The Douro Demarcated Region (DDR) has peculiar edaphoclimatic characteristics that provide a suitable terroir for premium wine production. As climate change effects continue to emerge, ensuring productivity and quality becomes increasingly important for viticulturists, as those directly determine their profits. Cultural approaches, such as the use of biostimulants, are actively being developed to mitigate abiotic stress. The main objective of this work was to assess the effect of foliar sprays of a seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) based extract (ANE) and glycine betaine (GB) on grape berry quality, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity. A trial was installed in a commercial vineyard (cv. Touriga Franca) in the Douro Superior (Upper Douro) sub-region of the Douro Demarcated Region. In 2020, a total of three foliar sprayings were performed during the growing season, namely at pea-size, bunch closure, and veraison. There was a positive effect of both biostimulants (ANE and GB) on the physiological and biochemical performance of cv. Touriga Franca exposed to summer stress. In general, the GB 0.2% spraying was the most promising treatment for this grape cultivar, as it increased berry quality, the concentration of bioactive compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids and ortho-diphenols), and the antioxidant activities. These results revealed the efficacy of biostimulants sprayings as sustainable viticultural practice, improving berry quality under summer stress conditions.

The accuracy of estimating changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) level-2 products is limited by the leakage effect resulting from post-processing and the weaker signal magnitude in adjacent areas. TWS anomaly in Dnieper River basin, where characteristic with medium scale and adjacent weak TWS anomaly, is estimate in this work. Two categories of leakage error repaired method (including forward modeling, Data-driven, single and multiple scaling factor) are employed. Root mean square error (RMSE) and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) are used to evaluate the efficiency of methods. Compare to independent methods, TWS anomaly inverted by multiple scaling factor depending on CPC Soil Moisture model is more accurate in terms with RMSE 2.32 and NSE 0.88, which scaling factors corresponding to trend term 1.02, annual term 1.04, and semi-annual term 1.14. Further, comprehensive climate insights behind of the TWS anomaly were confirmed. The temperate continental climate of this River basin is shown, according to the variation of TWS anomaly in spatial domain. Snowmelt is significant role in TWS anomaly of Dnieper River basin, which is accord with the precipitation record and the 14 years temperature spatial distribution of February. Overall, we compare TWS anomaly recovered by single and multiple scaling method, the leakage signal originates mainly from semi-annual term of the TWS anomaly.

Many studies link changes in avian phenology in Europe to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), as a proxy of conditions at western Europe. But effects of climate variation in other regions of Eu-rope on phenology of short-distance migrants with wide non-breeding grounds remain unclear. We determined the combined influence of large-scale climate indices, NAO, the Mediterranean Oscillation Index (MOI), and the Scandinavian Pattern (SCAND), during the preceding year on spring migration timing of European Wren at the southern Baltic coast during 1982–2021. We modelled the effects of these climate variables on the entire passage and subsequent percentiles of Wren’s passage at Bukowo-Kopań and Hel ringing stations. The start and median of migration shifted earlier at Hel, but the end of passage shifted later at both stations over 1982–2021. In the effect, the duration of passage at Hel extended by 7.6 days. Early passage at Hel was related with high MOI1 in spring and in preceding autumn. Spring passage at Bukowo-Kopań was late after high NAO in the previous breeding season, and high winter and spring NAO. At both stations late spring passage occurred after high SCAND in previous summer. Early beginning or median of passage at our stations followed high local temperatures. We conclude that phenology of Wren’s spring migration at the Baltic coast was shaped by conditions that different populations encounter at wintering quarters in western Europe, where NAO operates, and in the south-eastern Europe, where the MOI1 operates, in combination with conditions in Scandinavia during previous breed-ing season. We showed that climate variability in different parts of the migrants’ range has com-bined carry-over effects on in migrant’s phenology in Europe.

For the water bodies of the Lena Delta Nature Reserve, 413 taxa were known. In 14 small tundra reservoirs in its vicinity, we identified 385 taxa, which in the compilatory list made up a significant diversity (666 taxa including definitions to the genus level) of diatoms. Thus, the species composition of diatoms in the reserve and adjacent territories was replenished by 278 species. The predominance of species of the genera Pinnularia (57) and Eunotia (51) at the family and generic levels was revealed. Index of intraspecific variability Ssp./Sp. for the lakes of the reserve was 1.11, and for the lakes of the Tiksi region 1.14, which is typical for high-latitude and high-mountain communities. The number of rare or endangered species varied in different lakes within 1-10, totaling 42 species for the entire study area. Bioindication has shown that potentially threatened species prefer moderate temperatures, slightly acidic or neutral environments free from organic pollution. A comparative analysis of the species composition of diatoms in the vicinity of the Lena Delta and other northern water bodies of Yakutia and the Arctic Islands showed that the species composition of each lake in the Arctic is strictly individual. The indicator characteristics show a certain response of the species composition of diatoms to changes in salinity, pH, and organic pollution. A number of regularities in the spatial distribution of diatoms in the study area were found in connection with the physicochemical parameters of their habitat, height above sea level, and relation to a particular catchment basin. Statistical mapping of indicators of community and habitat diversity revealed a strong reaction to point one-time pollution and made it possible to assume the influence of summer northeast winds on the species composition. We suggest that the high diversity inherent in the diatom lakes of the Tiksi coastal zone, which can even be replenished in further studies, can be considered as a property of coastal biota inherent in ecotones. Since it is in the coastal Tiksi region that a surge in the number of species is observed, this region can be considered not only an ecotone, but also a hotspot of diatom diversity. The results of the study are important for developing the basis for monitoring biodiversity under the conditions of anthropogenic and climatic changes in the Arctic.

The study aims to identify the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) hazard area, mitigation method, and possible sustainable development in a changing global climate. The critical environmental hazards are artificial light at night (ALAN) and air pollution with ambient PM2.5. People use nighttime outdoor environments for their needs, and the nocturnally migrating birds are attracted to urban ALAN during seasonal migration, which could increase the birds' exposure to PM2.5. A comparative study examines PM2.5 concentrations and the spatial correlation between ALAN and PM2.5 within urban versus rural areas. The author used the nighttime data of the artificial light on the Earth's surface and the PM2.5 level of concentration to estimate the extent of air pollution associated with PM2.5 in the ground-level atmosphere. The results can assist in determining the required PM2.5 control areas and designing and executing environmental conservation planning. Furthermore, the results of this study are not only beneficial to understanding accurately the regional differences of spatiotemporal PM2.5 emission dynamics and helpful for proposing alleviation policies in air pollution control and providing scientific support for regional sustainable development in changing climate. The integrated hazards of ALAN and air pollution are most significant and likely to increase within the urban and decrease within rural areas. This study was undertaken by the first author and built upon the context of the academic, scientific, and technological challenges to identify the PM2.5 concentration in urban and rural areas and the expected outcomes.

