Impact of urbanisation on urban climate change the urban heat island effect: A case study of Ajmer city Yadav Shilpi1,*, Khan Sabir2,**, Parashar Himanshi1,*** 1Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Sophia Girls’ College (Autonomous), Ajmer, Rajasthan, India 2GIS Expert, Department of Forest, Working Plan Office, Betul, Madhya Pradesh, India (*Corresponding author) email id: shilpi@sophiacollegeajmer.in
**sabirkhan89.gis@gmail.com
***himanshi@sophiacollegeajmer.in
Online Published on 23 April, 2024. Abstract Transformation has brought about negativity, and urbanization has adverse environmental effects, such as the rising surface temperatures of cities and urban areas compared to the surrounding rural areas. This phenomenon is popularly known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. UHI is a prominent feature of urban climates and is mainly caused by dark, non-reflective surfaces such as shopping complex parking lots, pavements, rooftops, and skyscraper buildings replacing open spaces and vegetation cover as a result of urban sprawling. This increased land surface temperature within urban areas affects material and energy costs, air pollution levels, and mortality. It also contributes to global warming, which further exacerbates climate change. This study analyzes the relationship between the urban heat island (UHI) intensity and land cover and land use characteristics of Ajmer city. There is significant diversity in the temporal and spatial pattern of temperature distribution in the Ajmer District. The region has experienced dramatic land use and land cover conversions caused by both human activities and natural disasters. The southwest part of the Ajmer District has a significantly lower temperature compared to other areas due to the presence of forestland. Forestland exhibits a lower temperature compared to other categories, except for water bodies. The city center of Ajmer has a lower temperature due to the presence of the Anasagar lake. In conclusion, the spatial layout of land use/land covers in the area has a significant impact on surface temperature. Top Keywords Climate change, Urban Heat Island (UHI), Land cover and land use, Urban sprawling. Top |