IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i11p6579-d826443.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of COVID-19 Restriction Policies on Urban Heat Islands in Some European Cities: Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, and Frankfurt

Author

Listed:
  • Taher Safarrad

    (Geography and Urban Planning Department, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar 13534-47416, Iran)

  • Mostafa Ghadami

    (Department of Geography, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany)

  • Andreas Dittmann

    (Department of Geography, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35390 Giessen, Germany)

Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of policies restricting human activities during the COVID-19 epidemic on the characteristics of Night Land Surface Temperature (NLST) and Night Urban Heat Islands (NUHI) in five major European cities. In fact, the focus of this study was to explore the role of anthropogenic factors in the formation and intensity of NUHI. The effect of such factors was uncontrollable before the COVID-19 outbreak on the global scale and in a real non-laboratory environment. In this study, two indices, the concentration of Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and Nighttime Lights (NL), were used as indicators of the number of anthropogenic activities. The data were collected before the COVID-19 outbreak and after its prevalence in 2019–2020. A Paired samples t -test and a Pearson correlation were used to examine the differences or significant relationships between the variables and indicators studied throughout the two periods. The results of the study confirmed a direct and significant relationship between NO 2 and NL indices and the NUHI and NLST variables; however, using strict restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NO 2 and NL indices decreased seriously, leading to significant changes in the characteristics of the NUHI and NLST in the five cities. This study has some implications for urban planners and politicians, e.g., the environmental impacts of changing the nature and level of anthropogenic activities can greatly affect the pattern and intensity of the Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) (as a serious environmental challenge).