Coastal flooding exacerbated by climate change is recognised as a major global threat which is expected to impact more than a quarter of people currently residing in Pacific Islands countries. While most research in the last decade has focused on understanding the dynamics and impacts of future coastal flooding from extreme sea levels, relative sea level rise (RSLR) effects on tsunami hazards are not well understood. Far-field or distant-sourced tsunamis tend to have relatively lower impacts in Pacific Island states compared with locally sourced events, but there is limited understanding on how the impact of far-field tsunamis changes over time due to RSLR. Using the hydrodynamics software BG-Flood, we modelled the Tōhoku tsunami from propagation to inundation in Samoa under incremental SLR to examine the effects that RSLR has on changing the exposure of the built environment (e.g., buildings) to a far-field tsunami. Outputs of maximum tsunami inundation and flow depth intensities which incorporate incremental SLR were then combined with digital representations of buildings and depth-damage functions in the RiskScape multi-hazard risk modelling software to assess the changes in building exposure over time. Results indicate that present day buildings exposure in Samoa to a Tōhoku-oki type far-field tsunami will increase by approx. 600% with 1 m RSLR by 2080–2130, and approx. 2,350% with 2 m RSLR by 2130–2140. These findings provide a useful baseline for tsunami hazard risk assessment under changing sea level conditions in analogous island environments.

Over 130 countries have committed to reaching net-zero CO2 or GHG emissions by 2050, yet this ambition is rarely underpinned by robust policies. By applying a detailed integrated assessment modelling approach for Brazil, we assess, for the first time, the extent to which the existing and planned local policies could put Brazil on the path to its net zero pledge. This includes quantifying the role of nature-based solutions, such as protection and restoration, and engineered solutions, such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). We show protection is the single most important climate mitigation measure at relatively low costs, whereas relying heavily on engineered solutions would jeopardise Brazil’s chances of achieving its net zero pledge. We also show that the mismatch between Brazil's short- and long-term climate targets reflects current weak environmental governance. Our analysis reinforces the urgent need for Brazil to eliminate illegal deforestation and go beyond to help fight climate change whilst curbing biodiversity loss.

Uganda possesses natural rainforests that serve enormous environmental ecosystems and biodiversity services. Moreover, the country is known for its various tropical rainforest hardwoods, birds, and animal species. Over the years, the trend in the natural forest land has declined at an alarming rate; hence need to investigate the possible drivers. The loss of such biodiversity and ecosystems risks desertification and extreme climatic condition. As the world moves towards Zero Deforestation 2030, understanding the determinants of deforestation and forest degradation is paramount. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to understand the impact and relationships between net forest conversion, energy emission, agriculture, and forest production of Roundwood. We used data from FAO for the period 2004-2016. Using the ADF and KPSS test, we checked for the unit root presence in the variables. Also, the study used two different regression models: multiple linear regression and dynamic linear model. To analyze the determinants of deforestation, we used net forest conversion in Uganda. There was 94 % variation in the dependent variable (Net Forest conversion). The outcome of the dynamic linear regression showed that agriculture and energy emission positively impact net forest conversion. Based on our findings, this study recommended the modernization of agriculture by the government of Uganda to stop cutting down the forests on a big scale. Also, the study suggested that the government strictly legislate Roundwood and wood fuels/charcoal and firewood to reduce huge dependency on forests toward Zero-Deforestation by 2030. If well-structured and implemented, government policies could solve the unnecessary over dependency on the rainforest, the heart of the region's climatic conditions.

Fossil-based emissions can be avoided through using wood in place of non-renewable raw materials as energy and materials. However, increasing wood harvest influences forest carbon stocks. This effect may reduce the overall climate benefit of wood use significantly but is widely overlooked. We carried out a systematic review of simulation studies and compared differences in forest carbon and amount of wood harvested between more and less intensive wood harvest scenarios for three different time perspectives; short (1-30 years), mid (31-70 years) and long (71-100 years). Out of more than 450 reviewed studies 44 provided adequate data. Our results show that increased harvesting reduced carbon stocks over 100 years in temperate and boreal forests roughly 1.6 (stdev 0.9) t_C per t_C harvested. The value proved to be robust when outliers explicitly influenced by other factors than change in harvest rate, such as increase in fertilization or forest area, were removed. Interestingly, no significant difference in carbon impacts was found for average values of boreal and temperate forests or between short and long time-horizons. However, impacts tend to be greatest in the mid-term. This carbon balance indicator that we estimated can be interpreted as carbon debit of wood harvest in forests. It is significant compared with the typical GHG credits in technosphere generated by avoiding fossil emissions in substitution and increase in carbon storage in harvested wood products, and should not be ignored. Our estimates provide default values that can directly be included in GHG balances of products or assessment of mitigation policies and measures related to wood use. However, more systematic scenarios and transparent data in which different factors influencing forest carbon stocks are separately studied are clearly required to provide better constrained estimates for specific forest types.

The Mediterranean is one of the regions of the world where human-induced climate warming is expected to have large impacts on water and environmental resources. To predict shifts in the current climate system, more regional climate records, including seasonal-to-century scale variability spanning longer than the instrumental periods, are needed. To help fill this gap, we provide a reconstruction of autumn precipitation variations for the Central Pyrenees range since 1500 Common Era (CE) using the varved sediments of Lake Montcortès. To assess the suitability of the calcite sublayer width of the sediments of this lake as a proxy for precipitation anomalies, we performed an analysis and smoothing of the temporal structure of the width series, calibration of the new series with the available instrumental climate records, calculation of a transfer function and testing and comparison of the reconstructed series against available empirical data.The prediction model was statistically robust and showed that the climatic signal was captured in the calcite sublayers. The reconstruction provides the first estimations of regional autumn precipitation shifts in the Central Pyrenees at annual resolution, since 1500 CE. Pronounced interdecadal shifts in precipitation were noticeable; no increasing nor decreasing linear trends or periods of extreme precipitation events were identified. The reconstructed precipitation anomalies suggest a decrease in rainfall during the coldest phase within the coldest period of the Little Ice Age and also during the 20^th century, probably associated to current Global Warming. Correlations between autumn precipitation and the North Atlantic Oscillation, Western Mediterranean Oscillation and Southern Oscillation indices were weak to moderate. A potential relationship with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation pattern is suggested. The reconstructed autumn precipitation trends are coherent with other palaeohydrological reconstructions in similar Mediterranean settings, and consistent at a regional level.

