Workshop: Natural cooling, an indispensable element of future-oriented housing policies and projects in hot climates

Working languages: EN, FR and AR

Monday, 22 March 2021, 09:30-10:30 hrs. (Brussels time). Cooling is a tremendously important element to take into consideration in housing policies and projects in hot climate zones. Energy needs for space cooling are predicted to triple by 2050. Nearly 70% of the increase will come from residential buildings – in large parts due to increasing demand of air conditioning systems to counter thermal discomfort incurred by high interior temperatures in conventional buildings. This trend is set to intensify, driven by high demand for new housing and infrastructure and rising incomes.

Better building designs reduce or even avoid the energy demand for space cooling, and are highly cost-efficient (Better Design for Cool Buildings, PEEB, 2020). Better designed and cooled buildings are also a matter of providing better living conditions and affordability of decent housing, especially for low-income populations.

Objectives

Key objectives for organizing the workshop are to explore:

• Why natural cooling measures in affordable housing policies are of high relevance to public policy today;
• What kind of solutions are available;
• How to access to resources if need be.

In this context, the workshop will provide an opportunity for learning more about how improving building designs can significantly curb the energy demand for space cooling, and for taking stock of available support as regards the identification, development and implementation of related projects.

Participants

The workshop is mainly addressed to public authorities in charge of housing policies in UfM Member States.

UfM Focal Points for Affordable and Sustainable Housing and for Urban Regeneration, as well as UfM National Coordinators for Sustainable Urban Development, are also welcome to convey to the UfM Secretariat names and contact details of additional key stakeholders from their countries, such as representatives of universities, NGOs and private sector, who are interested in following the workshop.

Modalities

The workshop will precede the 2nd meeting of the UFM – IFI’s Urban Project Committee to be held on Tuesday, 23 March 2021, wherein UfM countries will be presenting to IFIs and donors their current housing policy and project ideas and proposals that they aim to develop and implement in the near future.

Working languages of the workshop will be English, French and Arabic.

Interested participants are kindly requested to register at the following link.