The Heat is on in the Himalayas: Assessing Srinagar’s Urban Heat Island Effect

Srinagar city with a population of 1.26 million is one of the most populous cities in the Himalayas. It is the summer capital of the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The city has experienced a rapid population growth in recent years. The city lies in the Kashmir valley, which is surrounded by the Himalayas on all sides. The Jhelum river that flows through the heart of the city, dividing it into two parts. This Chapter is concerned with monitoring and mapping urban growth and assessing its impact on the health of vegetation by applying the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and to assess the urban heat island effect (UHI) by generating Land Surface Temperature (LST) over Srinagar city using multi-temporal Landsat images from 1992 to 2013. This period is marked by rapid urban growth amounting to 228.6% in Srinagar, which has added considerable pressure on the carrying capacity of the city. A total area of 45.9 km² of vegetation and cultivated land were converted into built-up land resulting in lowering of agricultural and vegetation production. The constant decline in the non built-up land raises questions regarding the sustainable development. Srinagar is hardly alone in experiencing UHI effect. Numerous other urban centers in India are also impacted by this effect. Whether this Himalayan city will buckle under the heat in what is going to certainly be a warmer world or is successful in tackling the issue will depend on how soon palliative actions and measures are set in motion by its stakeholders.