Loss of vegetative cover and increased land surface temperature: A case study of Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract Loss of the vegetative cover becomes the paying way of accelerated carbon emissions. It leads to increase in Land Surface Temperature (LST) and resultant resulting in global warming. This study has deployed remote sensing and GIS to observe LST variations in Islamabad to study vegetative cover loss for the time span of 25 years (1992–2017). The study's findings confirmed 22% reduction in the vegetative cover from 1992 to 2000 with LST range 13–27 °C/year. It was followed by continuous reduction of the said cover up-to 27% between 2000 and 08, confirming 16–34 °C/year increase in LST. Likewise, from 2008 to 2017, alarmingly 51% vegetative cover loss contributing to 23–43 °C/year rise in LST in the study area. The results confirmed correlation between loss of vegetative cover and LST that is contributing into global warming. So, attempts to halt massive urbanization so as to reduce the polluting gateways and increasing carbon sinks efforts through afforestation and reforestation remains essential to safeguard the humanity from climatic hazards.