Land use land cover change (LULC) is a critical driver of global change, influencing environmental sustainability. The spatio-temporal changes of LULC have a significant impact on the distribution and intensity of the Land Surface Temperatures (LST), especially in urban areas with reduced vegetation cover. Understanding these effects is crucial for assessing progress towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 13, which aim to improve urban environments and address climate change. However, little is known about the impacts of LULC changes on LST in Botswana. Therefore, this study investigated the impacts of LULC change on LST dynamics in Gaborone, a rapidly urbanising city in Botswana. Gaborone has experienced increased surface temperatures over the years, resulting in land degradation, periodic heat waves that have exacerbated energy poverty and quality of life. The study utilized the Landsat data to conduct a 15-year (2005 – 2020) spatio-temporal analysis of Gaborone LULC changes and LST dynamics. The analysis employed cutting-edge remote sensing techniques, including the big data Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform and the Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm, known for their accuracy and efficiency in classification and change detection studies. By leveraging the GEE cloud platform, this study enables continuous monitoring of both LULC and LST variations in Gaborone. The findings revealed that over the 15-year period, approximately 12km2 of LULC was converted to built-up areas, resulting in a 2.36% annual urban growth rate and reduced green and bare spaces. Consequently, surface temperatures have increased by approximately 2.1◦C, aggravating the energy demand for cooling in summer. This trend, along with population growth and urbanization, has contributed to rapidly increasing electricity prices. The outcomes of this study provide valuable insights into the interplay between LULC changes, LST dynamics, and urban development in Gaborone, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable strategies to address land degradation, energy poverty, and quality of life.