The rapid urbanization of Jaipur has profoundly altered its urban climate, driven by anthropogenic heat flux (A_F) and shifts in surface energy dynamics. This study leverages remote sensing techniques, utilizing Landsat data, to quantify A_F and assess its influence on the city’s climate. The findings reveal a striking paradox; despite a significant rise in A_F from 127.31 W/m² in 1993 to 201.82 W/m² in 2020, Jaipur exhibits an anomalous urban cool island (UCI) effect during the daytime. In this phenomenon, surrounding fallow lands experience higher land surface temperatures (LSTs) than the urban core, defying the typical urban heat island (UHI) effect observed in most cities worldwide. This paradox is especially pronounced in semi-arid urban environments, where factors such as limited vegetation, arid conditions, and water scarcity intricately shape peculiar thermal behaviour. This study further highlights the role of urban expansion, with built-up areas growing from 11.95% in 1993 to 19% in 2020, intensifying A_F. Notably, the latent heat flux was highest in vegetated areas, significantly reducing LSTs by facilitating evapotranspiration. Daytime surface temperatures have surged significantly, with temperatures ranging from 26–46.9 °C in 1993 to 31–56.5 °C in 2020, indicating an overall increase in surface heat intensity. Despite these increases, the UCI effect remains observable, further illustrating the cooling potential of urban vegetation. This study offers novel insights into the intricate dynamics of urban heat in semi-arid cities, providing refined perspectives on urban heat mitigation strategies and climate adaptation, with implications for future sustainable urban planning and environmental management.

The study uses novel remote sensing approach for understanding the changes in mangrove forest of Sunderban region of India. The study tried to estimate the changes in carbon emissions using GIS and remote sensing. The study quantifies the changes in different heat fluxes of surface energy balance i.e., net radiations, ground heat flux, latent heat flux. Unavailability of real time atmospheric profile data is the major limitation of study. study presents an analysis of the changes in carbon emissions, energy fluxes, and land-use and land-cover (LULC) in the Sunderban forest from 2000 to 2020. The results show a significant loss of mangroves, which has led to a decline in carbon stocks and an increase in CO2 emissions. Changes in the energy fluxes, particularly the decrease in latent heat flux, were found to be associated with the reduction in the area under mangrove. The LULC analysis reveals changes in the surface temperature due to the reduction in vegetation cover, which has implications for the local and regional climate. The findings underscore the urgent need for conservation and restoration efforts to protect the vital ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.