Bhubaneswar: A recent study by researchers from the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, found a significant rise in land surface thermal hotspots across Odisha, highlighting the growing impact of rapid urbanisation and land-use changes on the state’s climate.
The research, conducted by Dikshika Mahapatra and Dr Debadatta Swain, has been published in the prestigious Environmental Science: Advances, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The study analysed 20 years of satellite data to understand how thermal hotspots have evolved across Odisha’s 30 districts. As per the findings, rapidly-growing urban and industrial areas — particularly Khordha, Ganjam, Kataka and Sundargarh — are witnessing a steady increase in extreme surface temperatures, with thermal hotspot coverage expanding by 2% to 9% annually in several coastal districts.
The research also found that rising heat is no longer confined to cities. A number of interior and hilly districts, including Balangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada and Gajapati, are experiencing persistent thermal stress due to vegetation loss, forest degradation, and increasing stretches of barren land.
Prolonged exposure to such thermal hotspots can have serious implications for public health, energy demand, and environmental sustainability, the researchers observed.
The study has recommended region-specific solutions, including expanding urban green spaces, adopting heat-resilient infrastructure, restoring mangroves and riverbank vegetation, and integrating high-resolution satellite data into urban planning and environmental management.