Reducing harmful indoor heat in low-income homes in Dhaka
Official title: Understanding heat stress and adverse health outcomes in vulnerable populations in Bangladesh: Can we move the needle by designing low-cost, feasible and culturally acceptable interventions?
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11321199 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests low-cost, culturally acceptable cooling changes in homes to lower heat stress and heart strain for adults living in informal settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | April 2, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $230,526 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES035910-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321199 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) living in informal settlements of Dhaka, especially those in homes with corrugated iron roofs or without access to air conditioning, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have reliable air conditioning, live outside Dhaka informal settlements, are younger than 21, or are not willing to have simple home modifications are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
If you live in an informal neighborhood in Dhaka without air conditioning, researchers will measure how hot your home gets and how your body responds using simple wearable sensors. They will try low-cost home changes aimed at keeping your living space cooler and see whether those changes lower heart rate and heat exposure. The team will also ask residents if the changes are easy to use and acceptable in daily life. If the changes work, they will consider whether they could be scaled up to help more vulnerable households.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the interventions could lower indoor heat exposure and reduce heat-related strain on the heart and other heat-linked health problems for low-income adults.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior small studies show that building-level cooling and shading can lower indoor temperatures, but testing low-cost, culturally tailored home changes and measuring heart-rate effects in Dhaka's informal settlements is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kwong, Laura Hsi — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Kwong, Laura Hsi
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This project will try low-cost, culturally acceptable ways to cool indoor spaces for adults living in Dhaka's informal settlements to reduce heat stress and heart strain.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.