Interplay Between Vegetation and Urban Climate in Morocco—Impact on Human Thermal Comfort

Bibliographic Data

ID13113189
AuthorsNoura Ed-dahmany (0009-0003-7866-2119, Cadi Ayyad University, corresponding author), Bounoua Lahouari (Goddard Space Flight Center), Mohamed Amine Lachkham (Cadi Ayyad University), Mohammed Yacoubi Khebiza (Cadi Ayyad University), Hicham Bahi (0000-0001-9081-8516, Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique), Mohammed Messouli (0000-0002-2867-9444, Cadi Ayyad University)
Year2025
Volume9
Issue8
Pages289-289
Publication date2025-07-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueUrban Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2413-8851 • E-ISSN: 2413-8851
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/urbansci9080289
OpenAlexW4412917782
LanguageEN
References cited32

This study examines diurnal surface temperature dynamics across major Moroccan cities during the growing season and explores the interaction between urban and vegetated surfaces. We also introduce the Urban Thermal Impact Ratio (UTIR), a novel metric designed to quantify urban thermal comfort as a function of the surface urban heat island (SUHI) intensity. The analysis is based on outputs from a land surface model (LSM) for the year 2010, integrating high-resolution Landsat and MODIS data to characterize land cover and biophysical parameters across twelve land cover types. Our findings reveal moderate urban–vegetation temperature differences in coastal cities like Tangier (1.8 °C) and Rabat (1.0 °C), where winter vegetation remains active. In inland areas, urban morphology plays a more dominant role: Fes, with a 20% impervious surface area (ISA), exhibits a smaller SUHI than Meknes (5% ISA), due to higher urban heating in the latter. The Atlantic desert city of Dakhla shows a distinct pattern, with a nighttime SUHI of 2.1 °C and a daytime urban cooling of −0.7 °C, driven by irrigated parks and lawns enhancing evapotranspiration and shading. At the regional scale, summer UTIR values remain below one in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, and Casablanca-Settat, suggesting that urban conditions generally stay within thermal comfort thresholds. In contrast, higher UTIR values in Marrakech-Safi, Beni Mellal-Khénifra, and Guelmim-Oued Noun indicate elevated heat discomfort. At the city scale, the UTIR in Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca demonstrates a clear diurnal pattern: it emerges around 11:00 a.m., peaks at 1:00 p.m., and fades by 3:00 p.m. This study highlights the critical role of vegetation in regulating urban surface temperatures and modulating urban–rural thermal contrasts. The UTIR provides a practical, scalable indicator of urban heat stress, particularly valuable in data-scarce settings. These findings carry significant implications for climate-resilient urban planning, optimized energy use, and the design of public health early warning systems in the context of climate change

Biology · Climate change · Environmental resource management · Geography · Meteorology · Physical geography · Thermal comfort · Urban climate · Urbanization · Vegetation (pathology · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Medicine · Urban Green Space and Health · Urban Heat Island Mitigation · Ecology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access