University of Birjand-Research Group of Drought and Climate Change Journal of Drought and Climate change Research 3092-6076 Articles in Press 2026 01 20 Analyzing Climate Justice and Urban Heat Management Strategies in the Informal Settlements of Mashhad City Analyzing Climate Justice and Urban Heat Management Strategies in the Informal Settlements of Mashhad City 3863 10.22077/jdcr.2026.10476.1188 FA Saleh Ebrahimipour Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran 0009-0007-8400-1922 Katayoon Alizadeh Department of Geography, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. 0000-0002-7571-4281 Journal Article 2025 11 13 Introduction: Climate justice, as a fundamental pillar of sustainable urban development, addresses the equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits among different social groups. This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing climate justice in the informal settlements of Mashhad city, based on an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.<br /><br />Materials and Methods: This study employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, including the analysis of satellite imagery, questionnaire data, semi-structured interviews, and focus group sessions.<br /><br />Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that informal settlements, such as Qaleh-Sakhteman and Sidi, exhibit the highest land surface temperatures and the lowest vegetation cover. Residents of these areas suffer from low environmental satisfaction and inadequate access to services. Furthermore, a significant gap was identified between the perceptions of residents (who focused on service inequality) and urban managers (who emphasized institutional and financial constraints).<br /><br />Conclusion: This research confirms the existence of climate injustice in the informal settlements of Mashhad and demonstrates that achieving climate justice requires the simultaneous integration of distributive justice (equitable distribution of cooling resources and services), procedural justice (citizen participation in policymaking), and restorative justice (compensation for climate-related damages). Introduction: Climate justice, as a fundamental pillar of sustainable urban development, addresses the equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits among different social groups. This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing climate justice in the informal settlements of Mashhad city, based on an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.<br /><br />Materials and Methods: This study employed a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, including the analysis of satellite imagery, questionnaire data, semi-structured interviews, and focus group sessions.<br /><br />Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that informal settlements, such as Qaleh-Sakhteman and Sidi, exhibit the highest land surface temperatures and the lowest vegetation cover. Residents of these areas suffer from low environmental satisfaction and inadequate access to services. Furthermore, a significant gap was identified between the perceptions of residents (who focused on service inequality) and urban managers (who emphasized institutional and financial constraints).<br /><br />Conclusion: This research confirms the existence of climate injustice in the informal settlements of Mashhad and demonstrates that achieving climate justice requires the simultaneous integration of distributive justice (equitable distribution of cooling resources and services), procedural justice (citizen participation in policymaking), and restorative justice (compensation for climate-related damages). https://jdcr.birjand.ac.ir/article_3863_c4d2ce3f3ebb5393a77c33c0cd95dc93.pdf