A Systematic Review of Literature on Major Domains of Urban Heat Island Studies

In recent decades, there has been an exponential increase in urban heat island research since urban heat island (UHI) phenomena have become an integral part of urbanization, several research studies have been conducted with a literature review, and the literature dealing with systematic research into the different areas of the phenomenon is scant. The study sought to provide an extensive literature review on various important aspects of the UHI phenomenon. The review looks at the various techniques used to study the UHI phenomenon, as well as their limitations. Observational approaches, field measurement, thermal remote sensing approaches, and algorithm development have been discussed in the review. The review also discusses the various modelling approaches used to study the UHI phenomenon at all scales, with their limitation. The main objective of this study is to examine the main areas of research on urban heat islands where most studies have concentrated. Some are as follows: UHI intensity estimation, UHI relationship with other factors, UHI mitigation, UHI causative factors, UHI mapping techniques, UHI modelling techniques, and its impact on human health and the environment. This review includes domestic and international literature to identify gaps in Indian studies. This can be further explored for adoption in the Indian context. The systemic review helps not only to identify map gaps in the studies carried out to date but also to derive some of the effective mitigation strategies for the phenomenon in Indian cities.