Year: 2025 | Month: November | Volume: 12 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 220-243
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20251125
Tropical Urban Heat Islands in Indonesia: A Systematic Review of Remote-Sensing LST, Vegetation Indices, and Urban Morphology
Marcellino Christofel Mambu1, Hasim2, Mahludin H. Baruwadi3, Weny J. A. Musa4, Sukirman Rahim5, Asda Rauf6, Mohammad Yusuf Tuloli7
1,2,3,4,5,6,7Doctoral Program in Environmental Science, Gorontalo State University, Gorontalo, Indonesia.
Corresponding Author: Marcellino Christofel Mambu
ABSTRACT
Urban Heat Islands (UHI) in humid-tropical cities are a growing environmental issue driven by rapid urbanization, vegetation loss, and dense urban morphology. This systematic review synthesizes studies on Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) patterns across Indonesian cities from 2010 to 2025. Using the PRISMA framework, 40 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science were analyzed, focusing on remote-sensing-based LST research employing indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-Up Index (NDBI).
Results show that NDVI and NDBI exert opposite influences on LST: vegetation cooling decreases surface temperatures by 0.3–1.0°C per 0.1 NDVI increase, while built-up expansion enhances SUHI intensity by similar magnitudes. Urban morphology—particularly building density, height-to-width ratio, and sky view factor—further shapes heat distribution, with compact, low-SVF areas experiencing stronger UHI effects. Coastal and topographic variations also affect heat dynamics, where sea–land breezes mitigate coastal warming.
Most studies relied on Landsat data but often lacked cross-validation and methodological transparency, limiting reproducibility. Nevertheless, multi-sensor fusion and machine-learning techniques show promise for improving spatial and temporal LST accuracy.
The review concludes that combining vegetation restoration, climate-sensitive urban design, and robust methodological frameworks can effectively mitigate SUHI in Indonesia’s tropical cities. It emphasizes standardized LST protocols, open data sharing, and inter-city validation to strengthen policy relevance and support climate-resilient urban planning in Southeast Asia.
Keywords: Urban Heat Island; Land Surface Temperature; NDVI; NDBI; Urban Morphology; Humid Tropics; Indonesia
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