How Do the Dynamics of Urbanization Affect the Thermal Environment? A Case from an Urban Agglomeration in Lower Gangetic Plain (India)

Abstract

Urban growth and development has significantly affected urban heat island (UHI) due to urbanization. Particularly in the cities in developing countries, the assessment of UHI has emerged as one of the core research themes as it significantly affects the ecological environment and livability in cities. Thus, the assessment of UHI is crucial for climate mitigation and sustainable urban landscape planning. This study identifies the dynamics of landscape patterns and the impact of composition and configuration on the thermal environment in English Bazar Urban Agglomeration (EBUA), Eastern India, along the urban–rural gradient (URG) approach. Geospatial approaches and spatial metrics were employed to assess the impact of the landscape pattern on the thermal environment. Descriptive and inferential statistics have also been used to find the effects of landscape patterns on the thermal environment. The result has also been validated based on the location and correlation analysis. The built-up area increased by about 63.54%; vegetation covers and water bodies declined by 56.72% and 67.99% from 2001 to 2021. Land surface temperature (LST) decreased with increasing distance from the core of the city. LST declined by about 0.45 °C per kilometer from the core of the city towards the outside. LST had a positive correlation with IS and a negative correlation with green space (GS) and blue space (BS). The mean aggregation of the impervious patches was larger (73.21%) than the GS (43.18%) and BS (49.02%). The aggregation of impervious surface (IS) was positively correlated, and aggregations of GS and BS had a negative correlation with LST. Findings suggest that the spatial composition and configuration of the impervious surface, GS, and BS must be considered in landscape planning and design framework to make the city more livable.