Drivers of surface urban heat island of Gondar City, Ethiopia: a comparative study

Abstract

The surface urban heat island (SUHI) is caused by a combination of variables, broadly classified as climate change, land use change, and urbanization. They have varying degrees of influence depending on their level of intensity. As a result, recognizing the primary cause is critical to resolving the issue and developing suitable policies to reduce resource waste. This study attempted to identify the underlying cause of SUHI by primarily evaluating the intensity of the surface urban heat island using primary and secondary data. Zonal Statistics, the Mann-Kendall trend test, Oke’s UHI model, multiple linear regression, and Likert Scale were used in the analysis. The average SUHII value, Beta coefficient, and mean value of the Likert scale for urbanization are the highest, followed by Land use and climate change. The average temperature induced by population density is 3.85 °C and its Beta value is 0.449 which is significant at p < 0.01. The mean value of the Likert scale is also the highest 3.62 as compared to the other two. It can be concluded that urbanization is the primary culprit that instigates SUHI in the study area, influenced by the incoming population from the surrounding satellite towns and rural areas. These findings help urban planners and greening designers make appropriate urban planning and thermal management decisions.