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<p>The migration of people from rural and small towns to urban centres, driven by employment opportunities and improved living standards, places increasing pressure on infrastructure and raises concerns about sustainability, particularly in rapidly developing economies. In this context, land use changes and their implications for heat and pollution are examined in Kolkata. Between 2000 and 2020, a substantial expansion of built-up areas occurred, resulting in the loss of &gt; 60 km<sup>2</sup> of tree cover, 20–25 km<sup>2</sup> of barren land and 18–20 km<sup>2</sup> of agricultural land. These transformations led to marked seasonal variability in land surface temperature and the surface urban heat island effect (SUHI), with greater intensity during the pre-monsoon (March–May) and monsoon (June–September) seasons, followed by a significant positive trend in SUHI during 2011–2020, particularly in areas of intense land conversion (e.g. New Town, Rajarhat, Dankuni, Barasat and Madhyamgram). In the last decade, changes were predominantly concentrated along the urban periphery (e.g. Bhangar, Sonarpur, Maheshtala and Garia), where the conversion of vegetation and agricultural land into built-up areas corresponded with declining trends in urban greening and increased heat burden. However, selected planned areas exhibit increased greening (&gt; 0.005/yr) alongside a decline in SUHI (−0.01 °C/yr), highlighting the mitigating role of vegetation. This is further corroborated by the urban aerosol pollution index (UAPI) with annual average values peaking over eastern and central Kolkata (e.g. New Town and Esplanade) due to intense vehicular and industrial emissions coupled with limited green cover, while comparatively lower values in its northern parts (e.g. Kalyani, Halisahar and Kanchrapara) owing to lower emissions and greater vegetation influence. These findings provide critical evidence that integrating green infrastructure into urban planning is essential for achieving sustainable and climate-resilient urban growth.</p>

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Heat island, pollution load and urban sprawl in the Kolkata metropolitan city of India during 2000–2020: implications for its sustainability

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月21日

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  • Yenugula Rashmitha,
  • Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath,
  • Vikas Kumar Patel,
  • Buddhadev Ghosh

摘要

The migration of people from rural and small towns to urban centres, driven by employment opportunities and improved living standards, places increasing pressure on infrastructure and raises concerns about sustainability, particularly in rapidly developing economies. In this context, land use changes and their implications for heat and pollution are examined in Kolkata. Between 2000 and 2020, a substantial expansion of built-up areas occurred, resulting in the loss of > 60 km2 of tree cover, 20–25 km2 of barren land and 18–20 km2 of agricultural land. These transformations led to marked seasonal variability in land surface temperature and the surface urban heat island effect (SUHI), with greater intensity during the pre-monsoon (March–May) and monsoon (June–September) seasons, followed by a significant positive trend in SUHI during 2011–2020, particularly in areas of intense land conversion (e.g. New Town, Rajarhat, Dankuni, Barasat and Madhyamgram). In the last decade, changes were predominantly concentrated along the urban periphery (e.g. Bhangar, Sonarpur, Maheshtala and Garia), where the conversion of vegetation and agricultural land into built-up areas corresponded with declining trends in urban greening and increased heat burden. However, selected planned areas exhibit increased greening (> 0.005/yr) alongside a decline in SUHI (−0.01 °C/yr), highlighting the mitigating role of vegetation. This is further corroborated by the urban aerosol pollution index (UAPI) with annual average values peaking over eastern and central Kolkata (e.g. New Town and Esplanade) due to intense vehicular and industrial emissions coupled with limited green cover, while comparatively lower values in its northern parts (e.g. Kalyani, Halisahar and Kanchrapara) owing to lower emissions and greater vegetation influence. These findings provide critical evidence that integrating green infrastructure into urban planning is essential for achieving sustainable and climate-resilient urban growth.