Виджаявада потеряла 79% растительности за три десятилетия: рост города привел к аномальной жаре

Новое исследование показало, что расширение застройки в Виджаяваде привело к катастрофическому сокращению зеленых зон и повышению температуры воздуха до 9°C выше нормы. Ученые предупреждают, что бедные районы с минимальной растительностью страдают от жары непропорционально сильнее, требуя пересмотра градостроительных норм.

Перевод ИИ

Текст статьи доступен на языке оригинала.

Нажмите кнопку «Перевести статью» выше, чтобы сгенерировать перевод с помощью ИИ.

Оригинальный контент

Источник

Vijayawada: Vijayawada has become significantly more built up over the past three decades, but the cost of that expansion is increasingly evident in the loss of green spaces and rising heat levels, with some neighbourhoods facing a far greater heat burden than others. A 2026 study by researchers from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada, found that the city’s average vegetation index declined by 79% between 1990 and 2024, while built-up areas expanded from 37% to over 60%. Based on satellite imagery and ward-level environmental analysis, the study also recorded an urban heat-island intensity of up to 9°C in some thermally stressed parts of the city. Wards 2, 8 and 54 emerged as hotspots, with land surface temperatures exceeding 30°C in several areas. The study found that neighbourhoods with sparse vegetation, higher heat exposure and poorer air quality often overlap with densely populated and lower-income localities. The findings suggest that Vijayawada’s warming is not uniform across the city. Areas with fewer natural buffers are bearing a disproportionate share of the heat burden. Researchers assessed changes in vegetation, land surface temperature, air quality and biodiversity using satellite data spanning more than three decades. Vijayawada scored 32 out of 92 on the City Biodiversity Index, indicating fragmented habitats and weak urban ecological conditions. The study comes at a time when Vijayawada continues to expand and the state is intensifying efforts to increase greenery. Last week, the newly appointed AP Green Executive Committee chairman announced a target of raising the state’s combined forest and tree cover to 50% by 2047, stressing that sapling survival would be as important as planting trees. The state has also mandated green cover in industrial premises, while the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is working on guidelines for heat-resilient buildings and infrastructure. Urban planners, the study says, must now focus on ensuring that green spaces are protected and created where they can most effectively mitigate rising temperatures. A separate 2025 study on Vijayawada’s urban growth also reported a sharp expansion of built-up land between 2001 and 2023 and a steady rise in land surface temperatures, reinforcing the link between urbanisation and increasing heat stress. The latest study concludes that green spaces should not be viewed merely as beautification measures, but as essential urban infrastructure that can help the city cope with the heat generated by its own growth.