Assessment of Spatio-Temporal Land Use/Cover Change and Its Effect on Land Surface Temperature in Lahaul and Spiti, India

Abstract

Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) changes have a significant impact on Land Surface Temperature (LST). The LST is an important parameter in various environmental and climatological studies, as it plays a crucial role in understanding the Earth’s surface–atmosphere interactions. The LULC changes can modify the surface energy balance and alter the radiation budget, leading to changes in LST. Urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural land use changes are some of the primary drivers of LULC change that have a significant impact on LST. Deforestation and agricultural land use changes result in a reduction in evapotranspiration, leading to an increase in LST. The main objective of the study is to analyze the spatio-temporal change in Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) and its effect on Land Surface Temperature (LST), as well as to establish a correlation of LST with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalize Difference Snow Index (NDSI). Understanding the impact of LULC on LST is essential for developing effective land use policies that can mitigate the adverse effects of LULC change on the environment and human health.