Kochi: Rampant urbanisation and the loss of green spaces are significantly heating up Kochi, expanding the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and increasing Land Surface Temperature (LST), a new study reveals. The felling of healthy trees for construction—like Kochi Metro Rail Ltd’s recent project to tile median spaces—is accelerating the city’s transformation into a heat trap.

The study, conducted by the Nansen Environmental Research Centre and Kerala Agricultural University, found UHI areas during winter grew from 14 sq km in 2014 to 41 sq km in 2023—a 66% surge in nine years. A similar trend was seen in summer, with moderate UHI zones increasing from 17.74 sq km to 31.3 sq km in the same period.

Kochi’s LST rose by 1.7°C in summer and 1.9°C in winter over 23 years, mainly due to concrete structures replacing vegetation. The annual rise in temperature is about 0.07–0.08°C.

Senior project fellow Chandu P J warned that the heat lingers in urban areas, especially at night, due to concrete and impervious surfaces, unlike the vegetated outskirts where it dissipates quickly. He added that the increased use of air-conditioners feeds into a cycle of more greenhouse gas emissions, further intensifying climate change.

The study calls for urgent mitigation: planting trees, promoting vertical gardens, and adopting climate-resilient urban planning focused on biodiversity and sustainable development.

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