Journal of Drought and Climate change Research

Analyzing Climate Justice and Urban Heat Management Strategies in the Informal Settlements of Mashhad City

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

saleh ebrahimipour 1
katayoon alizadeh 2

1 Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

2 Department of Geography, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22077/jdcr.2026.10476.1188
Abstract
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.

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.

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).

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).

Keywords

Climate Justice
Informal Settlements
Urban Heat Islands
Land Surface Temperature (LST)
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)
Subjects
Journal of Drought and Climate change Research

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 January 2026

  • Receive Date 13 November 2025
  • Revise Date 19 January 2026
  • Accept Date 20 January 2026

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