Conceptualizing urban heat resilience through capacities and a multidimensional perspective: Empirical evidence from formal and informal settlements of Lahore, Pakistan

Heatwaves have emerged as one of the most severe climate-related challenges for urban areas in the Global South. The increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of heatwaves are posing significant risks to public health, livelihoods, and urban systems. This index-based study examines the heatwave resilience of both formal and informal communities located in Lahore, Pakistan. Resilience is assessed in terms of its capacities and dimensions. The first approach defines resilience based on IPCC definitions, i.e., anticipatory, absorptive, adaptive, and transformative. The latter defines resilience through different dimensions, i.e., social, economic, infrastructural, institutional, and psychological. Six urban communities, comprising three formal and three informal areas, were selected to ensure a balanced comparison between the two approaches. Analysis found that resilience capacity was slightly higher than the resilience dimensions. However, individual assessment of each capacity and dimension showed meaningful insights. Absorptive capacity was higher in both formal and informal communities, while adaptive capacity was the lowest for both. Anticipatory and transformative capacities also differed between the two community types. Similarly, psychological resilience was higher across all communities, while economic resilience had the lowest mean. The study emphasizes the need for integrated resilience. This requires strengthening infrastructure and institutional support, while also fostering social cohesion and inclusive governance, taking into account the needs of both community types. The study provides a more comprehensive foundation for informed planning and policy development. These findings offer crucial insights for policymakers and urban planners in designing heat-resilient strategies that prioritize vulnerable populations and promote sustainable urban development.