The occurrence of heat waves and their impacts on surface temperature and vegetation index

the Dourados Indigenous Reserve (DIR), Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Abstract

Climate change has become increasingly evident, intensifying extreme weather events, such as heat waves, which threaten global security and well-being, especially for populations in conditions of socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability. The research aimed to measure and analyze the occurrence of heat waves during the period from 01/01/2015 to 12/31/2024, from which it evaluated impacts on the Dourados Indigenous Reserve (DIR) and its surroundings, a defined radius of six kilometers. Daily data on maximum temperature, the Surface Temperature (ST) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), obtained from the processing of remote sensing images, were analyzed. The results indicated a significant increase in hot days in the years analyzed, changes in the frequency and temporal pattern of heat waves, in addition to a decline in NDVI and an increase in TS, facts that directly affect the territory of RID, and consequently, its population.