Abstract:
Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest metropolitan city, has experienced rapid urbanization over the
past two decades, making it highly susceptible to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This study
investigates the ecological impacts of UHI in Lahore from 2000 to 2020 using multi-temporal
Landsat satellite imagery and geospatial analysis. The Radiative Transfer Method (RTM) was
applied to deliver Land Surface Temperature (LST), enabling the spatial and temporal mapping of
thermal patterns. Findings reveal a significant rise in LST correlating with the expansion of built
up areas and a substantial decline in vegetation cover. Urban zones exhibited degraded ecological
conditions and higher surface temperatures compared to surrounding rural areas. These results
highlight the growing thermal stress in metropolitan Lahore, emphasizing the urgent need for data
driven urban planning. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers to develop targeted
mitigation strategies aimed at reducing UHI effects and promoting sustainable urban development.
In addition, spatial metrics and NDVI analyses were employed to quantify landscape changes,
revealing fragmentation of green spaces and altered land use patterns. This underscores the
necessity of integrating green infrastructure, adaptive land use policies, and climate-responsive
planning into Lahore’s future urban framework.
