Urban Heat in a Changing Climate: Remote Sensing and Modelling for Climate-Resilient Cities

Webinar Speaker:

Ilias Agathangelidis

Affiliation:

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

  • 30 March 2026
  • 3:00 PM UTC
  • Sponsored by GRSS
  • REACT TC Webinar

About the Webinar

Urbanization and climate change exacerbate urban heat hazards, posing significant risks to human well-being. Rising air temperatures, driven by climate change, add to the Urban Heat Island effect, where urban areas become warmer than their rural surroundings due to three-dimensional urban morphology, land cover changes, and anthropogenic activities. Addressing these challenges requires tailored mitigation and adaptation strategies that account for the diversity of urban morphologies and climatic contexts. Furthermore, conducting upfront assessments of potential cooling effects is crucial for climate-sensitive urban planning. Numerical modelling enables the identification of urban hot spots and the evaluation of heat mitigation strategies. This talk will present research findings that underscore the need for localized adaptation measures, the complex relationship between urban form and the thermal environment, and the role of advanced remote sensing and modelling tools in supporting urban governance and climate resilience efforts.

 

About the Speaker

Ilias Agathangelidis earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Physics – Thermal Remote Sensing in 2020 from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at NKUA and has also been a visiting postdoctoral researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. His work focuses on the use of Earth Observation data for the study of urban climate processes, with particular emphasis on urban heat islands, heatwaves, drought events, and the spatial assessment of thermal stress. His research integrates multi-sensor satellite observations with statistical downscaling and advanced data analysis methods to improve the spatial and temporal resolution of satellite-derived climate information. He also works on the characterization of urban morphology using the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) framework and on the integration of Earth Observation data with numerical simulations to better understand urban thermal environments. Dr. Agathangelidis has participated in numerous national and international research projects and teaches postgraduate courses in remote sensing, GIS, and climate data analysis.

Recorded Webinar

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