Urbanization's Irreversible Impact on Ecosystems and Climate Change

Strategic Insights -

Prompt urbanization has become a major challenge for ecosystems and climate change, significantly affecting land surface temperature and contributing to the urban heat island effect. Amity University Uttar Pradesh researchers have conducted a spatio-temporal study analyzing land use dynamics and temperature transformations in Gurugram, India, to understand the impacts and support evidence-based mitigation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study utilized remote sensing data from Landsat 4-5 TM (2000) and 8-9 OLI/TIRS (2022) to assess land use dynamics using spectral indices (NDVI, NDBI, and MNDWI) and thermal band data to derive LST and examine their spatio-temporal dynamics.
  • The classification of land use land cover (LULC) map was done with a supervised classification method based on the maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) method, with kappa coefficients of 0.959 (2000) and 0.956 (2022), reflecting acceptable results for classifications and mapping of LULC.
  • The study achieved a classified accuracy of around 97.2% and 96.8% respectively compared to field-level surveys.
  • The findings reveal that over two decades, built-up areas increased by about 13%, agricultural fields decreased by 26%, and average LST rose by 2-3 °C, indicating different ecological status in various regions.
  • Statistical analysis showed high NDBI values with the strongest positive association with LST, and high NDVI and MNDWI values displayed a significant cooling effect.
  • The study underscores the necessity for a comprehensive policy framework that incorporates geospatial data for urban planning to mitigate UHI effects via green infrastructure, afforestation, and water body restoration projects.

Statistics:

  • 13% increase in built-up areas over two decades.
  • 26% decrease in agricultural fields over two decades.
  • 2-3 °C increase in average LST over two decades.
  • 97.2% classified accuracy in 2000 and 96.8% in 2022 compared to field-level surveys.
  • R-squared value of 0.97 for the year 2000 and 0.98 for 2022 for the statistical analysis of linear regression.

Sources:

  • Spatio-temporal study of urban dynamics with implications on land surface temperature of Gurugram City, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2025;197(8):946.
  • NewsRx. Amity University Uttar Pradesh Reports Findings in Science (Spatio-temporal study of urban dynamics with implications on land surface temperature of Gurugram City, India). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. August 8, 2025; p 26.