Sciencedirect

Healthy Environment: The Need to Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effects on Human Health
 

P. Shahmohamadi1¹, A.I. Che-Ani1¹, I. Etessam², K.N.A. Maulud³, N.M. Tawil¹

¹Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

²Department of Architecture and Urban Design, Faculty of Fine Art, Tehran University, Iran

³Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 

Abstract

This paper is focused on understanding the most important factors of UHI formation and their effects on urban population health with an emphasis on the considerable growth of both population and rapid urbanization of Tehran, Iran. To achieve this aim, this paper explores literally a conceptual framework about the relationship between UHI and human health. Then, it suggests three important strategies to minimise the impact of UHI on human health: achieving appropriate transportation for mitigating air pollution, providing appropriate landscape, increasing the albedo of building materials.

Keywords: Albedo Materials; Healthy Environment; Horizontal Landscape; Human Health; Vertical Landscape; Urban Heat Island

See web site:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705811029481

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT

The Link between Urbanization and Climatic Factors: A Concept on Formation of Urban Heat Island

 

P. SHAHMOHAMADI, A.I. CHE-ANI, N.A.G. ABDULLAH,
M.M. TAHIR, K.N.A. MAULUD, M.F.I. MOHD-NOR
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, UKM

 

Increasing the number of population, pollutions, urban expansion and many other kinds of urbanization factors in metropolitan areas are affected climatic factors and vice versa. In fact, there is a correlation between these two factors in general. This paper put forward the conceptual model and two hypotheses. In order to test the model, UHI mapping has been carried out in Tehran as a case study. The investigation has been done at macro-level to get surface temperature. The methodology employed is to use satellite image with a thermal band (obtained on 18 July 2000). To map out the UHI, mapping of LST and NDVI were necessary and then overlaid them and extracted maximum temperature value for both urban and rural areas. The results show that the maximum urban and rural temperature values are 39°C and 27°C respectively.  Therefore, daytime Tehran surface UHI shows 12ºC of difference between urban and rural areas which is quite strong. Analyzing the data specified that the urbanization factors have direct impact on increasing the UHI intensity in Tehran metropolitan area. 

Key-Words: - Climatic Factors, Environmental Challenge, Tehran, Urban, Urban Heat Island, Urbanization Factors

The 2nd International Building Control Conference

Healthy Environment: The Need to Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effects on Human Health

P. Shahmohamadi1¹, A.I. Che-Ani1¹, I. Etessam², K.N.A. Maulud³, N.M. Tawil¹

¹Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

²Department of Architecture and Urban Design, Faculty of Fine Art, Tehran University, Iran

³Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Abstract

Climate changes such as changes in temperature and precipitation, sea level, fisheries, agriculture, natural ecosystems, and air quality will all directly or indirectly affect human morbidity (illness) or mortality. One of the great challenges facing our current generation of scientists and engineers is how to protect urban population from health stress associated with summertime heat. As heat-waves are likely to increase in frequency because of global climate change, the most effective interventions, measures and policies to protect the health need to be developed and evaluated. Therefore, this paper is focused on understanding the most important factors of UHI formation and their effects on urban population health with an emphasis on the considerable growth of both population and rapid urbanization of Tehran, Iran. To achieve this aim, this paper explores literally a conceptual framework about the relationship between UHI and human health. Then, it suggests three important strategies to minimize the impact of UHI on human health: achieving appropriate transportation for mitigating air pollution, providing appropriate landscape, and increasing the albedo of building materials.

Keywords: building material, healthy environment, human health, urban heat island, urban landscape

Achieving Energy Consumption Balance in Kuala Lumpur Shophouses by Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects: Focusing on Anthropogenic Heat Factor

P. Shahmohamadi, A.I. Che-Ani, K.N.A. Maulud, N.M. Tawil, N.A.G. Abdullah

Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

shahmohamady@hotmail.com, adiirfan@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Production of anthropogenic heat and using energy for cooling systems, lighting and etc. led to have serious impacts on the thermal environmental quality such as quality of the air, increase in temperature, energy consumption and finally the formation of UHI. Shophouses represent important land uses in Kuala Lumpur since many years ago, which influence the resulting thermal environment including the formation of urban heat island (UHI). This paper investigates the impact of anthropogenic heat on formation of urban heat island and increasing energy consumption. It explores literally the conceptual framework of confliction between anthropogenic heat and urban structure, which produce UHI intensity and affected energy consumption balance. It is then discussed how these two factors can be affected and gives implication to the city and then, focuses on whether actions should be taken for balancing adaptation and mitigation UHI effects. It will be concluded by making the important strategies to minimize the impact of UHI on energy consumption.

