In this research, remote sensing technology was used to evaluate urban development and its thermal characteristics through mapping impervious surfaces and evaluating thermal infrared images. The study is carried out in the northern part of Ho Chi Minh City, which is experienced an accelerated urban development since the end of 1980s. Landsat and Aster images were used to calculate the variation in urban impervious surfaces from 1989 to 2006. Thermal bands were processed to obtain land surface temperatures for investigating the urban heat island effect associated with increasing impervious surfaces both spatially and temporally.
In the framework of the program "Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network" funded by Rockefeller Foundation, Vietnam Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment carried out this study with the aim to strongly support the development of action plan to respond to climate change for Quy Nhon city. The study developed climate change (temperature and rainfall) and sea level rise scenarios corresponding to some key emission scenarios, namely A1FI, A2 and B2. Impacts of climate change on main sectors such as water resources, agriculture and tourism were also assessed. These were used as the basis for proposing adaptation measures.
