Research Synopsis MS-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Assessment of Urban Heat Island Impact on the Environment of

Karachi by the Using of Remote Sensing and Spatial analysis
Techniques

By:
Muhammad Ali Lakhan
Roll No: MEN-18F-004
___________________________________________

A dissertation submitted in Partial completion of the Requirements

For the MS degree in Environmental Sciences.

SINDH MADRESSATUL ISLAM UNIVERSITY

(2019)
1. Project Summary:
Urban heat island is elaborated as the accumulation of heat in particular area by the help of
some prominent factors of urban construction and through anthropogenic activates. Urban
Heat Island (UHI) is a most plentiful and a protuberant urban environmental problem in
evolving metropolises. In imperative to understand the Urban Heat Landmass (UHI) problem
of Karachi. The most common and useful technique of remote sensing will be utilized in this
project. The satellite images are processed for the spatial analysis techniques by using the RS
(Remote Sensing) and GIS software’s. For this most common software are Envi4.7, ERDAS
imagine 10.2 and arc GIS 10.1.Satellite images will be processed for the (NDVI) Normalized
Difference Vegetation INDEX for the constructed area Index. Aimed at the understanding of
the urbanization of Karachi further; spectral radiance will be estimated by using the thermal
band of the satellite image for the temperature calibration of the region, for the Urban Heat
Island impact (UHI). This analysis will elaborate the effects of UHI and evaluate the impacts
of urban heat island. UHI is responsible for producing the environmental impacts Such as
increases in the consumption of energy, elevates the emission of greenhouse gases, adverse
effect on human health like heat stoke

2. Proposed Goals / Objectives:

Following will be the targeted objective of the research:

 Find out the characteristics of urban heat Island effects in Karachi with help of
remote sensing and spatial analysis techniques.
 Extract the UHI effects difference from 1990s to 2000 and 2010 to 2019. Then
compare the two slots of the data with urban to nonurban area.
 Evaluate the relationship between the Land surface temperature and the vegetation
cover of the study area
 Appraise the connection between LST and other urbanization factors (Population
density, Air pollution) which contribute the UHI effects.
 Suggest the execute able solution for the ecological sustainability of the urban
Environment

3. Introduction

In early 19th century, the first study of Urban Island effects has been done by some prominent
scholars by the studying of urban climate of London, England. Since then number of
researchers has done lot of research on the characteristics of UHI effects. Urban Heat Island
is one of the most responsible concept behind the rise of temperature in urban environment. It
mainly measures the difference between the air temperatures of urban environment with the
non-urban areas. This effects occurs due build up area of the urban land is slow to release the
heat in atmosphere as result of that it piles up in the urban environment. In response of that
temperature rise occurs in urban environment. The main reason behind this phenomenon is a
loss of vegetation cover in the urban areas, cluster of unplanned building; furthermore it
enhances with the emission of greenhouse gases impacts in the urban environment. Pakistan
abode about 217 million People according to Pakistan demographic survey. In current
scenario 40% of Pakistan population live in urban land. United Nations Population estimates
this ratio will rise up to 60% by 2050.

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In Pakistan Karachi is densely populated and its urbanization is increasing rapidly. Urban
heat Island effects phenomenon will be bulging in Karachi. According Pakistan statistics
Bureau 2017 Karachi has a population of 15.74 million. It is fastest growing city of Pakistan.
Karachi is most vulnerable to this urban heat island effect. There is rapid rise of mass
migration with respect to the vegetation loss, increase in buildup area. UHI effects
perspective can be understand with the help of the remote sensing and spatial analysis
techniques by using the Landsat7 images. The most common technique for this is vegetation
index; Build up area index of remote sensing.

