THE EFFECTS OF TRAFFIC ACTIVITY ON THE INTENSITY OF THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND: A CASE STUDY ON THE CITY OF KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA Ilham Sayed Mahgoub Elsayed University of Dammam, College of Engineering, Basic Engineering Department, Dammam 31451, P.O. Box 1982, Saudi Arabia, E-mail [email protected] Received Oct 2011, accepted after revision Jan 2012 ُمـ ْســ َت ْخـلـَص أحد التغييرات اﻷكثر وضوحا ضمن اﻷنشطة البشرية لمدينة كواﻻلمبور هو نشاط حركة المرور. يهدف هذا البحث إلى دراسة آثار نشاط حركة المرور على شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية من خﻻل دراسة حالة مدينة كواﻻلمبور، ماليزيا. فقد تم جمع البيانات المتعلقة بنشاط حركة المرور في مدينة كواﻻلمبور من المصادر الحكومية الماليزية وعلى وجه التحديد من بلدية مدينة كواﻻلمبور. في حين، استخدم منهجان معا لدراسة شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية للمدينة؛ أسلوب شبكات محطات الطقس وأسلوب الدراسة اﻻستقصائية (traverses). بينت الدراسة أن هناك زيادة في شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية لمدينة كواﻻلمبور منذ آخر دراسة مماثلة خﻻل عام 5891 إلى عام 4002. الزيادة كانت 5.1 درجة مئوية. من ناحية أخرى، وجد أن هنالك زيادة تدريجية في نشاط حركة المرور من عام 5892 إلى عام 4002. أوضحت الدراسة أن عدد المركبات المسجلة بالمدينة قد زاد من 910000 مركبة عام 5992 إلى ما يزيد عن 400000000 مركبة للعام 4002. حيث تتصدر السيارات الخاصة النسبة اﻷعلى )14%( يليها الدراجات البخارية )42%(، ثم الحافﻻت وسيارات اﻷجرة معا بنسبة 5.1% فقط. رغم أن نسبة الحافﻻت وسيارات اﻷجرة صغيرة جدا فهي تتحمل 40% من المجموع الكلي للحركة والترحال لهذه المدينة. لذلك خلصت الدراسة إلى أن هنالك تناسبا عكسيا بين شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية وكمية الحافﻻت وسيارات اﻷجرة. بينما وجدت تناسبا طرديا بين شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية وكمية السيارات الخاصة والدراجات البخارية. بصورة أكثر شمولية، وجدت الدراسة أن شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحضرية تتناسب طرديا مع عدد المركبات المسجلة بالمدينة، فكلما زاد نشاط الحركة المرورية للمدينة زادت شدة حرارة الجزيرة الحرارية. ABSTRACT One of the most recognized changes in the human activities in the city of Kuala Lumpur is the traffic activity.This study aims to find the effects of traffic activity on the intensity of the urban heat island through a case study done on the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data relative to the traffic activity in the city of Kuala Lumpur is gathered from Malaysian Governmental sources.While, two methodologies combined to study the urban heat island of the city; weather station networks method and traverses survey method. The study shows that, there is an increase in the intensity of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) of the city of Kuala Lumpur since last similar studies done during 1985 to this study in December 2004. The increase of the intensity of the UHI of the city is 1.5 o C. On the other hand, there is a gradual increase on the traffic activity since 1984 to 2004. The study shows that, the number of registered vehicles in the city increases from 85,000 vehicles in 1984 to more than 2,000,000 vehicles by 2004. In addition to that, the largest portion of vehicles registered in the city are cars (about 52%), then motorcycles (34%), and buses and taxis together (1.6%). However, this small percentage of public transport vehicle carries about 20% of the total daily trips in Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, this study concludes that, the UHI of the city is directly proportional to the number of cars and motorcycles vehicles and inversely proportional to public transport vehicles. The study shows that, the higher the percentage of registered vehicles in the city, the higher is the intensity of the UHI. Thus the Sudan Engineering Society Journal, September 2012, Volume 58; No.2 9 ` THE EFFECTS OF TRAFFIC ACTIVITY ON THE INTENSITY OF THE URBAN HEAT ISLAND intensity of the UHI of the city is directly proportional to the number of registered vehicles in the city. Therefore, the study concludes that, as the traffic activity in the city increases, the intensity of the UHI of the city increases. Keywords: Kuala Lumpur, traffic activity, urban heat island 1. INTRODUCTION than the surrounding countryside, which is a phenomenon known as the urban heat island. Urban development has always been regarded as Additional visible effect result from urbanization a focal point when negative and positive urban is the increase in traffic activity. Urbanization is environmental changes are discussed. This is affecting climate and change the physical surface because urban development involves subsequent of the land. Urban man and his activities produce morphological changes which in turn modify local a significant amount of heat which contributes to planetary boundary layer conditions. In many the increased intensity of the urban heat island. developing countries, towns are expanding and Urbanization that took place in 30 urban centers an increasing proportion of the land is being in Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur plays a quite taken up for urban land uses, replacing fields, significant role in changing the urban air farms, forests and open spaces. As a result, the temperature pattern [6; 7]. One area in which majority of urban inhabitants in the world today environmental deterioration has been experiences distinctive and unpleasant climatic remarkably noticeable following rapid urban conditions [1]. growth and industrial expansion is the area of One of the profound ways in which man is Kuala Lumpur [8]. As the population grew the altering the climate, which affects him and his number of vehicles increased enormously, activities is through the building of cities [2]. In an leading to the construction of inner and outer urban setting, man, through his activities, has ring roads. More traffic means more congestion, altered the climate in various ways. He firstly, pollution, noise and deterioration of city streets, changes the physical surface of the land; buildings, public places, and more deterioration secondly, urban man and his activities produce a in the whole environment. The modern transport significant amount of heat, and finally, he revolution has extended the scope of introduces great quantities of pollutants into the urbanization deep into the countryside. Around air under such a situation, the entire energy almost every major Asian city, large numbers of balance of the area is transformed. Large commuters travel daily to work in urban areas urbanized regions have been shown to physically from villages, by bus, car, motorcycle and trains. alter their climates in the form of elevated The lands were paved for the transformation of temperatures relative to rural areas at their rural villages into urban suburbs. Malaysia has periphery [3]. The effect of metropolitan regions also seen the continuing loss of forested areas. is not only confined to horizontal temperatures Permanent forest reserve decreased from a total but also to those in the vertical direction with far- area of 6.0 million hectare in 1992 to 5.8 million reaching consequences, studies have shown that hectares in 1997, which has been also attributed the thermal influence of a large city commonly to urban related development such as housing, extends up to 200-300 m and even to 500 m and industries and roads. By 1886, a 22 mile length of more [4]. Sham [5] mentioned that, the studies at railway was opened between Klang and Kuala University Kebangsaan Malaysia over 12 year’s Lumpur and several roads were constructed later period indicate that the commercial centers of connection Kuala Lumpur with the north and Kuala Lumpur are usually several degrees warmer south [9]. The Draft report [9] added that “already there were about 65,000 cars in the 10 Sudan Engineering Society Journal, September 2012, Volume 58; No.2 Ilham Sayed Mahgoub Elsayed study area in 1974 and by 1990; some 191,000 study the nocturnal urban heat island of the city; vehicles are expected to use Kuala Lumpur roads. Secondary and Primary sources of data. The The “study area” refers to Kuala Lumpur and Secondary data was collected from the relatively Petaling Jaya which is relevant for this report longer records of meteorological data provided since one cannot divorce Petaling Jaya traffic by specific weather station networks, while the from Kuala Lumpur traffic system”. It also Primary data was collected through an intensive mentioned that, Kuala Lumpur population is fieldwork done with the collaboration of a growing at the rate of 7.5% per annum, one of number of assistants and field observers. The the fastest in the world (by that time), while the alternative methodologies were used for the vehicles are increasing at a growth rate of 21% collection of those primary and secondary data. per annum. There were 300,000 vehicles choking These two methods were combined and used to Kuala Lumpur roads during peak hours, 75% of study and measure the nocturnal urban heat these were private cars with 1.5 passengers per island, in air temperature, of the City of Kuala vehicle. While 40% of these were through traffic, Lumpur, Malaysia. moving from one suburb to another. Following 2.1. Measuring the Urban Heat Island through the increase in population growth was the Weather Station Networks significant increase in vehicle growth in Kuala Lumpur, by 1984, there were about 85,000 Two weather station networks cover the City of vehicles registered and this figure has increased Kuala Lumpur and its periphery; Governmental to about 514,000 vehicles in 1994. By 2004, the weather station network and another private figure has jumped to above 2,000,000 vehicles. network. According to the case study, a specific number of stations were selected to be involved The increased size of urban areas in terms of in the study. Concerning the first weather station both their population and their land consumption network, which is under Malaysian Ministry of has intensified adverse urban environmental Science and Environment and called the impacts.