International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis

| Peer-Reviewed |

Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review

Received: 28 January 2015    Accepted: 05 March 2015    Published: 10 March 2015
Views:       Downloads:

Share This Article

Abstract

High temperature in the city centers than its’ surroundings known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which is causing discomfort to the urban dwellers in the summer time is gaining much attention around the world because the world is getting urbanized as it advances in technology. Alterations of surface area, improper urban planning, air pollution, etc. are causing this increasingly growing phenomenon and it is accountable for human discomfort, human casualties and decline of climate. In this paper, an attempt has been taken to review various measures to encounter UHI effect and the processes by which these strategies work is described with diagrams. Using high albedo materials and pavements, green vegetation and green roofs, urban planning, pervious pavements, shade trees and existence of water bodies in city areas are the potential UHI mitigation strategies on which discussion is done in this paper with their limitations. Green vegetation seems to be the most effective measure and other strategies can play a major role under proper condition.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15
Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 3, Issue 2, April 2015)
Page(s) 67-73
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Urban Heat Island, Causes, Effects, Mitigation Measures

References
[1] Adinna, E., Christian, E. I., & Okolie, A. T. (2009). Assessment of urban heat island and possible adaptations in Enugu urban using landsat-ETM. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 2(2), 030-036.
[2] Akbari, H., Gartland, L., & Konopacki, S. (1998). Measured energy savings of light colored roofs: Results from three California demonstration sites: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., Environmental Energy Technologies Div., Berkeley, CA (United States).
[3] Akbari, H., Pomerantz, M., & Taha, H. (2001). Cool surfaces and shade trees to reduce energy use and improve air quality in urban areas. Solar energy, 70(3), 295-310.
[4] Berdahl, P., Akbari, H., & Rose, L. S. (2002). Aging of reflective roofs: soot deposition. Applied optics, 41(12), 2355-2360.
[5] Bousse, Y. S. (2009). Mitigating the urban heat island effect with an intensive green roof during summer in Reading, UK. Dissertação de Mestrado, University of Reading.
[6] Bouyer, J., Musy, M., Huang, Y., & Athamena, K. (2009). Mitigating urban heat island effect by urban design: forms and materials. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 5th urban research symposium, cities and climate change: responding to an urgent agenda, Marseille.
[7] Bretz, S., & Akbari, H. (1994). Durability of high-albedo roof coatings and implications for cooling energy savings. Final report: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States).
[8] Bretz, S., Akbari, H., & Rosenfeld, A. (1998). Practical issues for using solar-reflective materials to mitigate urban heat islands. Atmospheric environment, 32(1), 95-101.
[9] Dimoudi, A., & Nikolopoulou, M. (2003). Vegetation in the urban environment: microclimatic analysis and benefits. Energy and buildings, 35(1), 69-76.
[10] Getter, K. L., & Rowe, D. B. (2006). The role of extensive green roofs in sustainable development. HortScience, 41(5), 1276-1285.
[11] Grimmond, C., & Oke, T. R. (1999). Heat storage in urban areas: Local-scale observations and evaluation of a simple model. Journal of applied meteorology, 38(7), 922-940.
[12] Heisler, G. M. (1989). Effects of trees on wind and solar radiation in residential neighborhoods: Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Forest Resources Laboratory.
[13] Heusinkveld, B. G., Van Hove, L., Jacobs, C., Steeneveld, G., Elbers, J., Moors, E., & Holtslag, A. (2010). Use of a mobile platform for assessing urban heat stress in Rotterdam. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 7th Conference on Biometeorology.
[14] Konopacki, S., Akbari, H., & Gartland, L. (1997). Cooling energy savings potential of light-colored roofs for residential and commercial buildings in 11 US metropolitan areas: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States).
[15] Levinson, R., & Akbari, H. (2002). Effects of composition and exposure on the solar reflectance of portland cement concrete. Cement and Concrete Research, 32(11), 1679-1698.
[16] LI, K., LIN, B., & JIANG, D. A New Urban Planning Approach for Heat Island Study at the Community Scale.
[17] Masson, V. (2006). Urban surface modeling and the meso-scale impact of cities. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 84(1-3), 35-45.
[18] Mobaraki, A. (2012). Strategies for Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects in Cities: Case of Shiraz City Center. Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU).
[19] Oke, T. (1987). Boundary layer climates. 2nd. Methuen, 289p.
[20] Oke, T. R. (1982). The energetic basis of the urban heat island. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 108(455), 1-24.
[21] Okwen, R., Pu, R., & Cunningham, J. (2011). Remote sensing of temperature variations around major power plants as point sources of heat. International journal of remote sensing, 32(13), 3791-3805.
[22] Pearlmutter, D., Krüger, E., & Berliner, P. (2009). The role of evaporation in the energy balance of an open‐air scaled urban surface. International Journal of Climatology, 29(6), 911-920.
[23] Priyadarsini, R., Hien, W. N., & David, C. K. W. (2008). Microclimatic modeling of the urban thermal environment of Singapore to mitigate urban heat island. Solar energy, 82(8), 727-745.
[24] Quattrochi, D. A., Luvall, J. C., Rickman, D. L., Estes, M. G., Laymon, C. A., & Howell, B. F. (2000). A decision support information system for urban landscape management using thermal infrared data: Decision support systems. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 66(10), 1195-1207.
[25] Robitu, M., Musy, M., Inard, C., & Groleau, D. (2006). Modeling the influence of vegetation and water pond on urban microclimate. Solar energy, 80(4), 435-447.
[26] Rosenfeld, A., Akbari, H., Taha, H., & Bretz, S. (1992). Implementation of light-colored surfaces: profits for utilities and labels for paints. Proceedings of the ACEEE 1992 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, 9, 141.
[27] Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W., & Slosberg, R. (2006). Mitigating New York City’s heat island with urban forestry, living roofs, and light surfaces. A report to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
[28] Sailor, D. J. (2006). Mitigation of urban heat islands—Recent progress and future prospects. Paper presented at the Paper presented on american meteorological society 6th symposium on the urban environment and forum on managing our physical and natural resources.
[29] Santamouris, M., Paraponiaris, K., & Mihalakakou, G. (2007). Estimating the ecological footprint of the heat island effect over Athens, Greece. Climatic Change, 80(3-4), 265-276.
[30] Scott, K. I., Simpson, J. R., & McPherson, E. G. (1999). Effects of tree cover on parking lot microclimate and vehicle emissions. Journal of Arboriculture, 25(3), 129-142.
[31] Shahmohamadi, P., Che-Ani, A., Ramly, A., Maulud, K., & Mohd-Nor, M. (2010). Reducing urban heat island effects: A systematic review to achieve energy consumption balance. Paper presented at the Phys. Sci.
[32] Sodoudi, S., Shahmohamadi, P., Vollack, K., Cubasch, U., & Che-Ani, A. (2014). Mitigating the Urban Heat Island Effect in Megacity Tehran. Advances in Meteorology, 2014.
[33] Steeneveld, G., Koopmans, S., Heusinkveld, B., Van Hove, L., & Holtslag, A. (2011). Quantifying urban heat island effects and human comfort for cities of variable size and urban morphology in the Netherlands. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (1984–2012), 116(D20).
[34] Synnefa, A., Dandou, A., Santamouris, M., Tombrou, M., & Soulakellis, N. (2008). On the use of cool materials as a heat island mitigation strategy. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 47(11), 2846-2856.
[35] Taha, H. (1997). Urban climates and heat islands: albedo, evapotranspiration, and anthropogenic heat. Energy and buildings, 25(2), 99-103.
[36] Takebayashi, H., & Moriyama, M. (2009). Study on the urban heat island mitigation effect achieved by converting to grass-covered parking. Solar energy, 83(8), 1211-1223.
[37] Theeuwes, N., Steeneveld, G., Ronda, R., Heusinkveld, B., & Holtslag, A. 197: Mitigation of the urban heat island effect using vegetation and water bodies.
[38] Voogt, J. A. (2004). Urban heat islands: hotter cities. America Institute of Biological Sciences.
[39] Wilmers, F. (1988). Green for melioration of urban climate. Energy and buildings, 11(1), 289-299.
[40] Wong, E. (2005). Green roofs and the Environmental Protection Agency’s heat island reduction initiative. Paper presented at the Proc. of 3rd North American Green Roof Conference: Greening rooftops for sustainable communities, Washington, DC.
[41] Xu, J., Wei, Q., Huang, X., Zhu, X., & Li, G. (2010). Evaluation of human thermal comfort near urban waterbody during summer. Building and environment, 45(4), 1072-1080.
[42] Yamamoto, Y. (2006). Measures to mitigate urban heat islands. Science and Technology Trends Quarterly Review, 18(1), 65-83.
Author Information
  • Department of Civil Engineering, Rangpur Engineering College, Rangpur, Bangladesh

Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Md. Nuruzzaman. (2015). Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 3(2), 67-73. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Md. Nuruzzaman. Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2015, 3(2), 67-73. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Md. Nuruzzaman. Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2015;3(2):67-73. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15,
      author = {Md. Nuruzzaman},
      title = {Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2},
      pages = {67-73},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20150302.15},
      abstract = {High temperature in the city centers than its’ surroundings known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which is causing discomfort to the urban dwellers in the summer time is gaining much attention around the world because the world is getting urbanized as it advances in technology. Alterations of surface area, improper urban planning, air pollution, etc. are causing this increasingly growing phenomenon and it is accountable for human discomfort, human casualties and decline of climate. In this paper, an attempt has been taken to review various measures to encounter UHI effect and the processes by which these strategies work is described with diagrams. Using high albedo materials and pavements, green vegetation and green roofs, urban planning, pervious pavements, shade trees and existence of water bodies in city areas are the potential UHI mitigation strategies on which discussion is done in this paper with their limitations. Green vegetation seems to be the most effective measure and other strategies can play a major role under proper condition.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Urban Heat Island: Causes, Effects and Mitigation Measures - A Review
    AU  - Md. Nuruzzaman
    Y1  - 2015/03/10
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    SP  - 67
    EP  - 73
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7667
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150302.15
    AB  - High temperature in the city centers than its’ surroundings known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which is causing discomfort to the urban dwellers in the summer time is gaining much attention around the world because the world is getting urbanized as it advances in technology. Alterations of surface area, improper urban planning, air pollution, etc. are causing this increasingly growing phenomenon and it is accountable for human discomfort, human casualties and decline of climate. In this paper, an attempt has been taken to review various measures to encounter UHI effect and the processes by which these strategies work is described with diagrams. Using high albedo materials and pavements, green vegetation and green roofs, urban planning, pervious pavements, shade trees and existence of water bodies in city areas are the potential UHI mitigation strategies on which discussion is done in this paper with their limitations. Green vegetation seems to be the most effective measure and other strategies can play a major role under proper condition.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

  • Sections