Urban Green Infrastructure Planning in Jaipur, India: A GIS-Based Suitability Model for Semi-Arid Cities

Ritu Nathawat, Saurabh Kumar Gupta, Shruti Kanga, Suraj Kumar Singh, Shamik Chakraborty, Asif Marazi, Bhartendu Sajan, Mohamed Yehia Abouleish, Gowhar Meraj, Tarig Ali and Pankaj Kumar ()
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Ritu Nathawat: Centre for Climate Change & Water Research, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur 302017, India
Saurabh Kumar Gupta: Centre for Climate Change & Water Research, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur 302017, India
Shruti Kanga: Department of Geography, School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 151401, India
Suraj Kumar Singh: Centre for Climate Change & Water Research, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur 302017, India
Shamik Chakraborty: Global Research Center for Advanced Sustainability Science, University of Toyama, 3190, Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555, Japan
Asif Marazi: Department of Geology, Government Degree College Sopore, Kashmir 193201, India
Bhartendu Sajan: Centre for Climate Change & Water Research, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur 302017, India
Mohamed Yehia Abouleish: Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates
Gowhar Meraj: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
Tarig Ali: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates
Pankaj Kumar: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama 240-0115, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 6, 1-28

Abstract: Urbanization in Jaipur, India, has led to a 42% decline in green cover over the past two decades, exacerbating urban heat, air pollution, groundwater depletion, and reduced livability. Green Infrastructure (GI) offers a sustainable solution, but effective implementation requires robust, data-driven strategies. This study employs geospatial technologies—GIS, remote sensing, and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)—to develop a suitability model for Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) planning. Using an entropy-based weighting approach, the model integrates environmental factors, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which fell by 18% between 2000 and 2020; Land Surface Temperature (LST), which increased by 1.8 °C; soil moisture; precipitation; slope; and land use/land cover (LULC). Proximity to water bodies was found to be a critical determinant of suitability, whereas land surface temperature and soil moisture played significant roles in determining UGI feasibility. The results were validated using NDVI trends and comparative analysis with prior studies so as to ensure accuracy and robustness. The suitability analysis reveals that 35% of Jaipur’s urban area, particularly peri-urban regions and river corridors, is highly suitable for UGI interventions, thereby presenting significant opportunities for urban cooling, flood mitigation, and enhanced ecosystem services. These findings align with India’s National Urban Policy Framework (2018) and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, supporting climate resilience and sustainable urban development. This geospatial approach provides a scalable methodology for integrating green spaces into urban planning frameworks across rapidly urbanizing cities.

Keywords: green infrastructure (GI); remote sensing; geographic information systems (GIS); multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA); land surface temperature (LST); normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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