At the time of writing this, there is simmering geopolitical tension, and we can only fervently hope it does not boil over. It may sound trite, but we need peace for the sake of humanity… and for our survival. With evidence pointing to an increase in intensity of hurricanes, owing to climate change, the world and the region simply cannot afford any derailing of efforts when it comes to ramping up on climate action through instigating better building performance. 

In December 2023, I experienced firsthand the fury of a tropical storm that lashed my city, Chennai, in India, and crippled every aspect of life. Stuck at the airport for 31 hours to catch a flight to Dubai and not being able to step out into the road that had become a current-filled river, was unbelievably chastening. 

The storm blew away, but it left a scar that a phenomenon as intense, or more intense, could inject a sense of deep anxiety and uncertainly in the psyche. The sad reality is that it is no longer hypothetical – if one were to believe scientists, more such intense storms are already upon us. 

Michael Wehner, who works as a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in the United States, speaks of hurricanes so strong that the wind speed exceeds 300 kilometres per hour. Now, that is seriously fast! Speaking to The Guardian, in February 2024, Wehner said: “Being caught in that sort of hurricane would be bad. Very bad.” Saying that hurricanes are becoming incredibly strong due to climate change – a superheated ocean is providing a burst of energy to what would otherwise be relatively weak hurricanes – he has proposed that the classification of them ought to be expanded to include a Category 6 storm. 

Just in case you are not aware, hurricanes are classified as per the Saffir-Simpson Scale, with a hurricane blowing at a speed of 119 kilometres per hour or more classified as a Category 1 event. To give a context of how intense a Category 6 event can be, Hurricane Katrina that ravaged the US state of Louisiana in 2005 was a Category 5 event. 

We as an industry do have a task at hand. ‘Business as usual’ simply has to blow over, and reality has to sink in that we cannot anchor ourselves to yesterday’s technologies or mindsets. Rapid urbanisation is a reality, and we have a massive opportunity to re-profile existing buildings and to ensure we get our act right from the get-go in the case of new buildings that need to come up to meet the inevitable demand.