Protected areas, such as natural World Heritage sites, RAMSAR wetlands, and Biosphere reserves are ecosystems within landscapes. Each site meets certain criteria that allow it to qualify as heritage or protected. Both climate change and human influence (e.g., incursion, increased tourist visitation) are altering biophysical conditions at many such sites. As a result, conditions at many sites are falling outside the criteria for their original designation. The alternatives are to change the criteria, remove protection from the site, change site boundaries such that the larger or smaller landscape meets the criteria, or manage the existing landscape in some way that reduces the threat. This paper argues for adaptive heritage, an approach that explicitly recognizes changing conditions. We discuss the need to view heritage areas as parts of a larger landscape, and to take an adaptive approach to management of that landscape. We offer five themes of adaptive heritage: 1) treat sites as living heritage, 2) employ innovative governance, 3) embrace transparency and accountability, 4) invest in monitoring and evaluation, and 5) manage adaptively. We offer the Australian Wet Tropics as an example where aspects of adaptive heritage currently are practiced, highlighting the tools being used. This paper offers guidance supporting decisions about natural heritage in the face of climate change and non-climatic pressures. Rather than delisting or lowering standards, we argue for adaptive approaches.

The implementation of One Health/EcoHealth/Planetary Health approaches has been identified as key (i) to address the strong interconnections between risk for pandemics, climate change and biodiversity loss, and (ii) to develop and implement solutions to these interlinked crises. As a response to the multiple calls of scientists in that direction, we have put forward seven long term research questions regarding COVID-19 and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that are based on an effective integration of environmental, ecological, evolutionary, and social sciences to better anticipate and mitigate EIDs. Research needs cover the social-ecology of infectious disease agents, their evolution, the determinants of susceptibility of humans and animals to infections, and the human and ecological factors accelerating infectious disease emergence. For comprehensive investigation, they include the development of nature-based solutions to interlinked global planetary crises, addressing ethical and philosophical questions regarding the relationship of humans to nature and regarding transformative changes to safeguard the environment and human health. In support of this research, we propose the implementation of innovative multidisciplinary facilities embedded in social-ecosystems locally: the “ecological health observatories” and the “living laboratories”. This work has been carried out in the frame of the EC project HERA (www.HERAresearchEU.eu) that aims to set the priorities for an environment, climate and health research agenda in the EU by adopting a systemic approach in the face of global environmental change.

In recent years in Bangladesh, there has been regular cyclonic event, flooding and erratic pre-monsoons precipitation that has hampered production greatly and forced Bangladesh to import salt from abroad to manage market deficiency. There is much uncertainty about the effects of climate change on the frequency and intensity of small-scale, sudden onset weather phenomena such as heavy rainfall and subsequent loss and damage (L&D). But, several studies indicate that an obvious strong relationship exists between irregular rainfall and associated L&D. Nowadays, severe changing rainfall patterns are observed in Bangladesh, which is rapid-onset in nature, but low exposed in terms of response. The current study explored a ‘double-exposed’ burden combined of both climatic (e.g., uneven rainfall) and non-climatic governance factors (e.g., imperfect trade policy, the absence of risk transfer mechanisms) which are hindering salt production and pushing the country from the aspiration of salt exporting to the net buyer. This chapter mainly assesses the impacts of L&D due to climatic events that are causing overwhelming effects on the well-being of marginal salt farmers at Kutubdia Upazila of Bangladesh. Data were mainly collected through Participatory Vulnerability Analysis (PVA), Key informant interviews (KII), and Sample Surveys (SS). This study would provide insights for improved disaster management policy and an appropriate adaptive measure to address such extreme events as well as to initiate a further study for understanding the nexus of ‘nature and market’ in building resilience among the marginal salt farmers.

This review seeks to explain four features of viral respiratory illnesses that have perplexed generations of virologists: (1) the seasonal timing of respiratory illness; (2) the common viruses causing respiratory illness worldwide, including year-round disease in the Tropics; (3) the rapid response of outbreaks to weather, specifically temperature; (4) the rapid arrival and termination of epidemics caused by influenza and other viruses. The inadequacy of the popular explanations of seasonality is discussed, and a simple hypothesis is proposed, called Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TDVT), that is compatible with the above features of respiratory illness. TDVT notes that viruses can transmit themselves more effectively if they moderate their pathogenicity (thereby maintaining host mobility) and suggests that endemic respiratory viruses accomplish this by developing thermal sensitivity within a range that supports organ-specific viral tropism within the human body, whereby they replicate most rapidly at temperatures below body temperature. This allows them to confine themselves to the upper respiratory tract and to avoid infecting the lungs, heart, gut etc. Biochemical and tissue-culture studies show that “wild” respiratory viruses show such natural thermal sensitivity. The typical early autumn surge of colds and the existence of respiratory illness in the Tropics year-round at intermediate levels are explained by the tendency for strains to adapt their thermal sensitivity to their local climate and season. The TDVT hypothesis has important practical implications for preventing and treating respiratory illness including Covid-19. TVDT is testable with many options for experiments to increase our understanding of viral seasonality and pathogenicity.

There is high confidence that climate change has increased the probability of concurrent temperature-precipitation extremes, changed their spatial-temporal variations, and affected the relationships between drivers of such natural hazards. However, the extent of such changes has been less investigated in Australia. Daily weather data (131 years, 1889-2019) at 700 grid cells (1◦ × 1◦) across Australia was obtained to calculate annual and seasonal mean daily maximum temperature (MMT) and total precipitation (TPR). A nonparametric multivariate copula framework was adopted to estimate the return period of compound hot-dry (CHD) events based on an ‘And’ hazard scenario (hotter than a threshold ‘And’ drier than a threshold). CHD extremes were defined as years with joint return periods of larger than 25 years. Mann-Kendall nonparametric tests was used to analyse trends in MMT and TPR as well as in the frequency of univariate and CHD extremes. A general cooling-wetting trend was observed over 1889-1989. Significant increasing trends were detected over 1990-2019 in the frequency and severity of hot extremes across the country while trends in dry extremes were mostly insignificant (and decreasing). Results showed a significant increase in the association between temperature and precipitation at various temporal scales. The frequency of CHD extremes was mostly stable over 1889-1989, but significantly increased between 1990 and 2019 at 44% of studied grid cells, mostly located in the north, south-east and south-west. Spatial homogeneity (i.e. connectedness) and propagation of extreme events from one grid cell to its neighbouring cells was investigated across Australia. It can be concluded that this connectedness has not significantly changed since 1889.