4. Justification for the research problem:

People moves from countryside to urban areas in order to get better opportunities and
facilities for livening in prosperous environment. This mass migration impacts on the
Karachi’s natural resources, economic progress as well as atmosphere of the area. Urban
Heat Island is predictable as the most prominent phenomenon of the urban environment.
Urban Heat Island contributes greatly it enhances the Local temperature due to slow
release of the solar radiation from the Built up area. It contributes greatly in the
Microclimate of the Karachi city due to unplanned cluster of buildings as well as
anthropogenic activities.

Figure-1

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4. A. Research Plan / Methodology:

Urban heat Island effects can be estimated with environmental and meteorological
parameter such air temperature, Humidity, greenhouse gases emission
The adopted methodology for the research on UHI Effects will be diverse as:
 Data Collection:
The source of the date is USGS online website; we will download the
required images.
 Data Processing:
 We will process the data for this through most common tools such as Envi 4.7,
ERDAS imagine 10.2 and arc GIS 10.1.
 Data Analyzing
 Data set Used:
The date will be used as in two slots of time from 1990 to 1999 and 2009
to2019 images.

In first step Satellite image of Landsat7 of two slots of time from 1990 to 1999 and
2009 to 2019 are geo-referenced using Envi 4.7 in UTM/WGS84/44N co-ordinate
system.
In Second step all the images of following years (1990 to 1999 and 2009 to 2019) are
stacked using the Envi 4.7 software layer Stack tool.
In third step the satellite image are subset using subset tool of the arc Gis 10.1
software
In fourth step we will calculate the Normalized Difference vegetation index of subset
images by using the Envi 4.7. It calculates the wholesome vegetation cover of the
area. It uses the ratio between the (NIR) near infrared (Band4) besides the red band
(band 3). Both these bands contain the information of the vegetation index
In final step radiance value are calculated using the Erdas imagine 10.2 DN value tool
Further the DN value for transformed into the inverse of the Planck which gives out
temperature value. Additionally radiance value converted into the Kelvin, it represents
the precise spatial distribution of temperature.

4. B Time frame / schedule for research

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 MONTHS
S. M2 M9 M1 M11 M12
TASK M1 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8
N Au Ma 0 Ma Jun
July Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
g Apr y

Literature
1.
review
Resource
2. availability
evaluation
Research
3. topic
selection
Research
3. synopsis
write up
Environment
4. al sampling
and surveys
Data
5. compilation

Data
6. Assessment
and analysis
Final thesis
7.
write-up
Final thesis
8.
submission

5. Impact in Quantifiable Terms:

 The growth of land surface temperature triggered by the urban heat Island
effects will certainly influence physical drift and energy flow in urban
ecological system as well as their structure and function, as its impacts on

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 urban environment, urban hydrogeological situation, soil properties, biological
habitats and resident’s health.
 Due to building structure the circulation of wind in urban area is limited so
human body practices discomfort and air cooling with this temperature.
 The temperature of urban area of Karachi is varies (30-45C0)in the form of
heat strokes during summer season, which cause for feature of biodiversity,
wince the numbers since the past decades concluding through the data of
selected area.
 Several atmospherics impacts generates through the urban heat island such as
increases in air temperature, humidity and heatstroke’s.

6. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)

 This research will highlight the sustainable goals such as:

o Good health and well being
o Climate Action
o Sustainable urban land and it’s communities
o It enhances the energy efficiency in urban land, through green roof
construction and use of highly reflective building material

7. References

1. Sajjad Hussain Sajjad, Nadège Blond, Rabia Batool, Safdar Ali Shirazi, Khadija
Shakrullah and M. Nasar BhalliStudy of Urban Heat Island of Karachi by Using
Finite VolumeMesoscale Model.
2. Meenal Surawar, Rajashree KotharkarAssessment of Urban Heat Island through
RemoteSensing in Nagpur Urban Area Using Landsat 7 ETM+ Satellite Images.
3. Aneeqa Azeem, Muhammad A. Butt, Khadija Nisar and Huma Anwar The assessment
of urban heat Island Using Remote sensing and GIS.

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