Suggested Citation

  • Taher Safarrad & Mostafa Ghadami & Andreas Dittmann, 2022. "Effects of COVID-19 Restriction Policies on Urban Heat Islands in Some European Cities: Berlin, London, Paris, Madrid, and Frankfurt," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-25, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6579-:d:826443
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6579/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/11/6579/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xinping Zhang & Dexiang Wang & Hongke Hao & Fangfang Zhang & Youning Hu, 2017. "Effects of Land Use/Cover Changes and Urban Forest Configuration on Urban Heat Islands in a Loess Hilly Region: Case Study Based on Yan’an City, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, July.
    2. World Bank, 2020. "Analysis of Heat Waves and Urban Heat Island Effects in Central European Cities and Implications for Urban Planning," World Bank Publications - Reports 34335, The World Bank Group.
    3. Seulkee Heo & Amruta Nori-Sarma & Kwonsang Lee & Tarik Benmarhnia & Francesca Dominici & Michelle L. Bell, 2019. "The Use of a Quasi-Experimental Study on the Mortality Effect of a Heat Wave Warning System in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Jonathan A. Patz & Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum & Tracey Holloway & Jonathan A. Foley, 2005. "Impact of regional climate change on human health," Nature, Nature, vol. 438(7066), pages 310-317, November.
    5. Jou-Man Huang & Heui-Yung Chang & Yu-Su Wang, 2020. "Spatiotemporal Changes in the Built Environment Characteristics and Urban Heat Island Effect in a Medium-Sized City, Chiayi City, Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, January.
    6. Jinling Quan, 2019. "Multi-Temporal Effects of Urban Forms and Functions on Urban Heat Islands Based on Local Climate Zone Classification," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-35, June.
    7. Gabriele Manoli & Simone Fatichi & Markus Schläpfer & Kailiang Yu & Thomas W. Crowther & Naika Meili & Paolo Burlando & Gabriel G. Katul & Elie Bou-Zeid, 2019. "Magnitude of urban heat islands largely explained by climate and population," Nature, Nature, vol. 573(7772), pages 55-60, September.
    8. Biswajit Bera & Sumana Bhattacharjee & Pravat Kumar Shit & Nairita Sengupta & Soumik Saha, 2021. "Significant impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on urban air pollution in Kolkata (India) and amelioration of environmental health," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 6913-6940, May.
    9. Meizi You & Riwen Lai & Jiayuan Lin & Zhesheng Zhu, 2021. "Quantitative Analysis of a Spatial Distribution and Driving Factors of the Urban Heat Island Effect: A Case Study of Fuzhou Central Area, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-19, December.
    10. Corinne Le Quéré & Robert B. Jackson & Matthew W. Jones & Adam J. P. Smith & Sam Abernethy & Robbie M. Andrew & Anthony J. De-Gol & David R. Willis & Yuli Shan & Josep G. Canadell & Pierre Friedlingst, 2020. "Temporary reduction in daily global CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 forced confinement," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 10(7), pages 647-653, July.
    11. Marzie Naserikia & Elyas Asadi Shamsabadi & Mojtaba Rafieian & Walter Leal Filho, 2019. "The Urban Heat Island in an Urban Context: A Case Study of Mashhad, Iran," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Qunfang Huang & Yuqi Lu, 2015. "The Effect of Urban Heat Island on Climate Warming in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, July.
    13. Jaehyun Ha & Yeri Choi & Sugie Lee & Kyushik Oh, 2020. "Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in the Effect of Urban Environmental Factors on Air Temperature: A Consecutive Regression Analysis Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-21, January.
    14. Kyoumars Habibi & Seyedeh Maryam Hoseini & Majid Dehshti & Mojtaba Khanian & Amir Mosavi, 2020. "The Impact of Natural Elements on Environmental Comfort in the Iranian-Islamic Historical City of Isfahan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-18, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen Yang & Qingming Zhan & Sihang Gao & Huimin Liu, 2019. "How Do the Multi-Temporal Centroid Trajectories of Urban Heat Island Correspond to Impervious Surface Changes: A Case Study in Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-21, October.
    2. Jaehyun Ha & Yeri Choi & Sugie Lee & Kyushik Oh, 2020. "Diurnal and Seasonal Variations in the Effect of Urban Environmental Factors on Air Temperature: A Consecutive Regression Analysis Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Huihui Wang & Yunsong Yang & Suru Liu & Hanyu Xue & Tingting Xu & Wanlin He & Xiaoyong Gao & Ruifeng Jiang, 2024. "Unveiling the Coupling Coordination and Interaction Mechanism between the Local Heat Island Effect and Urban Resilience in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-28, March.
    4. Patryk Antoszewski & Michał Krzyżaniak & Dariusz Świerk, 2022. "The Future of Climate-Resilient and Climate-Neutral City in the Temperate Climate Zone," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-60, April.
    5. Molini, A. & Talkner, P. & Katul, G.G. & Porporato, A., 2011. "First passage time statistics of Brownian motion with purely time dependent drift and diffusion," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 390(11), pages 1841-1852.
    6. de Chalendar, Jacques A. & Benson, Sally M., 2021. "A physics-informed data reconciliation framework for real-time electricity and emissions tracking," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    7. Denis Maragno & Michele Dalla Fontana & Francesco Musco, 2020. "Mapping Heat Stress Vulnerability and Risk Assessment at the Neighborhood Scale to Drive Urban Adaptation Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-16, February.
    8. Charfeddine, Lanouar & Umlai, Mohamed, 2023. "ICT sector, digitization and environmental sustainability: A systematic review of the literature from 2000 to 2022," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    9. Bing Li & Zhifeng Liu & Ying Nan & Shengnan Li & Yanmin Yang, 2018. "Comparative Analysis of Urban Heat Island Intensities in Chinese, Russian, and DPRK Regions across the Transnational Urban Agglomeration of the Tumen River in Northeast Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, July.
    10. Michael Tong & Berhanu Wondmagegn & Jianjun Xiang & Alana Hansen & Keith Dear & Dino Pisaniello & Blesson Varghese & Jianguo Xiao & Le Jian & Benjamin Scalley & Monika Nitschke & John Nairn & Hilary B, 2022. "Hospitalization Costs of Respiratory Diseases Attributable to Temperature in Australia and Projections for Future Costs in the 2030s and 2050s under Climate Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, August.
    11. Chiu-Ming Hsiao, 2022. "Economic Growth, CO 2 Emissions Quota and Optimal Allocation under Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-26, July.
    12. Nicolas Taconet & Aurélie Méjean & Céline Guivarch, 2020. "Influence of climate change impacts and mitigation costs on inequality between countries," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 15-34, May.
    13. Jaewon Kwak & Huiseong Noh & Soojun Kim & Vijay P. Singh & Seung Jin Hong & Duckgil Kim & Keonhaeng Lee & Narae Kang & Hung Soo Kim, 2014. "Future Climate Data from RCP 4.5 and Occurrence of Malaria in Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, October.
    14. Mariani, Fabio & Pérez-Barahona, Agustín & Raffin, Natacha, 2010. "Life expectancy and the environment," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 798-815, April.
    15. Louise Bedsworth, 2012. "California’s local health agencies and the state’s climate adaptation strategy," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(1), pages 119-133, March.
    16. Björn Mestdagh & Olivier Sempiga & Luc Van Liedekerke, 2023. "The Impact of External Shocks on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Linking the COVID-19 Pandemic to SDG Implementation at the Local Government Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, April.
    17. Agliardi, Elettra & Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2022. "Temperature targets, deep uncertainty and extreme events in the design of optimal climate policy," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    18. Wan Ting Katty Huang & Pierre Masselot & Elie Bou-Zeid & Simone Fatichi & Athanasios Paschalis & Ting Sun & Antonio Gasparrini & Gabriele Manoli, 2023. "Economic valuation of temperature-related mortality attributed to urban heat islands in European cities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Zhu Liu & Zhu Deng & Philippe Ciais & Jianguang Tan & Biqing Zhu & Steven J. Davis & Robbie Andrew & Olivier Boucher & Simon Ben Arous & Pep Canadel & Xinyu Dou & Pierre Friedlingstein & Pierre Gentin, 2021. "Global Daily CO$_2$ emissions for the year 2020," Papers 2103.02526, arXiv.org.
    20. Xiao Yan & Aijun Shi & Jingyuan Cao & Tingting Li & Xuesong Sun & Rui Zhang & Xionghui Qiu & Yanxue Li & Miao Liang & Miao Lv & Chunlan Liu & Jing Wei, 2021. "The Occurrence of Heavy Air Pollution during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Beijing, China: Roles of Emission Reduction, Meteorological Conditions, and Regional Transport," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-12, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6579-:d:826443. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.