The impact of land use land cover change on urban heat island in Kirkuk City

A phenomenon known as an Urban Heat Island (UHI) happens when urban residents experience significantly warmer temperatures compared to those in more rural or suburban settings. The main aim of this research is to examine the urban heat island in Kirkuk city utilizing Geographical Information System (GIS) and satellite Remote Sensing. The study utilized the ML classification method to calculate Land Use Land Cover (LULC) with 30m spatial resolution Landsat data from 2001, 2011, and 2021. It also used the radiation transmission technique to calculate Land Surface Temperature (LST) with a 90m spatial resolution using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) thermal band data from 2001, 2013, and 2021. These data sets are adequate for measuring important environmental parameters. This study’s results demonstrated that UHI effects extend beyond the suburbs with urban growth to their areas, where Kirkuk’s growth is being caused by several building projects. ASTER data were used to compute LST because Landsat data are recorded daytime in our study area. The study highlights the important role of data-driven methodologies and multidisciplinary studies in recognizing and tackling the challenges that arise from urbanization, land use change, and climate change.