We are happy to announce that a peer-reviewed publication of team members of the Build4People Work Package “Urban Climate” led by the Institute for Energy and Climate Concepts (INKEK), Germany, and the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), Cambodia, has been published at a regular publication, the International Journal of Geography, Geology and Environment.
Bibliographic reference:
Se, B., Choi, D. M., Katzschner, L., Rang, C., Chhinh, N., Yav, N., Hahne, J. and Kupski, S. (2025). Characteristics of the urban heat island in a tropical city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. International Journal of Geography, Geology and Environment, 2025, Vol. 7, Issue 3, Part A. https://doi.org/10.22271/27067483.2025.v7.i3a.349
Abstract:
The rapid urbanization drives Phnom Penh, Cambodia experiences the increased urban heat island (UHI) effects. However, no studies on the UHI effect in Phnom Penh have been conducted to date. Air temperature and ventilation data during 2021-2023 were used to investigate daily, seasonal, yearly variations of the UHI intensity and evaluate the impact of ventilation on the UHI intensity in Phnom Penh. Findings indicated the UHI intensity is stronger during the daytime (0.55 C) than at night (0.25 °C) in dry season, primarily due to the increase in impervious surfaces that trap more thermal energy throughout the day. Furthermore, the UHI intensity is greater in the dry season with 0.40 °C than in the wet season with 0.15 °C, mainly due to the less moisture and the cold island effects occurred during the cooler and drier months. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing approaches to mitigate the UHI intensity in Phnom Penh.