‘Urban heat island’

Climate change has heavily impacted the monsoon pattern in the country however, it has been experienced differently in rural and urban areas. Since 2015, major cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Patna, etc have faced urban floods. Urban flooding is primarily caused by the effects of ‘Urban heat island’.

Urban spaces lack natural habitats like lakes and forests due to which they witness higher temperatures compared to rural areas. This is known as the urban heat island effect. Factors such as high population, poor drainage system, illegal encroachment of forests and water bodies also contribute to this effect.