Influence of Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics on Urban Surface Metrics in Semi-Arid Heritage Cities

Saurabh Singh, Ram Avtar, Ankush Kumar Jain, Wafa Saleh Alkhuraiji and Mohamed Zhran ()
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Saurabh Singh: Department of Civil Engineering, Poornima University, Jaipur 303905, India
Ram Avtar: Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
Ankush Kumar Jain: Department of Civil Engineering, Poornima University, Jaipur 303905, India
Wafa Saleh Alkhuraiji: Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Mohamed Zhran: Public Works Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-20

Abstract: Rapid urbanization in semi-arid heritage cities is accelerating land use/land cover (LULC) transitions, with critical implications for local climate regulation, surface energy balance, and environmental sustainability. This study investigates Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur (Rajasthan, India) between 2018 and 2024 to assess the influence of spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC on urban surface metrics. Multi-temporal satellite datasets were used to derive the index-based built-up index (IBI), surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI), Albedo, urban thermal field variance index (UTFVI), and bare soil index (BSI). The results reveal substantial built-up expansion—most pronounced in Udaipur (+26.7%)—coupled with vegetation loss (up to −23.8% in Jaipur) and progressive albedo decline (Sen’s slope ≈ −0.002 yr −1 ). These transformations highlight suppressed surface reflectivity and enhanced heat absorption. A key and novel finding is the emergence of a counter-intuitive surface urban cool island (SUCI) effect, whereby urban cores exhibited daytime cooling and nighttime warming relative to rural surroundings. This anomaly is attributed to the rapid heating and poor nocturnal heat retention of bare, sparsely vegetated rural soils, contrasted with the thermal inertia and shading of urban surfaces. By documenting negative SUHI patterns and explicitly linking them to LULC trajectories, this study advances the understanding of urban climate dynamics in semi-arid contexts. The findings underscore the need for climate-sensitive planning—strengthening peri-urban green belts, regulating impervious expansion, and adopting albedo-enhancing construction materials—while safeguarding cultural heritage. More broadly, the study contributes empirical evidence from climatically vulnerable yet culturally significant cities, offering insights relevant to global SUHI research and sustainable urban development.

Keywords: index-based built-up index (IBI); surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI); urban thermal field variance index (UTFVI); bare soil index (BSI); urban expansion; green space dynamics; heritage cities; semi-arid urbanization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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