ANALYSIS OF URBAN HEAT ISLAND

INTENSITY-
A CASE STUDY OF DEHRADUN,
UTTARAKHAND

BY:
DHENESH RAJ
VIKAS NAUTIYAL
JUGMOHAN SINGH
 Introduction
• Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand is a valley located near
the Himalayan foothills. It is famous for its picturesque
landscape, natural beauty, forests, waterfalls and favourable
climatic conditions. It is also a well-known educational hub
attracting people from all over India.
• Dehradun faced a rapid growth in urban population due to
migration from nearby rural areas.
• This resulted into rise in construction industry at an alarming
rate, creating havoc and conflict between human and nature by
deforestation, encroachment of parks, green areas and
riverbeds. Such random and haphazard construction on large
scale has further affected the micro climate of the city, creating
the urban heat islands within the city.
• It had made the urban areas hotter than nearby rural areas,
increased summer time peak energy demand, green house gas
emission (due to the greater use of air conditioning), air
pollution, heat-related illness and degradation of water quality
& water table.
• A study has been conducted in Dehradun city to measure the urban
heat island effect at different places, which proved that the
surrounding areas are majorly affected by the rising temperature
leading to “heat stress, atmospheric pollution and health effects,
which needs urgent attention from public, private, policy makers and
regulatory bodies to minimize and mitigate these impacts”.
• Dehradun also experiences the same in context to urban sprawl like
the other developing cities, as it also had a rapid urbanization and
economic growth after becoming the capital of Uttarakhand in the
year 2000.
• Dehradun is going through a phase of rapid development; the
growth in population has increased urban sprawl in all possible
directions. The horizontal and haphazard development of the city
has led to deforestation, decreases in green, open spaces, depleting
water bodies & increased in pollution etc.
• As per the records maintained by an NGO "citizen for green
Doon" more than 30,000 trees has been cut in Urban Areas of
the Dehradun in last 15 years.
• As soon as Dehradun was declared the capital of the
Uttarakhand state, there has been a major change in land use
and for that deforestation has increased, open and green spaces
have decreased in the city. As a result, large areas of urban
green space are depleting, and causing numerous
environmental problems. The impact of reduction of green
cover, on air, water and society has became negative. It has
caused air pollution, variation in temperature, increased urban
heat island effect and many other negative effects in the city.
• About 114% growth in urban population since 1991 and 230%
growth in urban build up area have been observed since 1982
in Dehradun city (UUDP 2007).
Table 1: Decreasing Green cover (hac.) in the
Dehradun city

Urban Growth assessment using CA Markov Model:

a Case study of Dehradun City.
 Figure 1: Unplanned urbanization leading to environment degradation of Dehradun city

The analysis of the satellite imaginary of Dehradun and its

Environment for the Year 1986, 1998 and 2011by International
Journal of Advanced Remote Sensing and GIS clearly indicates
that the area under green cover, water bodies & forests has
decreased and built up mass has increased rapidly.
Table 3: Development of built up area in Dehradun city during
1982-2004

Uttaranchal Urban Development Plan, 2007.

 Urban Heat Island
• Climate change is a factor which increases with the Urbanization in
any city. An urban heat island (UHI) is an area within the city that is
significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human
activities. It is mostly noticeable during the summer and winter. The
main causes of the urban heat island are as follows.
• Modification of land surfaces.
When there is not a proper planning, certain areas usage is changed
which leads to UHI.
• Climatic conditions
Urban sprawl increases as for the pleasant climate
• Waste heat generated by energy usage
By using convectional sources of energy, there is heat loss
• Increase in Average Temperature.
As the density of population in core area grows, it tends to expand
its area and increase its average temperature.
 METHOD
• A study has been done with a temperature recording device to validate
temperature variation within the city limits; this device was installed at
seven different locations randomly.
• We have studied to confirm that there can be the temperature variation
within the city limits because of haphazard planning and build up mass.
• To collect, analyze & detect the variation in temperature at various
locations within the city limits, the devices were fitted at different areas.
• For data collection & communication with the nearby member's, a whats
app group under the name of "research members" was created and
members were added in the whats app group. The members were instructed
about the location for created and the members were trained how to check
the temperature.
• The members were instructed not to install the devices in the rooms; all the
devices were installed outside of the house because room temperature
which is subjected to various factors always differs from outside
temperature.
• Temperature data of Dehradun was also collected from internet
(http://www.accuweather.com) for comparison purposes. Temperature data
was collected for once in a day for approximately 10 days. The details of
the recorded temperature are given below in the table.
Data collecteted from several places at Dehradun as:
• House No.-238,East Patel Nagar,
Near Ramlila Ground, Dehradun.
• House No-243, Loharwala, SirmourMarg,
Kishannagar Chowk,Dehradun.
• Subash Nagar, Post Office, Mobhewala,Dehradun.
• Ashtle Hall, Near Orient Cinema, Rajpur Road,
Dehradun.
• Kolagarh,Near KolagarhPost Office, Near FRI,
Dehradun.
• Wadia institute of Himlayan Geology,GMS Road,Dehradun.
• House no 57, Near
Gurukul School,Dharampur Dhanda,Dehradun
 RESULT
Analysis of the table clearly indicates the following:
• A continuous temperature variation is measured in the Dehradun city.
• The variation in temperature is between 3 - 6 degree Celsius.
• The lowest temperature usually recorded in the following areas like
Wadia institute of Himalayan Geology, GMS Road, Dehradun.
House no. 57, Near Gurukul School, Dharampur Dhanda, Dehradun.
Subash Nagar, Post Office, Mobhewala, Dehradun.
• The highest temperature usually recorded in the following areas like
House No-238 East Patel Nagar, Near Ramlila Ground, Dehradun,
Kolagarh, Near Kolagarh Post Office, Near FRI, Dehradun.
House No- 243, Loharwala, Sirmour Marg, Kishan Nagar Chowk, Dehradun &
Ashtle Hall, Near Orient Cinema, Rajpur Road, Dehradun.
• The temperature was recorded more in the densely populated areas having large
built-up mass which results that built up mass effects the overall environment of the
area.
• Temperature variation which has come from the data confirms the UHI affects the
micro level.
• The areas having less green cover are comparatively hotter than the areas with more
green cover.
• Built up area effects the micro environment of that region, for e.g. one of the
locations like Kolagarh is surrounded by green area in the sides but due to higher
density along with built up area in that specific area is more which leads to higher
temperature. Micro level temperature variation is very much dependent on the built
of mass arrangement & density of that area.
• Therefore, we can say that UHI effect is different for
different areas of city based on growth in specific area.
• We can understand how urban built up mass arrangement
effects the temperature variation in the city.
• The impact of built up mass effects the heat absorption,
the area with more built up area will be warmer than the
surrounding area, but if studied on the micro level one
can easily calculate variation in temperature in the city.
 CONCLUSION
• GIS, GPS and other devices should be used scientifically to
analyze and figure out the various problems and potentials of
any area. Architects, Scientists, Geographers, Urban planners
and researchers can use the various available techniques to
understand the issue.
Further, we should provide the best suitable scientific
solutions like
• Opt for Green Buildings
• Water bodies should be created at the junctions and in
recreational areas.
• The depleted Natural Rivers should be brought back.
• No encroachment of Rivers
• Additional Plantation.
• Switch on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
In the study, simple and low-cost scientific device was used to
record the temperature in various part of the Dehradun, to
validate the temperature variation within the city.