UNSW experts lead urban cooling training in Tanzania

With cities like Dar es Salaam facing rising temperatures due to rapid urbanisation, training local professionals is key to climate resilience.

UNSW researcher Dr Ioannis Kousis, from the School of Built Environment, is in Tanzania this week as part of a World Bank-supported initiative to address the growing challenge of urban overheating in rapidly expanding African cities like Dar es Salaam.

From May 26 to 30, he will deliver an intensive, five-day training workshop in Arusha, focusing on climate-adaptive urban design and city-cooling strategies. The program will bring together engineers, architects, policymakers, and stakeholders from across Tanzania to explore practical, equitable solutions for improving thermal comfort and health in urban environments.

Dr Kousis is part of UNSW’s highly regarded High Performance Architecture team, which was contracted by the World Bank due to its world-leading expertise in urban heat mitigation and  cooling technologies. Dr Kousis will deliver the training in association with Professor K. Kartalis of the University of Athens.

Prof. Mat Santamouris, Chair of High Performance Architecture at UNSW and known for his pioneering work in cooling technologies and heat mitigation strategies, says, “It is well known that as cities grow, the loss of green space and the increase in roads, buildings and other infrastructure will cause heat-island effects.

“We have created training modules that share methodologies and technologies that can be put to work to reduce urban overheating, and safeguard the thermal comfort of citizens, which strongly affects their health and wellbeing.”

In a 2024 study Prof. Santamouris showed it was possible to reduce major city temperatures significantly using modern heat mitigation technologies.

“I want to share this knowledge as widely as possible, as implementing advanced heat technologies can deliver very important health, sustainability and economic benefits,” says Prof. Santamouris.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is one of the fastest growing cities in the world and its increasing urbanisation is exacerbating the impacts of climate change on the city.

“It is expected to be one of the biggest cities in the world within the next 10 to 20 years,” says Dr Kousis.

“The city already experiences serious issues with urban overheating and the thermal comfort of its people, so there is a need to adapt the city to protect its populations. This will mean adapting existing buildings but also creating new buildings using the best heat mitigation strategies as the city grows.

“Urban overheating is taking place across Tanzania and it’s not just a scientific issue—it’s a social one,” says Dr Kousis.

“Our training is a way to share solutions that work for everyone in a city, regardless of income or access to technology.”

Professor Phil Oldfield, Head of the School of Built Environment, says, “the High Performance Architecture team at UNSW are world-leaders in urban heat mitigation and are committed to translating their research into real world impacts as quickly as possible. This project and the recently developed short course Managing Urban Heat will all mean the latest strategies and technologies get into the right hands around the world as early as possible.”

This initiative is part of the World Bank’s goal to support inclusive, sustainable and resilient growth in Tanzania with a focus on human development, infrastructure and the private sector. The aim being to equip the next generation of professionals with the tools and knowledge to mitigate the impacts of climate change, and lay the foundations for cooler, more resilient cities in Tanzania.