SEEDS ​​​

SEEDS (Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society) is an India-based NGO that partners with vulnerable communities to build their resilience to climate-related disasters and impacts. 

The Howden Foundation is supporting SEEDS’ work to improve resilience towards extreme heat amongst New Delhi’s most vulnerable communities through an innovative tool that combines AI-driven heat mapping with satellite imagery and local weather data to identify households at risk of extreme heat. Having identified 1,450 most ‘at risk’ homes, SEEDS will work to install nature-based cooling solutions to enhance thermal comfort in these buildings, whilst working with local government officials to advocate for this approach across other parts of the country. This includes training inhabitants in roof insulation techniques that can reduce internal temperatures by up to 6-8 degrees Celsius – including jute bags, bamboo mats and green cover creepers - thus reducing the risk of heat-related illnesses and fatalities.