Assessing CO, NO_2, And SO_2 Levels and Urban Heat Island Dynamics in the Caraga Region, Philippines Through Remote Sensing

Swift urban growth in the Caraga region has intensified land use changes, city morphology alterations, and heat emissions, forming urban heat islands (UHI) and increasing air pollution. This study aims to assess UHI dynamics and their relationship with Carbon monoxide (CO), Sulphur dioxide (SO_2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO_2) levels in the region. Using Landsat 8 satellite data from 2013-2023 and Sentinel-5P data from 2019-2023, the study determined UHI and air pollutant levels. Among Caraga's significant cities, Butuan City exhibited consistently higher UHI values and the most extensive UHI. By employing Spearman’s correlation coefficient, results suggest CO levels have a more consistent positive correlation with UHI across the cities, except for Bayugan City, compared to NO_2 and SO_2. The geographical location of Bayugan City might explain this finding, as it is the only one among the five cities not situated along the coast and is bordered by mountainous areas.