In-situ measurements and GIS-based analysis of the microclimate at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

Developing tropical countries are expecting a large number of population in the near future, thus, environmental degradation issues due to excessive economic development and urban climate change are becoming a major threat to modern society. In order to improve urban design and sustainable architecture, in accordance with this specific tropical climate, a quantitative grasp of the microclimate in a developed city is highly desirable. Moreover, only a few studies have been carried out on the aforementioned issues in a low-latitude tropical urban region. Therefore, this study aims to provide a better insight into the use of in-situ microclimatic measurements and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), particularly in analysing the effect of greenery coverage and morphological aspects, i.e. height to width ratio of built-up features, for understanding the microclimate pattern at the university campus. The study area is situated at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, (UTM KL), which is a local-scale city campus environment, located near the Kuala Lumpur city centre. The urban microclimate was observed for the duration of one year. The climatic data were mapped and spatially analysed in relation to different land cover types in the GIS environment. Moreover, the effect of green areas and building morphology are critically evaluated with regards to the changes made to the local climatic variables in the campus. As a result, this study reveals that the effects of greenery coverage and the morphological characteristics on the campus providing a good indicator of the microclimate pattern in a developed city campus. In conclusion, with the support of in-situ measurements and GIS analysis, the campus temperature properties were quantitatively evaluated, and this directly contributed to a better understanding of climate change in the city of Kuala Lumpur.