Heat Islands — 1

Published in

Our Planet. Our Life.

5 min readJul 22, 2022

A Grueling Summer

A chart showing how the globe has warmed — Delhi. India. The World. Global Warming

We have, in Delhi, gone through a grueling summer. I read reports that stated the temperatures recorded in March 2022 were the highest in a century. The temperatures in April were the highest in seventy years. We experienced peak temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius in May–the hottest ever. Humidity levels picked up in May, which never happens. The monsoon brings its Delhi stickiness to us in July. This year, God (if God exists) greeted us with humid weather much earlier.

I returned to Delhi in 2012 and felt the city had become hotter. My friends told me I imagined things, even when, in the summer of 2013 or 2014, we had temperatures of over 47 degrees Celsius for three weeks running. January is cold and foggy, but we have almost no fog these days.

No Rain

A chart showing the rise in Delhi’s temperature — Temperature Rise in Delhi

Last year, the meteorologists kept telling us to expect rain, but no rain came our way. It rained all around Delhi, but not in Delhi. This experience triggered me to explore the term “heat island” and ask if Delhi is a heat island. A week back, when I researched this post, I found a few news items stating that heat islands are scattered within Delhi. My view is different. I believe Delhi is a heat island, and there are hotter zones within Delhi.

Looking at the chart above, which I sourced from the site “Show Your Stripes,” you may notice that India has warmed faster than the global average. Delhi has warmed faster than the rest of India.

Creating Heat Islands

A chart showing the rise in India’s temperature — Temperature Rise in India

What causes a heat island? Most cities are heat islands, some more than others. A heat island occurs when an area–often an urban area–experiences temperatures higher than the surrounding areas. The definition is straightforward.

Urban zones have a high density of roads, buildings, and other structures that absorb heat. Delhi’s population was 1.37 million in 1950. In 1990, it rose to 9.35 million. Now, in 2022, it will be 32.06 million. By 2035, it will increase to 43.35 million. I expect this is the population of the National Capital Region of Delhi, not just the metropolitan area of Delhi. Delhi’s population is growing faster than Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, or Hyderabad. Only Bangalore is growing more rapidly, which is not a proud record.

A chart showing the rise in population in Delhi — Population Rise in Delhi

When the population increases and people become wealthier, they demand some of the luxuries of modern life, like cars. When you add this to the existing warming factors like a high density of roads and buildings, then you end with an ugly mix. In Delhi, add additional elements like terrible roads, ill-planned exits, and moronic police blocks. I don’t know if the cumulative effect is additive or multiplicative. The mathematical construct is unimportant. The net result–a heat island–is what policymakers must address.

The Impact of Heat Islands

Urban heat islands have inferior water and air quality compared to surrounding areas. They are more polluted as well. We now have an annual Smog Season in Delhi when farmers in the surrounding regions burn stubble. The smog reduces visibility, and this is the least of the problems.

Can We Think of Solutions?

Do solutions exist? Yes, they do. The answers are simple if you want to use technology to address the issue with the existing population. It will be challenging to implement them. Urban planners may need to redesign certain parts of the city. This solution is challenging. However, it is much simpler to have strict guidelines for all future construction. These guidelines must include, amongst other aspects, all areas of road building, traffic design, building construction, green spaces, etc. Builders will not like this because they cannot see anything beyond their financial statements.

Builders and industrialists will work to defeat these policies, which is the challenge. Two publications (Foreign Affairs Magazine and The Washington Post) propose that city councils appoint Heat Officers. This proposal is good if these officials get enough power to act.

Living in cities like Delhi will be impossible if we don’t act now.