KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 5, 2021 – The results of a land temperature study conducted by Think City have revealed marked increases in the peak land surface temperatures of five Malaysian cities over several decades. The study observed land surface temperatures in the Kuala Lumpur city centre, Bayan Lepas, George Town, Johor Bahru, and Ipoh.

While comparisons of temperatures within each city were carried out across different timeframes, and each terrain held unique geographical characteristics that influenced the temperature, the Think City Analytics team observed a consistent increase across all five locations. The rise in temperature in urban areas has been linked primarily to the urban heat island effect, the lack of greenery, and global warming. According to Dr. Ceelia Leong, Geospatial Analyst at Think City, the urban heat island effect is caused by the types of materials used in cities such as concrete and bitumen, which absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes.

“Increases in temperature, linked to climate change and urban expansion, is a growing challenge for the liveability of cities, human health, and urban wildlife. We used satellite imagery to map the extent of the heat island effect in Malaysian cities and to observe changes over the past few decades.

“Two characteristics were clearly evident. 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 said.

Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City, said that the key aim of the temperature mapping was to get a snapshot of what cities were undergoing and to find solutions to battle the effects of climate change.

“At Think City, the use of analytics is extremely crucial so that we can create strategies and formulate solutions for better cities in an informed manner. At the same time, there is a duty to inform the public as the battle against climate change requires a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors as well as the community-at-large.

“The democratisation of data in this manner, making it easily available through our Urban Analytics Portal, is part of our climate response effort and one of the ways that we can alert and educate communities, as we identify solutions and assist communities in adapting to extreme climate events.

“As we are in the decade of action to take concerted steps towards achieving the sustainable development goals, adapting to the impacts of climate change does not fall solely onto the shoulders of Malaysia’s policymakers. Rather, it will require ‘all hands on deck,’ from the government, the private sector to the general public,” he added.

“We aim to continue studies in a similar vein on a regular basis to continue monitoring the impacts of the urban heat island effect and climate change in Malaysia, and to keep finding solutions to mitigate or adapt to the harmful impacts.”

To see the Land Surface Temperature maps visit: https://thinkcity.com.my/urban-analytics/.