Heat waves: Building oases in a hotter world

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is using innovative design to beat extreme heat. The 26-story Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi is fitted with the world's largest "dynamic facade," featuring screens that open and close to provide shade depending on the sun's direction. The country is facing surging temperatures this summer after its hottest spring ever.

As a major heat wave struck South Korea, a local government decided to install large ice blocks reaching 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) in height in 20 popular locations around the traditional Jeonju Hanok Village, a popular tourist destination south of the capital, Seoul. Cold fog was also dispersed as a cool mist across the town to relieve sweltering tourists and residents.

Unlike solar-absorbing asphalt roads that make cities hotter during heat waves, cool pavements comprised of a light reflective coating help repel the sun's energy. In the city of Phoenix in the southwestern US state of Arizona, crews sprayed a light-colored coating on streets to reduce the so-called "urban heat island effect" that raises temperatures in urban areas covered by asphalt and concrete.

An umbrella shelters a woman from the sun in central Tokyo as Japan sweltered through its hottest July since records began. As heat stroke-related deaths in the country rise rapidly, parasols have become an increasingly popular way to shield against the heat. Some include reflective and light-blocking materials that block more than 99% of UV rays.

Cooler, greener, cheaper: Egyptian architects have found sustainable solutions to counter rising heat, outfitting buildings with heat-absorbing materials and other cooling techniques like heat-reflecting roofs and colored surfaces, including this accommodation for farm workers in Bahariya Oasis in Egypt's Western Desert. This "sustainable cooling" negates the need for expensive air conditioning.

In Rajasthan's sweltering Thar desert, where summer highs top 50 Celsius (122 F), the architecturally striking Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School uses local yellow sandstone and modern design to create an educational oasis. The interior is plastered with lime for natural cooling, helping to make temperatures 20% lower than outside. "The air feels as if it is coming from an AC," said one student.

The "50 Green Houses" project, developed in collaboration with the City of Vienna in the Austrian capital, was created by adding green building facades that form microclimates for cooling on hot summer days — and which reduce the need for air conditioners. In addition to cooling, the green buildings improve the air quality, absorb CO2 and contribute to the greater well-being of residents.

This resident is painting his rooftop with solar reflective white paint in Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat. The climate-resilient roofing solution for low-income residents is designed to reduce the solar radiation absorbed, which means less heat is transferred inside the building. This paint can reduce interior temperatures by 4 to 5 degrees Celsius (7.2 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit).