Urbanization Effects on Land Surface Temperature in Shillong City

Abstract The rapid urbanization has led to profound changes in the land surface temperature changes in the land surface characteristics of the Shillong urban agglomeration. The spatial characteristics of the cities are the expansion of built-up areas and the reduction of vegetation and open spaces. These changes can increase the land surface temperature of the thermal environment and development of the urban heat islands. The present study examines the relationship between urbanization and land surface temperature in Shillong City using a spatio-temporal approach based on remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Multi-temporal satellite data have been used to analyse changes in built-up areas , vegetation cover and surface temperature over the Shillong urban Agglomeration. LST is derived from Satellite data to examine the spatial distribution of surface temperature. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index are used to assess vegetation and built-up characteristics. The spatial analysis of the region is characterized by relatively dense built-up surfaces generally exhibit higher land surface temperatures (LST) , higher vegetation cover and open surfaces which is related to comparatively lower surface temperature. The findings emphasize the important relationship between urban growth, land cover transformation, and the thermal environment of Shillong city. The study provides useful information for sustainable urban planning, vegetation conservation and heat environment management in the rapidly developing hill city.