This review seeks to explain four features of viral respiratory illnesses that have perplexed many generations of microbiologists: (1) the seasonal occurrence of viral respiratory illness; (2) the occurrence of respiratory illness year-round in the Tropics; (3) the rapid response of illness to temperature drops in temperate regions; (4) the explosive arrival and rapid termination of epidemics caused by influenza and other respiratory viruses. I discuss the inadequacy of the popular explanations of seasonality, and propose a simple hypothesis, called Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TD-VT), that is compatible with the above and other features of respiratory illness. TD-VT notes that viruses can often transmit themselves more effectively if they moderate their pathogenicity (thereby maintaining the mobility of their hosts) and suggests that most endemic respiratory viruses accomplish this by developing thermal sensitivity, in the sense that they normally replicate rapidly only at temperatures below normal body temperature. This allows them to confine themselves to the upper respiratory tract and to avoid infecting the lungs, heart, gut etc. I review biochemical and tissue-culture studies that found that “wild” respiratory viruses often show natural thermal sensitivity within a range that supports organ-specific tropism within the human body, and I discuss the evident tendency for viral strains to adapt their thermal sensitivity to their local climate and season. I also explore the possible misinterpretation of early experiments where volunteers were inoculated nasally with viral samples and then chilled. Next, I discuss the practical implications of the TD-VT hypothesis for preventing and treating respiratory illness. Finally, I note that the hypothesis is very testable and make suggestions for the most important experiments to increase our understanding of the seasonality and pathogenicity of viral respiratory illness.

Land cover and climate changes greatly influence hydrologic responses of a basin. However, the response vary from basin to basin depending on the nature and severity of the changes and basin characteristics. Moreover, the combined impacts of the changes affect hydrologic responses of a basin in an offsetting or synergistic manner. This study quantified the separate and combined impacts, and the relative contributions of land cover and climate changes on multiple hydrological regimes (i.e., surface runoff, streamflow, groundwater recharge evapotranspiration) for the Dhidhessa Subbasin. Land cover and climate change data were obtained from a recent study completed for the basin. Calibrated Soil and Water Analysis Tool (SWAT) was used to quantify the impacts. The result showed that SWAT model performed well for the Dhidhessa Subbasin in predicting the water balance components. Substantial land cover change as well as an increasing temperature and rainfall trends were reported in the river basin during the past three decades. In response to these changes, surface runoff, streamflow and actual evapotranspiration (AET) increased while groundwater recharge declined. Surface runoff was more sensitive to land cover than to climate changes whereas streamflow and AET were more sensitive to climate change than to land cover change. The combined impacts played offsetting effect on groundwater recharge and AET while inconsistent effects within study periods for other hydrologic responses. Overall, the predicted hydrologic responses will have negative impacts on agricultural production and water resources availability. Therefore, the implementation of integrated watershed management strategies such as soil and water conservation and afforestation could reverse the negative impacts.

In the last decades farm animals kept in confined and mechanically ventilated livestock buildings are increasingly confronted with heat stress (HS) due to global warming. These adverse conditions cause a depression of animal health and welfare and a reduction of the performance up to an increase of the mortality. To facilitate sound management decisions, livestock farmers need relevant arguments, which quantify the expected economic risk and the corresponding uncertainty. The economic risk was determined for the pig fattening sector based on the probability of HS and the calculated decrease in the gross margin. The model calculation for confined livestock buildings showed, that HS indices calculated by easily available meteorological parameters can be used for assessment quantification of indoor HS, which is so far difficult to determine. These weather-related HS indices can be applied not only for an economic risk assessment but also for a weather-index based insurance for livestock farms. Based on the temporal trend between 1981 and 2017, a simple model was derived to assess the likelihood of HS for 2020 and 2030. Due to global warming, the return period for a 90-percentile HS index is reduced from 10 years in 2020 to 3-4 years in 2030. The economic impact of HS on livestock farms was calculated by the relationship between an HS index based on the temperature-humidity index (THI) and the reduction of the gross margin. From the likelihood of the HS and this economic impact function, the probability of the economic risk could be determined. The reduction of the gross margin for a 10 year return period was determined for 1980 with 0.27 € per year and animal place and increased by the 20-fold to 5.13 € per year and animal place in 2030.

Climate change from anthropogenic activities represents a serious threat to life in earth. Agriculture releases significant emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), but also offers low-cost opportunities to mitigate GHG emissions. This paper assesses agricultural GHG emissions in Aragon, one important and representative region for agriculture in Spain. The Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) approach is used to analyze the abatement potential and cost-efficiency of mitigation measures under several scenarios, with and without taking into account the interaction among measures and their transaction costs. The assessment identifies the environmental and economic outcomes of different combinations of measures. Moreover, we develop future mitigation scenarios for agriculture toward the year 2050, in order to assess the impacts on GHG emissions. Results highlight the importance of assessing biophysical processes in mitigation measures, and the significant effects of interactions between measures that reduce the abatement potential and worsen the cost-efficiency. The inclusion of transaction costs provides a better ranking of measures and a more accurate estimation of implementation costs. The scenario analysis shows how the combinations of measures could reduce emissions and promote sustainable agriculture in the future. Keywords: Climate change; mitigation measures; biophysical processes; cost-efficiency; abatement costs; transaction costs; policy scenarios.

Paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic studies routinely rely on the usage of foraminiferal calcite through faunal, morphometric and physico-chemical proxies. The application of such proxies presupposes the extraction and cleaning of these biomineralized components from ocean sediments in the most efficient way, a process which is often labor intensive and time consuming. In this respect, in this study we performed a systematic experiment for planktonic foraminiferal specimen cleaning using different chemical treatments and evaluated the resulting data of a Late Quaternary gravity core sample from the Aegean Sea. All cleaning procedures adopted here were made on the basis of their minimum potential bias upon foraminiferal proxies, such as the faunal assemblages, degree of fragmentation, stable isotope composition (δ18O and δ13C) and/or Mg/Ca ratios that are frequently used as proxies for surface-ocean climate parameters (e.g., sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity). Six different protocols were tested, involving washing, sieving, and chemical treatment of the samples with hydrogen peroxide and/or sodium hexametaphosphate (Calgon ®). Single species foraminifera shell weighing was combined with high-resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and synchrotron X-ray Microtomography (SμCT) of the material processed by each of the cleaning protocols, in order to assess the decontamination degree of specimen’s ultrastructure and interior. It appeared that a good compromise between time and cleaning efficiency is the simultaneous treatment of samples with a mixed hydrogen peroxide and Calgon solution, while the most effective way for an almost complete decontaminate of the calcareous components from undesirable sedimentary material is a two-step treatment - initially with hydrogen peroxide and subsequently with Calgon solutions.

