Linking LULC change with urban heat islands over 25 years: a case study of the urban-industrial city Durgapur, Eastern India

Changing land use patterns have triggered warming worldwide in recent times, especially in urban areas. This study analyses the development of a heat island over Durgapur in the last 25 years in terms of LULC change by using various indices. The rapid decrease of vegetation covers, more precisely, 77% in 1990 to 22% in 2015, and its conversion to built-up land has contributed a 1.4% increase in the city LST (land surface temperature). LST is found to be positively related to built-up areas and negatively to vegetation increase. The difference in LST between the core and the periphery also reduced from more than 4 degrees C in 1990 to less than 2.5 degrees C in 2015. This shows not only the development of a heat island over Durgapur because of LULC change in the past few years but also the expansion of the heat island towards the surrounding areas.