Mapping summer SUHI and its impact on the environment using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques: A case study on Municipality of Prishtina (Kosovo)

Abstract

Urban areas, compared to peripheral and rural areas, have higher temperatures which are caused by a series of unplanned activities that are undertaken by humans. Such a thing leads to the emergence of the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) phenomenon. In this paper, summer SUHI is determined through the calculation of LST for the Municipality of Prishtina using GIS and Remote Sensing techniques. To make this calculation, the Landsat 8 satellite image with 0% cloud cover was used. From the calculations made it turns out that the pixels with the highest value of LST are found in those parts where the urban area appears, where there are numerous constructions with impermeable materials, as well as in those areas where there are bare surfaces. Whereas, the pixels with lower values of LST appear in those parts where there are vegetation and water bodies, making these areas fresher. The SUHI phenomenon makes the lives of citizens difficult, therefore, such information is very important for the leaders and urban planners of the city of Prishtina, so that they take a series of steps towards minimizing such an effect in order to the life of the citizens to be as healthy as possible.