This work presents an application called APPMAR 1.0 based on Python ® environment, built to perform the downloading, treatment and analysis of meteorological and marine information. This application is composed of two main modules: the first module allows the downloading of information from the database (NOAA - WW3); the second module uses the principles of statistical mathematics for the treatment of waves and wind. The importance of this simple application is based on the free and agile access to meteorological and marine information for a coastal project. The determination of representative conditions of sea states ultimately will govern the process of design of coastal and oceanic infrastructure. The analysis of historical time series of local waves and winds allows the evaluation of average regimes or operational design, the ultimate limit states or extreme design, and the storms or design by persistence. In spite that the former analysis is a common task for coastal engineers, the codes generated are seldom shared for public use. In summary, for operational purposes is useful to have a freeware that can assist in the data processing for decision making and forcing of the mathematical models that are part of the common practice of coastal, oceanic and offshore engineering. This application has been tested in the Caribbean area of Colombia where meteorological and marine information are scarce.

Optimizing the nitrogen (N) timings and rate can improve nutrient uptake, and nutrient-efficiencies, especially of N in wheat under the changing climate scenario. Climatic stress in the form of high temperature and drought resulted in the decreased crop physiology and, ultimately, grain yield. Taking the example of rainfed wheat, we quantified the impact of N application rates as full and split-dose at three variable sites of rainfed Pothwar, Pakistan by conducting field experiments for two years (2013-14 and 201-15). Treatments include, T1 = Control (No fertilizer applied), full dose of N applied at the time of crop sowing, i.e. T2 = 50 kg N ha^-1, T3 = 100 kg N ha^-1 and T4 = 150 kg N ha^-1 and split application of N at different timings during different stages of the crop called as split application of N, i.e. T5: Application of 50 kg N ha^-1 (15 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 20 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) :15 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis), T6: Application of 100 kg N ha^-1 (30 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing): 40 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 30 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis) and T7: Application of 150 kg N ha^-1(45 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 60 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 45 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis). Three study sites include viz. Islamabad (High rainfall with optimum temperature), University Research Farm (URF)-Koont (Medium rainfall with moderate temperature), and Talagang (low rainfall with high temperature). Results showed that the highest stomatal conductance (0.80 mole m^-2 sec^-1), net photosynthetic rate (20.07 μmole m^-2s^-1), transpiration rate (9.58 mmole m^-2s^-1), intercellular CO2 concentration (329.25 μmole CO₂ mol^-1 air), SPAD values (58.86 %) and proline contents (35.42 μg g^-1) were obtained for split application of N (T6 = Split N100) compared to control and full dose of N treatments. Among sites, these physiological traits remained highest at Islamabad and lowest at Talagang, while among years, maximum values of the measured parameters were obtained in 2013-14. A similar trend was observed for crop total N, N efficiencies, and agronomic traits of the crop. Our results suggest that optimum N application rate and its suitable timings can help to harvest real benefits of N as in our findings, split dose resulted in the maximum performance of the crop from physiological parameters to the agronomic traits of the rainfed wheat crop.

Optimizing the nitrogen (N) timings and rate can improve nutrient uptake, and nutrient-efficiencies, especially of N in wheat under the changing climate scenario. Climatic stress in the form of high temperature and drought resulted in the decreased crop physiology and, ultimately, grain yield. Taking the example of rainfed wheat, we quantified the impact of N application rates as full and split-dose at three variable sites of rainfed Pothwar, Pakistan by conducting field experiments for two years (2013-14 and 201-15). Treatments include, T₁ = Control (No fertilizer applied), full dose of N applied at the time of crop sowing, i.e. T₂ = 50 kg N ha^-1, T₃ = 100 kg N ha^-1 and T₄ = 150 kg N ha^-1 and split application of N at different timings during different stages of the crop called as split application of N, i.e. T₅: Application of 50 kg N ha^-1 (15 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 20 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) :15 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis), T₆: Application of 100 kg N ha^-1 (30 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing): 40 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 30 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis) and T₇: Application of 150 kg N ha^-1(45 kg N ha^-1 (Sowing) : 60 kg N ha^-1 (Tillering) : 45 kg N ha^-1 (Anthesis). Three study sites include viz. Islamabad (High rainfall with optimum temperature), University Research Farm (URF)-Koont (Medium rainfall with moderate temperature), and Talagang (low rainfall with high temperature). Results showed that the highest stomatal conductance (0.80 mole m^-2 sec^-1), net photosynthetic rate (20.07 μmole m^-2s^-1), transpiration rate (9.58 mmole m^-2s^-1), intercellular CO₂ concentration (329.25 μmole CO₂ mol^-1 air), SPAD values (58.86 %) and proline contents (35.42 μg g^-1) were obtained for split application of N (T₆ = Split N₁₀₀) compared to control and full dose of N treatments. Among sites, these physiological traits remained highest at Islamabad and lowest at Talagang, while among years, maximum values of the measured parameters were obtained in 2013-14. A similar trend was observed for crop total N, N efficiencies, and agronomic traits of the crop. Our results suggest that optimum N application rate and its suitable timings can help to harvest real benefits of N as in our findings, split dose resulted in the maximum performance of the crop from physiological parameters to the agronomic traits of the rainfed wheat crop.

CASBEE-City tool determines the city’s Built Environment Efficiency (BEE) by calculating the improvement of Quality of Life (Q) over human activities’ Environmental Load (L) within the city’s hypothetical boundary. A total of 58 variables (57 Q indicators and one variable for L) are used in the worldwide version of CASBEE-City which were grounded using ISO 37120:2014 Sustainable Development of Communities and 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations (UN). This paper examines the application of CASBEE-City for Malaysian cities using the case of Johor Bahru City and identifies assessment indicators which are customised based on the data availability, reliability and suitability through focus group discussions (FGDs) which involved 36 respondents (researchers, urban planners and stakeholders). This paper reveals Johor Bahru with moderate score B+ in 2010 and 2025. Consensus were also achieved from the 36 FGD respondents for the practicability and future potential of CASBEE-City and BEE framework in Johor Bahru.

