Cities warm up faster than surrounding rural areas — a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect. In the context of global warming, the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves pose a critical risk to public health and urban infrastructure. In densely built-up areas, most surfaces are covered with asphalt, concrete, and other dark materials with low albedo (a measure of how well a surface reflects sunlight). These materials absorb solar radiation and retain heat for long periods, unlike soil or vegetation, where a significant portion of energy is used for water evaporation. Moreover, the high density of buildings and narrow streets creates so-called “heat canyons,” where heat is trapped and air circulation is limited.
According to a study based on satellite imagery and land cover maps analyzed in ArcGIS, impervious surfaces in Tashkent occupy about 78% of the city’s total area (Fig. 1). This means that nearly four-fifths of the urban territory absorbs solar radiation instead of reflecting it back into the atmosphere. As a result, nighttime temperatures in these zones remain significantly higher than in suburban or green areas.
The low albedo of built-up zones causes most of the solar energy to accumulate within the urban environment, intensifying air overheating and forming stable pockets of elevated temperature. This, in turn, increases the demand for air conditioning, energy consumption, and reduces overall living comfort — especially under accelerating global warming.
Urban greening is among the most accessible nature-based solutions for mitigating urban overheating. It provides not only localized cooling but also ecological and social benefits.
