Urban climate justice in hot-arid regions: Vulnerability assessment and spatial analysis of socio-economic and housing inequality in Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This research studies urban climate justice in hot-arid regions by assessing the Isfahan metropolitan area's vulnerability to heat and drought and analyzing related socio-economic and housing inequalities. The hybrid F'ANP model has been implemented to develop one multiple and four sectoral vulnerability indices. Afterward, this study analyzes inequalities and, consequently, climate justice based on the association between sensitive socio-economic and housing groups with vulnerability indices using the OLS and MGWR models. The results indicate that Isfahan's northern neighborhoods are more vulnerable to heat and drought than other neighborhoods due to the high building compactness, population density, and the small area of blue-green infrastructure. Isfahan's vulnerability to heat and drought is more associated with housing types than socio-economic characteristics on both metropolitan and local scales. There is a significant association with the proportion of rent, small, old, and unsafe houses with vulnerability to heat and drought. In several neighborhoods, elderlies are more exposed to heat than other citizens. In contrast, low-income households residing in the eastern and western margins are less exposed to heat and drought than high-income households due to the large green lands. However, they have less access to crucial infrastructure, making them more vulnerable to heat and drought.