The construction industry is one of the most fatal industries, so it is important to pay more attention to safety solutions. Even though work-related accidents are known as major waste in construction projects, little attention has been paid so far to incorporating safety into the lean construction framework. In this research, lean construction theory is reviewed through the lens of safety. That being so, the identified challenges in previous research on improving safety in construction projects are categorized and those related to the concept of lean project delivery are introduced. Then, the principles of the lean construction framework are explained and the relevant changes for incorporating safety into the framework are introduced and discussed. It is expected that this hybrid model would further enrich the lean construction framework. The careful attention of project executives to this model may improve the safety situation in construction projects.

Two extreme wind-driven wildfire events impacted northern and southern California in late 2017 leading to 46 fatalities and thousands of structures lost. This study describes the meteorological and climatological factors that drove and enabled these wildfire events and quantifies the rarity of such conditions over the observational record. Both extreme wildfire events featured fire-weather metrics that were unprecedented in the observational record in addition to a sequence of climatic conditions that preconditioned fuels. The North Bay fires that affected portions of northern California in early October occurred coincident with strong downslope winds. The vast majority of the fires’ devastating effects and acres burned occurred overnight and within the first twelve hours of ignition. By contrast, the southern California fires of December were characterized by the longest Santa Ana wind event on record and included the largest wildfire in California’s history. Both fire events occurred following an exceptionally wet winter that was preceded by the drought of record in California. Fuels were further preconditioned as the warmest summer and autumn on record occurred in northern and southern California, respectively. Accelerated curing of fuels coupled with the delayed onset of autumn precipitation allowed for critically low dead fuel moisture leading up to the foehn wind events. Fire weather conditions were well forecasted several days prior to the fire. However, the rarity of fire-weather conditions that occurred in the wildland urban interface, along with other societal factors were key contributors to wildfire impacts to communities.

With the rapid development of urbanization, the ecological environment is being destroyed. Taking Barcelona Metropolitan Region as an example, this paper established an ecological environment quality assessment system suitable for different time and region based on remote sensing to evaluate it from 2006 to 2018. And built various OLS models to analyze multiple variables affecting the ecological environment. Finally, the characteristic triangular space structure was used to explain the interaction between the two key variables. The results showed that the ecological quality was unevenly distributed. The largest green space contributed the most ecological benefits, but its area was decreasing and its shape was more fragmented. NDVI was the most significant natural variable related to the distribution of green space. Precipitation was the most closely related climate factor to NDVI. And there was a complex two-way interaction mechanism between the two, and its boundary value was getting higher and higher. In conclusion: The environmental quality of BMR needs to be improved. There is a two-way relationship between the two key factors. The characteristic triangle can successfully explain the interaction mechanism between precipitation and NDVI.

This paper explores Burger King's sustainability efforts in the face of growing environmental and social challenges. It begins by defining sustainability and its importance in corporate operations, then transitions to analyze Burger King's specific practices, particularly its efforts to reduce methane emissions from beef production and tackle deforestation linked to its supply chain. While the company has made some strides in addressing environmental concerns, such as introducing low-emission beef burgers, these initiatives have been deemed inadequate by experts. The paper highlights the gaps in Burger King's approach to sustainability and compares it to industry leaders like McDonald's, emphasizing the need for more robust and transparent measures. The conclusion suggests that Burger King must take more aggressive steps in aligning its operations with sustainable practices to meet the demands of modern consumers and secure its long-term viability.

Modification of canopy architecture is fundamental to productivity in grapevine. This research focused on evaluating the impact of canopy openness on photosynthetically active radiation, photosynthetic activity, and the physicochemical properties of fruit in Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. A completely randomised design was used to compare open and closed canopies, with ten replicates per treatment (20 trees in total), during the vegetative growth period and after harvest. Key measurements included photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), daily light inte-gral (DLI), photosynthetic rate (PR), stomatal conductance (SC), intercellular CO2 concentration (IC), leaf area (LA), transpiration, ambient CO2 concentration, and temperature. Additionally, we assessed fruit quality parameters such as total soluble solids (TSS), glucose-fructose, total titratable acidity (TTA), pH, TSS/TTA, and total phenols (TP). significantly (p≤0.05) increased PAR, DLI, PR, IC, and LA, while after harvest, only PR and IC showed variation. Closed canopies increased CO2/H2O by 62.5%, while H2O/CO2 and temperature were higher in open canopies. Canopy openness increased contacts, gaps and visible sky and reduced leaf area index. Open canopy fruits showed higher TSS, glucose-fructose, pH, TSS/TTA and TP contents. Canopy openness is essential for improving light interception, photosynthetic efficiency and fruit quality in Cabernet Sauvi-gnon grapevine cultivated in northern Mexico.

Extreme weather events, such as heat waves and heavy precipitation, are becoming increasingly frequent due to climate change, necessitating the development of effective early warning systems (EWS) to mitigate their impacts. This study introduces an advanced EWS designed specifically for Italy, which integrates the FourCastNet global forecasting model with Elevation-integrated TEmperature and Precipitation SRGAN downscaling (E-TEPS) to enhance the spatial resolution and accuracy of climate predictions. Building on previous work that demonstrated E-TEPS's effectiveness in downscaling temperature and total precipitation variables, this research applies the integrated system to two severe weather events in Central Italy: the Emilia-Romagna floods of 2023 and the Marche floods of 2022. The system's performance was evaluated using key metrics, including Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Pearson Correlation, by comparing downscaled outputs from FourCastNet and ERA5 datasets against high-resolution ground truth data from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) dataset. The results indicate that the integrated system offers improved predictive accuracy, particularly in capturing critical climate variables, with the entire EWS delivering high-resolution forecasts and final outputs in under one minute. Although potential limitations were identified due to biases in the underlying datasets, which could affect forecast reliability in regions with complex topography or extreme weather conditions, this research highlights the potential of combining machine learning models with downscaling techniques to enhance EWS precision, providing valuable insights for future climate forecasting and disaster preparedness strategies.

This study investigates the adoption of ecological innovations and management of occupational health hazards among Nigerian paddy rice farmers in response to field contamination and climate risks. Conducted across four major rice-producing states—Ekiti, Kwara, Edo, and Ogun—the research employed a semi-structured questionnaire developed from a comprehensive literature review and validated through peer review. Data were collected from 192 farmers through face-to-face interviews and guided dialogues, focusing on ecological innovations, vulnerability assessments, satisfaction with implemented methods, occupational health hazards, and perceptions of sustainable rice cultivation. Findings reveal that only 29.69% of farmers have adopted new measures to address contamination and climate risks, while 70.31% have not. Work-related injuries, such as cuts and abrasions, affected 28% of farmers, with minimal participation (3.1%) in safety training and support from agricultural or government agencies (1%). Correlation analysis demonstrated weak relationships among variables such as farmers' education, adoption of ecological innovations, satisfaction with results, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Importantly, farmers who adopted ecological innovations expressed significantly higher satisfaction (odds ratio = 11.613), as did those with prior exposure to pesticides and chemicals (odds ratio = 4.084) regarding safety practices. The study emphasizes the critical need for increased awareness, training, and support to promote sustainable farming practices and improve occupational health outcomes among paddy rice farmers in Nigeria.

