The Potential of Urban Green Infrastructure in Mitigating Urban Heat Islands in the Semi-arid Regions

Abstract

Cities and towns around the world are at a crossroads as a result of a variety of urban challenges, including urban heat islands. Urban greening as a potential strategy for reducing urban heat is receiving increased attention due to the combined trends of urban heat island intensification and global climate change. This article brings to the fore, the significance of Green Infrastructure forms deployed in cities and assesses how they help in the mitigation of the phenomenon in semi-arid regions. The objective of this review paper is to create a better knowledge and understanding of the benefits of green infrastructure in this region. This will contribute to the understanding of how urban dwellers utilize different forms of vegetation in an urban context and help geographers, engineers, ecologists, sociologists, and professionals in urban design towards better city planning, revitalization as well as gentrification. Understanding the terms used to describe urban greenery and vegetation within the scope of the study, as well as their definitions, is necessary to comprehend the scope of the discussion of green infrastructure and urban heat islands in this article. The review shows, increased vegetation has been extensively documented as the most efficient approach for reducing urban heat islands. The study adopted a narrative review of the literature on articles from peer-reviewed journals that fall under the purview of the study.