Mitigating Urban Heat Island through Cool Roofs: Assessing Performance of buildings with Cool Roofs and its impact on UHI in Gandhinagar's Built Environment
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomenon is a common occurrence during the summer, where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures than nearby suburban and rural areas. UHIs can bring about several adverse effects on communities, including increased discomfort from heat, higher energy requirements for cooling, worsened air quality, and heightened health risks. When sunlight reaches the Earth's surface, some of it is reflected, while the rest is absorbed. The use of high-albedo surfaces in urban areas can have a positive impact by reducing surface temperatures and overall heat in these environments. Gandhinagar, with its semi-arid climate characterized by hot and dry summers, is particularly susceptible to elevated temperatures. Understanding and addressing the UHI effect is crucial for mitigating the negative impacts of extreme heat on the city's residents. Several studies have focused on urban surface temperatures. However, it's worth noting that there is a lack of research concerning air temperatures, which are of higher concern due to their direct impact on human comfort and health.
