Effects of the Nature of Urban Development on Land Surface Temperature (LST) at the Neighbourhood Scale in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of the nature of urban development on land surface temperature (LST) and the strengths of different biophysical and anthropogenic factors in explaining the spatial variation of LST at the neighbourhood scale in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images were used to retrieve LST. The study found that the mean LST in Dhaka increased at a rate of 1.26°C per decade between 1991 and 2014. LST is found to be higher in the built-up areas, particularly in informally developed areas (i.e., slum settlements) and unplanned mixed-use areas. The OLS analysis indicates that along with bio-physical factors population density, building density and slum concentrations also have a significant effect on the spatial variation of LST at neighbourhood scales. The study findings suggest a planned development with the provision of vegetation cover and water bodies can significantly reduce the LST in Dhaka.