Impact of Rapid Urbanization on Urban Microclimate Dynamics: A Case Study on Asansol Municipal Corporation (AMC), Paschim Bardhaman, West Bengal, India

Asansol Municipal Cooperation (AMC) is one of the most important urban agglomerations in India. The fast urbanization of the AMC changes the urban environment and speeds up the high surface temperature increase over time. Using NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI to analyze the changing scenario of plant cover and built-up areas, this study aims to estimate the evolution of post-monsoonal surface temperature of AMC during the periods. This study employed LANDSAT 8 OLI/TIRS data and LANDSAT 4–5 TM data to determine the appropriate indices. The GIS and Excel programmers are used to create the maps and graphs. The amount of dense vegetation cover has reduced and the built-up area has expanded from the core to the periphery region, as can be seen clearly from evaluating all pertinent data, maps, and diagrams, which point to dynamic urbanization, expanding industrialization, and rigorous tree cutting. In 1990, Shannon’s entropy reached its peak in 23 wards; nevertheless, throughout the course of 30 years, this entropy value fluctuated considerably across 50 wards of AMC. The industrial sector and the city core have a maximum surface temperature of 30 °C because they absorb heat, whereas the peripheral area has a surface temperature range of 19–24 ℃ because of the strong association between urbanization and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Therefore, the average temperature has risen by about 3–5 °C over the research period. The study region is divided into high-correlation and poor-correlation groups based on Pearson’s correlation analysis of the measured parameters. There is a quick explanation of how LST, NDVI, NDWI, NDBI, and correlation are calculated. Authorities can utilize the data to establish policies that reduce urban green space, highlight the most pressing issues related to land surface temperature, and reuse the data for other purposes.