Green infrastructure indicators to plan resilient urban settlements in Pakistan: Local stakeholder's perspective

Abstract

Over the recent years, urban green infrastructure (UGI) modelling has emerged as an adaptation strategy to enhance cities' resilience against ever-rising environmental hazards. The UGI improves urban eco-system functions to protect human health and wellbeing, both locally and globally. Pakistan lacks inclusive and resilient land-use planning policies as well as frameworks to protect its inhabitants, and ecosystems from the rising climatic hazards. So, this research aims to determine and assemble sustainable UGI planning indicators based on local stakeholder's perspectives. It is to develop a comprehensive and integrative indicator-based framework model to build climate-resilient urban regions in Pakistan's northwest parts. The in-depth online expert's survey is administered through 172 questionnaires themed around UGI, urban resilience and climate change adaptation. The data is analysed by using Relative Importance Index (RII) and Interquartile Range Technique (IQR). The finding shows potential twenty-two (primary and secondary) sustainable UGI indicators, classified into three main categories; Extremely Important (E-Imp); Important (Imp) and Moderately important (M-Imp) levels. Subsequently, a set of vital green elements that achieved (RII value ≥ 0.76) were identified that upgraded and strengthened each UGI indicator's quality. Additionally, it helps to reinforce an intricate connection among climate resilience strategies, green spaces, ecosystem functions, and human health/wellbeing in the study region. The UGI model facilitates policy planning and decision-making process for resilient land use planning and urban sustainability.