Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound
global impact since its outbreak in late 2019. To curb the spread
of the virus, measures were implemented to control its
transmission, such as reducing human activities, shutting down
industries, minimizing transportation, and practicing social
distancing. A case study focused on the Dehiwala-Mount
Lavinia suburb analyzed various environmental indicators
during normal working days in April 2019 and the lockdown
phase in April 2020. Landsat 8 (TIRS/OLI) images, processed
with ArcMap 10.8.2 software, were used to examine the impact
of the lockdown on environmental conditions by comparing
Land Surface Temperature (LST), Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Use/Land Cover (LULC), and
Urban Heat Island (UHI). The results revealed a decrease in
LST and an increase in NDVI during the lockdown. The analysis
of LULC showed increased vegetation growth near the
Aththidiya wetland area. A relatively cooler UHI was observed
in 2020 compared to the year 2019. These findings underscore
the influence of human activities on UHI and highlight the
importance of urban planning and mitigation strategies to
address UHI effects on local climates.
Citation:
R. Madhurshan, P. A. S. Mushmika, K. V. U. I. Edirisooriya, W. C. A. Ishankha and D. L. P. M. Dauglas, "Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on LST, NDVI, LULC, and UHI: Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Case Study," 2023 Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon), Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 2023, pp. 107-112, doi: 10.1109/MERCon60487.2023.10355399.