Key Words: Energy Consumption Balance, Kuala Lumpur, Shophouses, Urban Heat Island.

Journal of Environmental Technology and Engineering

Interaction between Urbanization and Climatic Factors on Formation of Urban Heat Island as an Environmental Challenge: the Conceptual Framework of Tehran Metropolitan Area, Iran

Parisa Shahmohamadi¹

¹ Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia

Email: shahmohamady@hotmail.com

A..I. Che-Ani¹, Iraj Etessam², K.N.A. Maulud¹, M.F.I. Mohd-Nor¹

² Faculty of Fine Art, Tehran University, Iran

Tehran has experienced rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization since it became the capital (200 years ago) and this has caused serious environmental problems in the city. In an urban area, one of the great problems is urban heat island (UHI) effect, which is due to many factors such as urbanization and climatic factors, resulting from the production and accumulation of heat in the urban mass. The main characteristics of UHI effect are the raised temperatures in the city centre, leading to excessive energy use for cooling and putting urban population at great morbidity and mortality risks. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to study that how could various factors form UHI over the city in order to reduce environmental challenges. This paper, therefore, is focused on urbanization and climatic factors to understand the influence way of these factors on formation of UHI. In addition, it is showed this formation is related to the interaction between the urbanization and climatic factors. Thus, the percentage of UHI formation is high when great interaction exists. To achieve this aim, with the case study of city of Tehran, this paper explores literally the conceptual framework of interaction between urbanization and climatic factors on formation of UHI. It is then discussed how these two different kinds of factors can be affected and give implication to the city, and then, focuses on whether actions should be taken for balancing adaptation and mitigation UHI effects in Tehran metropolitan area. It will then conclude by making the recommendations for preventive action in provide quality of life.

Index Terms— Climatic Factors, Environmental Challenge, Urban Heat Island, Urbanization Factors.

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning

The Conceptual Framework on Formation of Urban Heat Island in Tehran Metropolitan, Iran: A Focus on Urbanization Factor

P. SHAHMOHAMADI, A.I. CHE-ANI, N.A.G. ABDULLAH, K.N.A. MAULUD, M.M. TAHIR, M.F.I. MOHD-NOR


 In an urban area, one of the great problems is urban heat island effect, which is due to many factors such as urbanization and climatic factors, resulting from the production and accumulation of heat in the urban mass. The main characteristics of UHI effect are the raised temperatures in the city centre, leading to excessive energy use for cooling and putting urban population at great morbidity and mortality risks. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to study that how could various factors form UHI over the city in order to reduce environmental challenges. This paper, therefore, is focused on urbanization and climatic factors to understand the influence way of these factors on formation of UHI. The percentage of UHI formation is high when great interaction exists. This paper explores literally the conceptual framework of interaction between urbanization and climatic factors on formation of UHI with the case study of city of Tehran. The urbanization factors that affect Tehran are discussed in relation to location of the city, the size of the city and population, density of built-up area, urban geometry, thermal property of fabric, surface waterproofing, anthropogenic heat, air pollution, land use and wind speed.

Key-Words: Climatic Factors, Environmental Challenge, Tehran, Urban, Urban Heat Island,
Urbanization Factors

see this site:  http://journals.witpress.com/journals.asp?iID=54#papers

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture, USA

Conflict between Population and Urbanization Factors: Impact of Urban Heat Island on Energy Consumption Balance
 

Parisa Shahmohamadi, Che-Ani A.I., Iraj Etessam, Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud, M.F.I. Mohd-Nor

High density of buildings and population in urban areas increases urban temperature, generally known as the urban heat island. Raised temperature, especially in summer, turns city centers into unwelcome hot areas, with direct effects on electricity demand and energy consumption for cooling buildings and increases the production of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. Therefore, by considering that the energy consumption in the world has been faced with intense crisis, it becomes increasingly important to study the effects of urban heat island on energy consumption in order to improve people’s environment and decrease energy use in cities. This paper, therefore, is focused on urbanization and population size factors to understand the influence way of these factors on formation of UHI and energy consumption balance. To achieve this aim, this paper explores literally the conceptual framework of conflict ion between population and urban structure, which produce UHI intensity and affected energy consumption balance. It is then discussed how these two factors can be affected and give implication to the city, and then, focuses on whether actions should be taken for balancing adaptation and mitigation UHI effects. It will be concluded by making the recommendations for preventive action and provide quality of life.

Keywords: Energy Consumption Balance, Urban Construction, Urban Heat island, Urban Population