Anaplian.com · urban remote sensing · synthesis

Political-subdivision ranking of the surface climate-vulnerability index

April–May 2026 · 296 units in 18 cities · ivc-l4-v1

Why this ranking

This report ranks 296 official political subdivisions — boroughs, districts, qisms, thanas, municipi, baladiyat — on the same ivc-l4-v1 metric as the city reports. Venustiano Carranza (Mexico City) leads at 82.6/100. Municipio XIV (Rome) is last at 0.0/100.

The justification is operational: heat response, shade and paving are decided at this grain, not at the metropolitan mean. The index is not weighted by population or area. A 4 km² alcaldía can outrank a 400 km² peri-urban district; that is intended.

Why units from 18 cities can share one list

Each z uses a fixed cap (43 °C, NDVI 0.05–0.55, SUHI 15 °C). The list is therefore a comparable surface-exposure ranking, not a league of incomparable local indices. Priority 1–3 only chose which cities to measure; it does not reorder the units.

Four methods

1. Per-pixel maximum LST

Same Landsat composite as the city reports. z_max = urban fraction of the unit with pixel-max LST > 43 °C.

2. Mean LST of observations

z_mean = urban fraction with composite-mean LST > 43 °C.

3. Vegetation (NDVI)

z_NDVI inv inverts mean urban NDVI on a fixed 0.05–0.55 scale.

4. Heat island (SUHI)

SUHI uses that city’s rural T, not a global rural T. z_SUHI clips at 0 and 15 °C. A unit in Ahmedabad is not rewarded for being cooler than a 48 °C rural desert.

Comparable metric ivc-l4-v1. IVC = 100 × mean of the four z scores. Unit median 37.2. Widest intra-city range: Mexico City (11.3–82.6).

Top 25 subdivisions

25 highest IVC units. Source: Landsat 8/9, April–May 2026.
Components of the 15 highest units. Each segment is 25 × z.

Intra-city range

Maximum minus minimum IVC inside each city polygon.
CitynMinMaxRange
Mexico City1611.382.671.3
Monterrey130.446.846.4
Karachi2417.059.342.3
Cairo4126.268.141.9
Dhaka414.745.640.9
Tehran2215.853.537.7
Casablanca1619.954.634.7
Barcelona1011.345.233.9
Phoenix1543.671.227.6
Wuhan131.825.623.8
Madrid215.028.623.6
Delhi1133.254.921.8
Houston117.922.714.7
Riyadh1448.061.913.9
Rome150.012.912.9
Lahore231.939.27.3
Ahmedabad757.863.25.5
Baghdad444.949.84.9

Patterns

The head of the list is eastern Mexico City (Venustiano Carranza, Iztacalco, Iztapalapa) plus Phoenix urban villages with almost no shade. Those units combine a saturated peak-LST fraction with a real heat island against a cool or only moderately hot rural reference.

Ahmedabad and Riyadh fill the next tier: almost 100% of the urban area exceeds 43 °C, but z_SUHI is 0 because the rural GHSL is as hot as the city. They rank high on three layers, not four.

Mexico City has the widest intra-city spread (11–83): conservation land versus paved east. Monterrey is next (0–47): San Pedro and the Sierra against San Nicolás. Ahmedabad is almost flat (58–63): every taluka is already a furnace.

Grain matters. Cairo’s 41 qisms and Dhaka’s 41 thanas populate the middle of the list with local contrasts. Lahore’s two tehsils and Baghdad’s four districts compress that contrast into a city mean. Read the unit list next to the city list, not instead of it.

