KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian cities are getting hotter, revealed a land surface temperature mapping study.
The study undertaken by Think City Sdn Bhd has showed marked increases in peak land surface temperatures in Kuala Lumpur city centre, Bayan Lepas and George Town in Penang, Johor Baru as well as in Ipoh, Perak.
The study found an increase of 1.64°C in Kuala Lumpur's surface temperature between 1989 and 2019.
There was an increase of 5.63°C in Bayan Lepas' surface temperature between 1988 and 2020 and nearby George Town surface temperature between 1988 and 2020 showed an increase of 6.37°C.
The study also showed an increase of 6.75°C in Ipoh city between 1998 and 2019 and an increase of 6.7°C in Johor Baru's surface temperature between 2005 and 2018.
The study found that the rise of temperatures in these urban areas is primarily linked to the urban heat island effect, as well as a lack of greenery and is also attributed to global warming.
Think City's Geospatial Analyst Dr Ceelia Leong said the urban heat island effect is mostly caused by types of materials used in these urban areas development.
She said the study managed to identify materials such as concrete and bitumen which absorbs and re-emits the sun's heat more than the natural landscape.
"Increases in temperature, linked to climate change and urban expansion is a growing challenge for the liveability of cities, human health and urban wildlife", she said in a statement.
Leong said the study utilised satellite imagery to map the extent of the heat island effect to observe changes in land surface temperature over the past few decades.
"Two characteristics were evident from this mapping.
"Firstly, Malaysian cities are getting hotter due to the increasing intensity of development, which is compounded by the effects of climate change.
"Secondly, the maps showed that urban greening had beneficial impacts with the ability to lower urban temperatures between two and eight degrees Celsius," she adds.
Think City's managing director Hamdan Abdul Majeed said the key aim of the temperature mapping was to get a snapshot of what cities were undergoing that contributes to increased land surface temperature while providing solutions to battle the effects of climate change.
"The use of analytics is extremely crucial so that we can create strategies and formulate solutions for in an informed manner".
He added that it is also one of the ways to alert and educate the communities while identifying solutions and assist them to adapt to extreme climate events.