Alternative housing solutions are needed in developing countries to address the world-wide growth of slums and the sharp rise in energy consumption. Tropical housing designed according to bio-climactic principles and constructed of emerging bio-materials can offer an alternative to hot and humid conditions in prototypical social housing schemes.

Coconut husk board promises to be a viable and high-performing substitute for imported wood-based sheathing and siding products, especially in the tropics, where a substantial volume of husk byproduct from coconut production waste chain could be reclaimed and processed into building materials at an industrial scale. When manufactured as a desiccant board, the coconut husk absorbs water vapor, creating a drier, more comfortable environment.