Full ranking

#UnitCityPIVCPeak > 43 °CMean > 43 °CSUHI °CNDVI
1Venustiano CarranzaMexico City182.699%53%+18.30.15
2IztacalcoMexico City180.597%46%+17.20.16
3IztapalapaMexico City176.293%34%+16.40.17
4AzcapotzalcoMexico City174.996%30%+16.30.18
5MaryvalePhoenix271.299%75%+4.40.14
6CuauhtémocMexico City171.285%27%+15.80.19
7Central CityPhoenix271.1100%73%+3.50.11
8Al TibbinCairo168.195%63%+4.00.11
9EstrellaPhoenix264.897%62%+2.80.15
10TláhuacMexico City164.384%20%+15.10.29
11SabarmatiAhmedabad263.299%89%-2.30.22
12Gustavo A. MaderoMexico City162.984%9%+13.00.19
13ViramgamAhmedabad262.2100%94%+0.20.28
14South MountainPhoenix262.199%56%+2.50.17
15ShifaRiyadh361.9100%36%+2.50.07
16Ahwatukee FoothillsPhoenix261.899%52%+2.60.16
17AlhambraPhoenix261.4100%60%+2.50.20
18Detroj-RampuraAhmedabad261.0100%96%+0.60.33
19SanandAhmedabad260.1100%87%-1.50.28
20DaskroiAhmedabad260.1100%88%-2.10.29
21BavlaAhmedabad260.1100%89%-0.60.29
22Benito JuárezMexico City159.583%1%+13.30.22
23New Karachi TownKarachi159.3100%49%-1.10.11
24Al AziziyahRiyadh358.8100%28%+1.70.07
25DholkaAhmedabad257.8100%85%-2.30.32
26Gadap TownKarachi157.4100%60%-0.30.20
27Al BathaRiyadh357.4100%24%+1.40.07
28EncantoPhoenix256.996%46%+2.10.20
29CoyoacánMexico City156.875%5%+13.80.27
30Orangi TownKarachi156.4100%36%-1.50.10
31Baldia TownKarachi156.1100%41%-1.30.13
32Bin Qasim TownKarachi156.090%65%-1.40.20
33North MountainPhoenix255.799%38%+1.40.17
34As SulayRiyadh355.0100%19%+0.70.07
35South WestDelhi154.996%70%-0.40.28
36Roches NoiresCasablanca354.696%0%+7.60.19
37North WestDelhi153.896%60%-1.40.25
38Distrito 21Tehran253.591%1%+5.90.14
39ShahdaraDelhi152.797%49%-2.30.23
40Site TownKarachi152.5100%25%-2.30.12
41Malir CantonmentKarachi151.6100%42%-1.90.23
42LaveenPhoenix251.498%30%+0.80.19
4310 Ramadan 2Cairo151.299%3%+1.70.09
44NorthDelhi151.194%57%-1.90.28
45Hay MohammadiCasablanca350.898%0%+4.60.18
46Distrito 9Tehran250.285%0%+4.90.14
47Sidi BernoussiCasablanca350.192%0%+5.20.18
4810 Ramadan 1Cairo150.1100%0%+0.80.08
49NamarRiyadh349.9100%5%+0.00.08
50Al-ThawraBaghdad149.899%1%+1.30.09
51Deer ValleyPhoenix249.8100%20%+0.30.16
52MalirKarachi149.6100%21%-2.80.16
53Al MaatharRiyadh349.6100%3%+0.50.09
54HilwanCairo149.288%12%+1.40.11
55Al NaseemRiyadh349.2100%2%-1.70.07
56Al RawdaRiyadh349.2100%2%-1.50.07
57Hay HassaniCasablanca349.295%0%+6.30.25
58Al-RisafaBaghdad149.094%4%+1.50.11
59Distrito 18Tehran249.080%0%+5.20.14
60Gulberg TownKarachi148.9100%11%-4.80.13
61Al-UrayjaRiyadh348.8100%2%-0.20.08
62Al ShamalRiyadh348.8100%1%-0.50.08
63Milpa AltaMexico City148.770%5%+12.60.37
64Distrito 22Tehran248.691%0%+4.40.18
65IrqahRiyadh348.6100%3%-0.40.09
66OlayaRiyadh348.4100%0%-0.40.08
67Al MalazRiyadh348.399%2%-1.00.09
68North Nazimabad TownKarachi148.1100%10%-3.10.14
69Sidi MoumenCasablanca348.1100%0%+3.90.22
70ShmeisiRiyadh348.0100%3%+0.10.11
71GamaliyyaCairo147.699%0%+0.50.11
72WestDelhi147.592%42%-2.50.27
73Distrito 19Tehran247.475%0%+5.00.15
