Exploring the Role of Population Dynamics in Surface Urban Heat Island Hotspots in Peri-Urban Dhaka

Riffat Mahmood (Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100)
Fuad Hassan (Department of Geography and Environment, Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, Jagannath University, Dhaka 1100)
Umme Kulsum (Program in Geospatial Information Sciences, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080)

Forum Geografi
Vol. 39 No. 1 (2025): April 2025

This study investigates the hotspots of surface urban heat island (SUHI) in the peri-urban areas of Dhaka based on the nexus of population dynamics, urban expansion, and land surface temperature. The respective land use land cover (LULC) classification and land surface temperature (LST) estimation were derived for 2000 and 2022 using images from Landsat-5 and Landsat-8, respectively, by applying established equations. Urban growth and its relation to LST were estimated using the classification based on the random forest and normalised difference built-up index (NDBI). The latter are directly associated with economic activities. The results indicated increased LST over time with urban sprawl and population increase, and hotspots were typical in high male-dominated migration rates and highly dense industrial activity. This study gives insight into the sustainable approach to urban planning and managing populations through clarity on the prevailing relationships among population growth and urbanisation with changing temperature.