Demographic studies have revealed a strong association between exposure to high ambient temperatures during pregnancy and increased risks of preterm birth (PTB). The mechanism underlying this association is unclear, but it is plausible that altered placental function may contribute. In this study, we conducted differential gene expression analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and gene ontology (GO) analysis on bulk RNA-seq data from human placentas delivered at term and preterm during the warmer months compared to placentas delivered at term and preterm during the colder months in the UK. We detected 48 differentially expressed genes in preterm placentas delivered during the warmer months compared to preterm placentas delivered during the colder months, the majority of which were inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including SERPINA1, IL1B, CCL3, CCL3L3, CCL4, CCL4L2, CCL20, and CXCL8. The GSEA positively enriched 17 signalling pathways, including the NF-κB, IL17, toll-like receptor, and chemokine signalling pathways, in warm-exposed preterm placentas, which were not observed in warm-exposed term placentas. The GO analysis revealed several biological processes, including neutrophil, granulocyte, monocyte, and lymphocyte chemotaxis, as well as inflammatory and humoral immune responses in warm-exposed preterm placentas, but not in warm-exposed term placentas. We conclude that maternal exposure to warm environmental temperatures during pregnancy alters the placental transcriptome towards inflammation and immune regulation, potentially leading to PTB.

The Asia-Pacific region contains almost half of the planet’s coastal carbon-sequestering (blue carbon) environments (mangroves, salt marshes, seagrasses). These habitats are highly valuable to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but are under threat throughout the region, due in significant part to an insufficient policy environment to protect, restore, or create new coastal wetlands/blue carbon environments. Using a systematic evidence synthesis we reviewed the existing literature on blue carbon policy, and found that gaps and challenges fall under three themes, “Land Tenure and Ownership”, “Funding and Protecting Blue Carbon Habitat”, and “Conflicting Priorities and Jurisdictions”, with two overarching issues, the inconsistent recognition of rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) and women, and sea-level rise. This study makes recommendations to ensure high-quality blue carbon projects through improving equitable outcomes, particularly for women and IPLCs, and to reduce barriers to implementing blue carbon projects. These recommendations include gender sensitive and participatory mapping along with a registry of ownership with extensive gender equitable IPLC consultation to resolve ownership uncertainties. Recommendations for community level and gender equitable benefits beyond individual land owners are important to address the inequity of land ownership. Where land ownership changes under sea-level rise and intentional barrier removal, carbon rights should be retained by the landowner; otherwise, there is little incentive to undertake blue carbon projects. Due to the limited income that results from some carbon credit payments, other crediting and non-market methods can be considered to supplement landowners’ incomes and encourage habitat protection. Conflicting priorities between authorities responsible for managing coastal wetlands can be resolved through systematic restructuring/streamlining and collaborative workshops. Some will require changes to policies and amending delegated legislation.

Landraces are considered a crucial component of biodiversity conservation, serving as a reservoir of genetic diversity. Consequently, the collection, cultivation and detailed characterization of such landraces constitute an inherent aspect of the world’s natural resource heritage. This effort holds promise for the development of elite varieties capable of thriving amidst continuous global climate fluctuations. In this context, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of the main agronomic attributes, physico-chemical properties, and functional quality traits of the major hot pepper landraces adapted to diverse climatic conditions in Tunisia. These landraces include ‘Dhirat’, ‘Semmane’, ‘Beldi’, ‘Nabeul’, ‘Jerid’, ‘Mahdia’, ‘Cayenne’, ‘Kairouan’ and ‘Baklouti’. Most of the pepper landraces exhibited satisfactory yields, ranging from 1163.25 to 1841.67 g plant-1 in ‘Jerid’ and ‘Kairouan’, respectively, indicating robust productivity, especially under prevailing climatic changes and high temperatures. Landraces such as ‘Baklouti’, ‘Beldi’, ‘Nabeul’, ‘Semmane’, ‘Kairouan’ and ‘Mahdia’ appear suitable for both fresh consumption and processing, owing to their favorable average fruit weight and soluble solids content. Functional quality and the levels of antioxidants, as well as radical scavenging activity, emerged as key discriminating factors among pepper landraces. Irrespective of genotype, capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin constituted the major capsaicinoids, accounting for at least 87% of the total. Total capsaicinoids ranged from 1.81 µg g−1 to 193.71 µg g−1, with ‘Baklouti’ and ‘Jerid’ identified as the most pungent landraces. Total carotenoids ranged from 45.94 µg g−1 to 174.52 µg g−1 with ‘Semmane and ‘Jerid’ exhibiting the highest levels. Considerable variation was observed in β-carotene content, spanning from 3% to 24% of the total carotenoids. α-Tocopherol content ranged from 19.03 µg g-1 fw in ‘Kair-ouan’ to 30.93 µg g-1 fw in ‘Beldi’, exerting a notable influence on the overall tocopherol content. Conversely, the other isomers were detected at very low concentrations. The total vitamin C content ranged from 132 mg 100g-1 fw in ‘Mahdia’ to 200 mg 100 g-1 fw in ‘Nabeul’, indicating relatively low genetic variability. However, large variability was detected in total phenolics content, ranging from 168.58 mg GAE kg-1 fw in ‘Beldi ‘to 302.98 mg GAE kg-1 fw in ‘Cayenne’. Among the pepper landraces tested, ‘Cayenne’ achieved the highest value of radical scavenging activity in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions (RSAHF and RSALF), with variations rang-ing from 59% to 120% for RSAHF and from 4% to 64% for RSALF. This study aims to: 1) preserve and enhance the value of local genetic resources, 2) identify desiderable traits for incorporation into breeding programs, and 3) develop high-quality, high-yielding cultivars capable of with-standing climate variations.

