Analyzing the Urban Heat Island in Ho Chi Minh City in Relation to Urban Planning Processes from 2010 to 2020

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the variation of land surface temperature (LST) and its effect on the urban heat island (UHI) in relation to the urban planning processes of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) from the years 2010 to 2020. These changes have impacted the urban environmental conditions and the city development. The study used the time series of Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI acquired for the years 2010, 2015, and 2020, and used the algorithms for calculating the land surface temperature (LST), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) to investigate the relationships between these phenomena in the city planning processes. The results highlight the increase in land surface temperature was related to the dense of impervious surface area and the decrease of vegetation area. The UHI zones occurred in the areas with high LST and NDBI values, and low NDVI values (concentrated in the central districts and the planned areas) compared to the surrounding areas with lower LST and NDBI and higher NDVI. The recommend planning solutions for the new urban development areas should focus on increasing the amount green areas to combat the UHI phenomenon and environmental problems against the development.