74Rio VistaPhoenix247.399%12%-1.70.16
75Moulay RachidCasablanca347.1100%0%+2.20.18
76Gulshan E Iqbal TownKarachi147.199%17%-4.00.18
77Al FidaCasablanca346.9100%0%+2.00.18
78North GatewayPhoenix246.8100%12%-1.40.18
79San Nicolás de los GarzaMonterrey246.898%0%+2.40.18
80Liaqatabad TownKarachi146.7100%0%-6.00.12
81Rud Al-FaragCairo146.598%0%-2.30.11
82ShubraCairo146.598%0%-2.20.11
83Al-KarkhBaghdad146.496%0%+0.70.13
84BadrCairo146.396%0%-0.40.11
85Korangi TownKarachi146.397%3%-6.90.12
86Minshat NasirCairo146.296%0%-0.00.11
87Al SharabiyyaCairo146.097%0%-0.20.12
88MuskiCairo145.996%0%-1.50.11
89Lyari TownKarachi145.793%0%-5.40.10
90Kamrangir CharDhaka245.678%0%+6.50.25
91Paradise ValleyPhoenix245.698%10%-0.90.18
92Sidi BelyoutCasablanca345.574%0%+3.90.14
93BulaqCairo145.595%0%-1.80.12
94GarcíaMonterrey245.299%0%+1.90.20
95Sant AndreuBarcelona345.282%0%+4.60.21
96Tejgaon Ind. AreaDhaka245.178%0%+8.40.32
97NuzhaCairo145.186%1%+0.60.10
9815 MayuCairo145.088%1%+0.20.10
99BangshalDhaka245.078%0%+5.90.24
100Al-AdhamiyaBaghdad144.994%0%+0.00.13
101ShyampurDhaka244.988%0%+4.80.25
102Mers SultanCasablanca344.895%0%+1.10.16
103Al AzbakiyyaCairo144.890%0%-2.40.10
104Camelback EastPhoenix244.797%16%-0.50.22
105Madinat Nasr-2Cairo144.787%3%+0.60.13
106Faisal CantonmentKarachi144.793%23%-3.10.24
107Jamshed TownKarachi144.694%2%-7.60.14
108Sidi OthmaneCasablanca344.398%0%+2.10.22
109Ben M'SickCasablanca344.199%0%+1.00.20
110Kiamari TownKarachi144.180%21%-4.60.17
111Shah Faisal TownKarachi144.099%2%-3.60.17
112Desert ViewPhoenix243.698%7%-1.20.20
113Zawiyya Al-HamraCairo143.587%2%-0.80.12
114Bab Al-ShariyyaCairo143.586%0%-1.30.11
115Landhi TownKarachi143.594%9%-4.30.20
116Miguel HidalgoMexico City143.443%4%+12.30.33
117Karachi CantonmentKarachi142.998%0%-7.70.18
118Santa CatarinaMonterrey241.987%0%+0.40.16
119Al Darb al-AhmarCairo141.787%0%-1.20.15
120EastDelhi141.484%29%-3.30.29
121Aïn SebaâCasablanca340.979%0%+1.30.17
122EixampleBarcelona340.875%0%+3.00.21
123South EastDelhi140.886%33%-3.30.33
124Saddar TownKarachi140.681%1%-7.60.15
125SutrapurDhaka240.566%0%+5.70.26
126Nasr CityCairo140.573%0%-0.40.11
127Sants-MontjuïcBarcelona340.468%0%+3.30.19
128SbataCasablanca340.2100%0%-0.20.25
129Al ZahirCairo139.971%0%-1.00.11
130Al SahilCairo139.873%0%-2.20.12
131Álvaro ObregónMexico City139.736%1%+11.40.32
132AbdinCairo139.471%0%-3.00.12
133Lahore CityLahore239.290%1%+2.20.29
134Al KhalifaCairo139.068%0%-0.90.11
135Al WayliCairo139.072%0%-1.20.13
136AdaborDhaka238.970%0%+3.90.25
137Distrito 16Tehran238.959%0%+2.80.16
138CentralDelhi138.984%20%-3.80.29
139PaltanDhaka238.746%0%+8.00.27
140Al SalamCairo138.462%1%-0.70.09
141RampuraDhaka238.449%0%+7.60.28
142Sayyida ZainabCairo138.469%0%-2.00.13
143Chak BazarDhaka238.259%0%+5.90.28
144BasatinCairo138.162%2%-0.30.11
145Al MatariyyaCairo138.162%0%-2.40.10
146MirpurDhaka237.857%0%+6.40.29
147LalbaghDhaka237.350%0%+6.90.28
148TuraCairo137.352%3%-0.90.08
