Spatial Analysis of Urban Heat Island Indicator in Wasit-Iraq Based on Land Surface Temperature Retrieval from Landsat-8 Imagery

Abstract

Remote sensing and GIS techniques are very effective for monitoring urban heat island dynamics, providing useful information for sustainable urban planning and environmental management in Wasit. Urban Heat Island (UHI) is one of the major environmental challenges associated with urban expansion and land cover change in modern cities. This study investigates the spatial variation of Land Surface Temperature (LST) and urban heat island (UHI) intensity in Wasit governorate of Iraq, using Landsat-8 images acquired in July 2025. Land Surface Temperature was retrieved from the thermal infrared band, while the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated to evaluate vegetation cover and its relationship with surface temperature. The results showed that vegetation rate is about 0.142 % and the mean LST was 41.73 ^OC. Urban and built-up areas recorded the highest LST values, while agricultural lands and areas near the Tigris River showed lower surface temperatures. The NDVI–LST relationship showed a negative correlation, with correlation coefficient values of (0.009) that indicate that vegetation cover plays an important role in reducing urban thermal stress.