Mapping the vulnerability of urban areas in relation to urban heat island by combining satellite and ecosystem service data: a case study in Udine (Italy)

Urban environments tend to experience higher temperatures than their rural surroundings, especially during heatwaves. This phenomenon is called urban heat island (UHI) and is usually more pronounced at night. Measurements of land-surface temperature (LST) are important to understand and monitor UHI and to support the planning of actions to mitigate heat stress. They are widely used to identify more vulnerable areas in cities. This study presents a method to spatially explicit assess the vulnerability of urban areas in relation to UHI that combines measurement of LST and an assessment of the cooling spatial effects provided by ecosystems. The method is applied in the city of Udine (Italy). Results show the urban areas that are potentially more prone to suffer from more intense UHI effects because of characterized by higher LST while not benefitting from any cooling effect by ecosystems. The method is then discussed in the light of its advantages, limitations, and future improvements.