JAKARTA AND GREATER KUALA LUMPUR URBAN HEAT ISLAND DURING THE PANDEMIC OF COVID-19

Aditya SAPUTRA , Mohd Hairy bin IBRAHIM, Sharif Shofirun Sharif ALI, Christopher GOMEZ, Yuli PRIYANA, JUMADI, M. Iqbal Taufiqurrahman SUNARIYA, DANARDONO, Afif Ari WIBOWO, Agus Anggoro SIGIT, Choirul AMIN, Hamim Zaky HADIBASYIR, Kuswaji Dwi PRIYONO, Khusna FLUORIDA, Aditya SYAIFUDIN, Ridwan HAFIDZIN

DOI: 10.21163/GT_2024.192.22

ABSTRACT: The Covid-19 outbreak rapidly became a global pandemic in December 2019, spreading through droplets, direct contact, and possibly airborne transmission. Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia and Indonesia experienced delayed outbreaks but saw a surge in cases. Analysing Covid-19 spatial patterns, especially concerning temperature and humidity, provides valuable insights. Utilizing remote sensing, allows studying the correlation between temperature conditions and Covid-19 outbreak patterns. This study focuses on investigating the impact of urban heat islands (UHIs) on Covid-19 outbreaks in Jakarta and Greater Kuala Lumpur, given their significant caseloads in Indonesia and Malaysia, respectively. The research integrates remote sensing, secondary data, and statistical analysis methods. Remote sensing was used to acquire land surface temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The analysis revealed that industrial and commercial areas were hotter than others during normal times, but during the pandemic, LST and UHI shifted from industrial to settlement areas due to large-scale social restrictions. This shift corresponded with the cessation of office, tourism, and industrial activities during lockdowns in March and July 2020 in Jakarta and Greater Kuala Lumpur, respectively. The concentration of people shifted from central business and industrial areas to residential areas during lockdowns, resulting in changes in UHI patterns.

Keywords: LST, UHI, Covid 19, NDVI, Urban climate, Social restriction

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