A Technology-Driven Urban Heat Risk Assessment Framework for Sustainable Cities in India

Paper ID: EIJTEM_2026_13_2_16-19

Author's Name: Dr. R. Saradha, Saadhana G L, Divyadharshini J, Abirami V

Volume: 13

Issue: 2

Year: 2026

Page No: 16-19

Abstract:

Indian cities are experiencing warmer conditions. Climate change and rapid urban expansion have made heat waves more common and perilous, threatening millions. We developed a new framework of urban heat risk for the selected big cities in India using weather, satellite land surface temperature (LST) and population. We obtained data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), ERA5 reanalysis, and Meteostat. The data were cleaned and processed for analysis. Next, we constructed a Heat Risk Index and assigns certain relative weights to these factors (HRI) that takes into account air temperature, humidity, heat index, LST and number of people who are exposed. We categorized city areas to low, moderate and high risk zones using cut-off values. When we ran the model against historical heatwave data, it aligned nicely with known hotspots. The findings show wide disparities in heat risk among neighborhoods. This framework is not just for research, it can support real-time monitoring, early warnings and smarter city planning to help cities tackle rising heat.

Keywords: Urban heat, heat risk, land surface temperature, population exposure, heatwave monitoring, sustainable cities.

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