Measuring the control of landscape modifications on surface temperature in India

Abstract

This study highlights the land use/land cover change, and its implications on the long-term changes in various hydrometeorological parameters in India during 2001–2018. The study exhibited a decrease in grassland (15.1%), barren land (10.2%), and shrubland (9.5%) in contrast to an increase in deciduous broadleaf forest cover (27.4%) and croplands (25.2%) in India. The study exhibited 31.7% of the geographical area observed a low warming (<0.8 °C), in contrast to 52.1% of the area observed a low cooling (> −0.8 °C) in India over the observation period. The transformation of (a) barren land to shrubland and cropland (Western India) and (b) cropland, and grassland to forest cover (Central India) led to the cooling effects. While Indo-Gangetic Plain and North-Eastern parts observed warming effects due to greenness and wetness change. The findings highlight the relevance of bio-geophysical and land-climate feedback, which may help in developing integrated and effective climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.