Abstract
In the context of global climate change, cities can be affected by the phenomenon of urban heat island (UHI), which generates temperature differences between a city and the adjacent rural region. The impacts and challenges of UHI on urban systems are numerous and thus question the strategies to deal with them. The aim of this study is to identify the presence of UHI in the territory of Aϊn M’lila (eastern Algeria), to understand their spatial distribution according to the changes in urban land use (land use/land cover [LULC]), and to suggest ways to reduce their effect. The method adopted, involving remote sensing using Landsat satellite images and the Google Earth Engine platform, enables an initial diagnosis to be made of the effect of UHI on this area by quantifying it and establishing its correlation with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) over the period 2005–2023. The analyses of LULC, NDVI, and LST revealed a significant urban expansion, characterized by an increase in impermeable surfaces of 2%–7% and a reduction in cultivated land. This urbanization led to a significant rise in surface temperatures, with peaks reaching 49.37 °C in 2005. Despite a slight improvement in 2023, due to greening initiatives, the study highlights the persistence of UHI effects. The results highlight the need for urban project approaches and green urban planning to analyze and propose planting in sectors subject to UHI effects. However, there is a need for contextualized local climate policy integrating adaptation strategies to exploit the reversibility potential of urban spaces as best as possible.