Towards Salutogenic and Sustainable Urban Environments: A Heat Vulnerability Assessment of Lusaka City through Environmental Exposure

Assessing vulnerability to extreme heat is paramount in the face of escalating climate change impacts. Recognizing the pressing need to understand the urban vulnerabilities of Lusaka City to rising temperatures, this study exclusively targets environmental exposure dynamics while omitting considerations of adaptive capacity and sensitivity. Leveraging Landsat 8 imagery, the study uses Heat Vulnerability Indices (HVI) to quantify the contributions of land surface temperatures, impervious surfaces, vegetation, and bare land to heat vulnerability. The findings reveal that over 60% of neighbourhoods are highly vulnerable, with maps highlighting significant spatial disparities in susceptibility to extreme heat, underscoring the need for localised assessments. Affluent, vegetated neighbourhoods like Kabulonga and Tukunka exhibit lower vulnerability due to sparse built-up areas and extensive greenery. In contrast, unplanned settlements such as Chibolya and Chainda, along with the CBD, show higher vulnerability due to dense built-up areas and minimal vegetation. This study provides critical insights for evidence-based policy formulation and resource allocation, advocating for interventions like green infrastructure and reduced density in built-up areas to foster more resilient and sustainable urban environments.