Assessing the Cooling Effect of the Blue Corridors in Antakya Pre-Earthquake, Türkiye

Abstract

Blue corridors provide nature-based solutions in urban areas by reducing air temperatures in their surroundings. This study examines the impact of blue corridors on surface temperature and their relationship with land cover in pre-earthquake Antakya. The cooling effect of rivers, based on distance and density across different land cover types, was determined using NDVI, NDWI, and NDMI indices, and the relationship between these indices and LST was analyzed statistically. The results clearly show that the measured temperature difference of 15.421°C in the corridors and their surroundings during the April-September period of 2020-2022 indicates microclimatic variations influenced by land cover characteristics. Although the corridors don’t exhibit a distinct cooling effect in terms of water presence, the cooling impact of areas with dense vegetation remains limited. Therefore, increasing permeable surfaces and adopting water-sensitive planning and design approaches in and around the corridors are crucial for extending the cooling effect over a larger area.

Keywords: River cooling effect, Climate adaptation, urban warming, water-sensitive urban planning and design