities are rolling out warning systems and drawing up green designs to create more heat-resistant metropolises.
Scientists rediscover a climate-hardy coffee plant
Coffea stenophylla possesses greater tolerance for higher temperatures than Arabica and robusta coffee that dominate the market, researchers say.
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Swallowed by the sea
While some communities brace for the future affects of climate change, the archipelago known as the Turtle Islands off Sierra Leone's coast is dealing with rising sea levels and disappearing land right now. People have had to relocate, which is not cheap for locals who earn just 10 cents a day.
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