Determination of Heat Islands in the Urban Parish of El Coca through a Temperature and Humidity Geodatabase for the Evaluation of Emerging Zones

Abstract

Uncontrolled urban sprawl leads to the formation of heat islands, urban areas with significantly higher temperatures than the rural areas that surround them, due to the lack of vegetation, the higher concentration of buildings, and higher relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These heat islands affect thermal comfort, health, and biodiversity, and they aggravate climate change. This study identified heat islands in the urban parish of El Coca, Ecuador, using a temperature and humidity geodatabase to assess emerging zones. Landsat satellite images and ArcGIS software were used to process and analyze the geospatial data. Indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), vegetation index, emissivity, and brightness temperature were calculated to finally obtain a surface temperature map. The results revealed that areas with less vegetation cover have temperatures exceeding 40ºC in approximately 517.70 hectares of urban land use, where conventional architectural infrastructure and low vegetation cover create heat islands, while other areas adjacent to the city with agricultural and forested land use have temperatures ranging from 25ºC to 39ºC during periods of intense heat. In addition, the impact of solar radiation on human health was analyzed. In conclusion, vegetation is important for urban thermal regulation and urban planning strategies that promote greater vegetation cover to mitigate the negative effects of heat islands and protect the health of inhabitants from excessive sun exposure are necessary.