149MaadiCairo137.265%0%-0.80.13
150MaârifCasablanca337.287%0%-2.30.24
151XochimilcoMexico City137.238%1%+11.70.39
152Aïn ChockCasablanca336.694%0%-0.50.29
153Clifton CantonmentKarachi136.668%0%-9.10.16
154HazaribaghDhaka236.547%0%+7.30.30
155TejgaonDhaka236.354%0%+7.50.34
156ShroqCairo136.064%0%-1.00.15
157GendariaDhaka235.958%0%+4.70.28
158Misr Al-QadimaCairo135.861%0%-2.50.14
159Darus SalamDhaka235.360%0%+5.00.31
160New Cairo-3Cairo134.857%0%-1.40.14
161New DelhiDelhi134.280%24%-3.50.39
162Distrito 13Tehran234.241%0%+3.10.18
163JatrabariDhaka234.258%0%+5.30.33
164La Magdalena ContrerasMexico City133.924%0%+10.60.35
165GràciaBarcelona333.855%0%+3.30.26
166General EscobedoMonterrey233.682%0%-0.20.29
167North EastDelhi133.568%15%-4.80.29
168KotwaliDhaka233.343%0%+4.90.26
169SouthDelhi133.284%20%-4.10.41
170TlalpanMexico City133.232%1%+9.90.38
171Hadaiq Al-QubbaCairo133.145%0%-1.80.11
172Al ZaytunCairo132.847%0%-2.00.13
173Korangi Creek CantonmentKarachi132.764%0%-10.90.22
174Sant MartíBarcelona332.744%0%+3.80.24
175MotijheelDhaka232.644%0%+6.60.34
176KafrulDhaka232.548%0%+6.60.36
177Distrito 20Tehran232.431%0%+3.20.16
178MonterreyMonterrey232.473%0%+0.20.27
179Lahore CanttLahore231.971%1%+1.30.32
180ApodacaMonterrey231.974%0%-0.20.28
181PallabiDhaka231.853%0%+4.80.34
182Distrito 5Tehran231.747%0%+1.10.19
183Distrito 12Tehran231.638%0%+0.40.12
184Ciutat VellaBarcelona331.544%0%+1.00.18
185KadamtaliDhaka231.247%0%+4.00.29
186Distrito 7Tehran231.127%0%+2.20.13
187KalabaganDhaka230.916%0%+7.80.27
188Distrito 2Tehran230.541%0%+1.60.20
189Distrito 14Tehran230.433%0%+1.60.16
190Distrito 11Tehran230.429%0%+0.90.12
191Distrito 17Tehran229.932%0%+0.60.13
192GuadalupeMonterrey229.466%0%-2.30.29
193Ain ShamsCairo129.229%0%-2.40.11
194RamnaDhaka229.124%0%+7.20.33
195Nou BarrisBarcelona329.159%0%+3.20.37
196Biman BandarDhaka228.857%0%+4.10.40
197Qasr Al-NileCairo128.732%0%-4.20.14
198BarajasMadrid128.658%0%+0.50.29
199UttaraDhaka228.650%0%+2.70.32
200Les CortsBarcelona328.440%0%+4.30.33
201Distrito 6Tehran228.326%0%+1.50.16
202Distrito 15Tehran227.822%0%+2.10.18
203Misr al-GadidaCairo127.229%0%-2.50.15
204Villa de VallecasMadrid126.743%0%+2.20.30
205MohammadpurDhaka226.628%0%+5.20.33
206New Cairo-1Cairo126.528%0%-2.80.16
207Distrito 4Tehran226.423%0%+1.60.19
208New Cairo-2Cairo126.237%0%-2.40.21
209Distrito 10Tehran226.216%0%-0.50.11
210QingshanWuhan325.615%0%+6.80.34
211Distrito 8Tehran225.26%0%+1.70.13
212GulshanDhaka225.222%0%+5.90.35
213BaddaDhaka224.728%0%+6.00.39
214VillaverdeMadrid124.242%0%+0.10.28
215Distrito 3Tehran224.122%0%+1.30.22
216VicálvaroMadrid124.129%0%+1.80.27
217TetuánMadrid123.94%0%+3.80.22
218SalamancaMadrid123.65%0%+3.50.22
219DakshinkhanDhaka223.047%0%+3.10.43
220DhanmondiDhaka222.94%0%+6.80.34
221San Pedro Garza GarcíaMonterrey222.859%0%-3.00.39
222HanyangWuhan322.812%1%+5.90.36
223CentroMadrid122.711%0%+2.00.22
224District JHouston322.725%0%+4.30.36
225Horta-GuinardóBarcelona322.641%0%+2.60.39
