URBAN RESILIENCE THROUGH GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: MITIGATING THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND (UHI) EFFECT

Rapid urbanization has intensified the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, leading to rising ambient temperatures, increased energy demand, and deteriorating thermal comfort in cities. This review explores the role of green infrastructure in addressing these challenges, emphasizing their effectiveness in mitigating urban heat island effect and in turn enhancing environmental sustainability and urban resilience. Green infrastructure involves incorporating strategies such as green roofs, rain gardens, parks and urban tree canopy. This approach has emerged as a viable strategy to mitigate UHI impacts while enhancing urban resilience. Green Infrastructure reduces surface and air temperatures, heat storage in urban materials, energy demand for cooling, nighttime heat retention thermal discomfort and health risk. Yet, challenges such as limited land availability, public awareness, competing urban development priorities, governance barriers, and maintenance costs hinder widespread adoption. Supportive policy frameworks, financial incentives and public engagement initiatives are vital in overcoming these challenges. It is imperative that policy makers, urban planners, stakeholders and other building professionals collaborate to ensure successful implementation of green infrastructure. This review is set to highlight the long-term environmental advantages of green infrastructure in ameliorating the urban heat island effect. It underscores the need for continuous research, technological innovation, and interdisciplinary cooperation to optimize these strategies for global adoption. Ultimately, integrating green infrastructure into the urban fabric can contribute to mitigating urban heat island effect contributing to urban resilience and environmental sustainability