226Cadereyta JiménezMonterrey221.543%0%+2.90.43
227ChamberíMadrid121.49%0%+1.20.21
228SabujbaghDhaka221.124%0%+4.10.38
229KhilkhetDhaka220.417%0%+6.00.43
230Sher-e-bangla NagarDhaka220.319%0%+5.70.42
231ShahbaghDhaka220.313%0%+6.50.43
232New MarketDhaka220.110%0%+7.10.43
233AnfaCasablanca319.931%0%-0.20.31
234ArganzuelaMadrid119.59%0%+2.40.29
235Puente de VallecasMadrid119.323%0%+0.70.30
236District HHouston319.216%0%+4.70.40
237Salinas VictoriaMonterrey219.040%0%-3.30.37
238Shah AliDhaka218.829%0%+3.90.45
239KhilgaonDhaka218.818%0%+4.40.41
240CaidianWuhan318.313%1%+5.70.44
241Jiang'anWuhan318.34%0%+5.20.38
242TuragDhaka218.229%0%+2.80.42
243CarabanchelMadrid118.122%0%-1.20.30
244District FHouston317.925%0%+3.20.43
245District IHouston317.513%0%+4.90.43
246QiaokouWuhan317.43%0%+3.00.32
247WuchangWuhan317.42%0%+3.90.34
248HongshanWuhan317.24%0%+5.00.39
249Manora CantonmentKarachi117.08%0%-12.30.25
250LatinaMadrid116.625%0%-2.10.34
251UseraMadrid116.517%0%-1.70.31
252RetiroMadrid116.45%0%+3.20.35
253District AHouston316.318%0%+2.40.40
254CantonmentDhaka216.114%0%+4.90.46
255ChamartínMadrid116.04%0%+1.10.28
256San Blas - CanillejasMadrid115.816%0%+0.10.32
257Distrito 1Tehran215.85%0%-1.00.26
258Ciudad LinealMadrid115.66%0%+0.80.30
259District BHouston315.614%0%+3.60.42
260PesqueríaMonterrey215.330%0%+1.20.44
261DongxihuWuhan315.04%0%+3.50.39
262DemraDhaka214.19%0%+3.80.44
263HortalezaMadrid113.28%0%+0.50.34
264JianghanWuhan312.90%0%+0.70.32
265Municipio VRome312.96%0%+2.00.39
266XinzhouWuhan312.29%0%+3.80.48
267Sarrià-Sant GervasiBarcelona311.321%0%+1.10.46
268Cuajimalpa de MorelosMexico City111.35%0%+3.70.48
269District CHouston311.314%0%+0.70.42
270Municipio IRome311.10%0%-0.20.33
271Fuencarral - El PardoMadrid111.013%0%-0.70.39
272District DHouston310.710%0%+2.10.46
273JuárezMonterrey210.719%0%-3.20.43
274JiangxiaWuhan310.67%0%+1.10.41
275District KHouston310.48%0%+2.80.48
276Municipio XRome310.15%0%+3.30.48
277District GHouston310.018%0%+1.10.48
278Municipio VIIRome39.23%0%+1.60.44
279MoratalazMadrid19.02%0%-0.60.38
280Municipio IIRome38.01%0%-1.90.39
281District EHouston37.95%0%+2.00.48
282HannanWuhan36.80%0%-3.70.42
283Municipio VIRome36.11%0%+2.50.51
284Municipio IVRome35.51%0%+1.80.51
285Moncloa - AravacaMadrid15.02%0%-1.50.46
286Uttar KhanDhaka24.713%0%-0.70.52
287Municipio IXRome33.53%0%+1.00.52
288Municipio XIIIRome32.81%0%-1.70.50
289Municipio XIRome32.51%0%-0.10.51
290HuangpiWuhan31.80%0%-0.50.52
291Municipio XIIRome31.80%0%-0.80.52
292Municipio XVRome30.61%0%+0.10.59
293SantiagoMonterrey20.42%0%-2.80.58
294Municipio VIIIRome30.40%0%-0.10.54
295Municipio IIIRome30.00%0%-0.20.56
296Municipio XIVRome30.00%0%-0.50.58

Limits

Units are not equal in area, population or legal power. Names follow the source boundary (OSM, geoBoundaries, municipal open data). The index remains surface exposure: it does not say who dies, who works outdoors, or who has cooling.