In the global carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon emissions, both ‘natural’ and anthropogenic, are balanced by carbon uptake (i.e. sequestration) that mostly occurs via photosynthesis, plus a much smaller proportion via geological processes. Since the formation of the Earth about 4.54 billion years ago the ratio between emitted and sequestered carbon has varied considerably with atmospheric CO₂ levels ranging from 100,000 ppm to a mere 100 ppm. Over this time, a huge amount of carbon has been sequestered due to photosynthesis and essentially removed from the cycle, being buried as fossil deposits of coal, oil and gas. Relatively low atmospheric CO₂ levels were the norm for the past 10 million years, and during the past million years they averaged about 220 ppm. More recently, the Holocene epoch, starting ~11,700 years ago, has been a period of unusual climatic stability with relatively warm, moist conditions and low atmospheric CO₂ levels of between 260 and 280 ppm. During the Holocene, stable conditions facilitated a social revolution with domestication of crops and livestock leading to urbanisation and development of complex technologies. As part of the latter process, immense quantities of sequestered fossil carbon have recently been used as energy sources, resulting in a particularly rapid increase in CO₂ emissions after 1950 CE to the current value of 424 ppm, with further rises to >800 ppm predicted by 2100. This is already perturbing the previously stable Holocene climate and threatening future food production and social stability. Today, the global carbon cycle has been shifted such that carbon sequestration is no longer keeping up with recent anthropogenic emissions. In order to address this imbalance it is important to understand the roles of high-capacity carbon sequestration systems, such as natural forests and tropical croplands, and to devise strategies to facilitate net CO₂ uptake.

Sri Lanka's vulnerability to climate change-induced natural disasters, particularly floods, under-scores the urgent need for an integrated approach to disaster risk management (DRM) that ad-dresses the interconnected challenges within the water-food-land-energy nexus. The Deduru Oya basin, located in the north-western region, exemplifies this vulnerability, with its predominantly intermediate climatic zone susceptible to flooding. While the focus has traditionally been on flood risk reduction, it is imperative to recognize the broader implications of floods on water, food, land, and energy systems. This study aims to strengthen data acquisition and management efforts to better understand rainfall trends and their impact on the water-food-land-energy nexus in the Deduru Oya basin. By compiling 60 years of rainfall data and conducting time series analysis, we observed a decreasing trend in monthly rainfall, particularly during the South-West Monsoon, Second Inter Monsoon, and North-East Monsoon seasons. These findings have significant implica-tions for water availability, agricultural productivity, land use patterns, and energy generation in the basin. Moreover, the malfunction of stakeholders' responsibilities for local-level flood risk management exacerbates the challenges faced by communities living in flood-prone areas. By in-tegrating insights from this study into flood risk management strategies, stakeholders can develop holistic approaches that not only mitigate flood risk but also enhance resilience across the water-food-land-energy nexus. This interdisciplinary approach will inform policymakers, flood manag-ers, practitioners, and the community in formulating effective strategies to address the multifacet-ed challenges posed by floods in the Deduru Oya basin and beyond.

Ultrasound, as mechanical waves with frequencies exceeding 20 thousand hertz, has found wide applications in medicine, physiotherapy, and more recently in agriculture. This study aimed to investigate the impact of ultrasound on potato yield and its parameters, particularly on seed potato yield, quantity, mass, and multiplication coefficient of potato tubers. The research was based on a three-year field experiment, utilizing the randomized block design in a split-split-plot arrangement, in the central-eastern region of Poland. The primary factor were technologies: a) technology with employing ultrasonic pre-planting treatment, b) traditional cultivation without this treatment. The secondary factors were potato varieties. Sonication of tubers was conducted using a bath-type ultrasonic device equipped with piezoe-lectric transducers. Results revealed a significant influence of cultivation technology, cultivar, and weather conditions on seed tubers yield, quantity, and multiplication coefficient of potato tubers. However, genetic traits of the examined varieties and random factors significantly affected the individual seed tuber mass and the number of shoots emerging from a single tuber. Future Outlook: Future research could focus on further optimizing ultrasound application techniques in potato cultivation, considering diverse varieties and environmental conditions. Additionally, it would be worthwhile to analyze the long-term effects of ultrasound on tuber seed potato quality and their ability to adapt to changing climatic and soil conditions. Furthermore, studies investi-gating the impact of ultrasound on other plant species could broaden our understanding of po-tential benefits in agriculture.

The COST Action ‘PED-EU-NET’, JPI Urban Europe, IEA EBC Annex 83 and EERA JP Smart Cities can be considered as the main promoters and pioneer initiatives of the research on Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), that collaborated to develop a tool called 'PED Database'. The tool aims to map, filter, sort, and compare PED experiences, providing a balanced overview of the technological and non-technological solutions adopted in different PED projects and case studies around Europe and beyond. The paper aims to present the collaborative step-by-step process leading to the PED DB implementation, describing the adopted methodology, the current results and potentials of the online version platform and introducing its future possible developments towards a more user-friendly and stakeholders-tailored tool.

Agricultural productivity is expected to decrease under changing climate conditions that correspond to the stability of West African food systems. Although numerous studies evaluated food production gaps or impacts of climate variability on crop yields, many uncertainties are associated with climate extremes, but also rapid population growth and the corresponding dietary lifestyle determine farming activities. Here, we present a food supply and demand analysis based on the relationship between climate change, crop production, as well as population growth in three experimental sites from southwestern Burkina Faso to southwestern Ghana. The method consists of a tiered approach that encompassed a statistical analysis of historical climate as well as agricultural time series using boxplots and a trend test by Mann-Kendall. Food balance sheets were calculated by estimating the demand using a population growth model linked to food supply with local consumption patterns. Results of the boxplot analysis revealed for the majority of climate time series light to strong right-skewed distributions with either a few heavy rainfall or hot temperature events. We found almost insignificant rainfall and temperature trends for both sites in the Sudano-Guinean savannah. The rainfall regime of southwestern Ghana indicated an insignificant upward or downward trend while the temperature significantly increased over time. Crop yield boxplots demonstrated mainly right-skewed distributions for cereals, legumes and tubers as well as cash crops such as cotton. Backed by the Mann-Kendall test, maize and sorghum significantly enhanced in both study areas of the Sudano-Guinean savannah. Southwestern Ghana depicted a different crop pattern where cassava and plantain showed a strong upward trend at a confidence level of 1%. The grouped food balances sheets across the regions illustrated a surplus for the Sudano-Guinean savannah ranging from 221.2 megatons (Mt) to 4,846.77 Mt while southwestern Ghana exhibited a deficit between -193.33 Mt and -16,188.82 Mt. Despite a growing yield of various crops, food demand outpaces the regional production. Hence, it is recommended to focus on a larger array of commodities, imports and marketing of farm products.

Accurately glacier mapping is crucial for understanding climate change impacts, but existing efforts may be biased due to overlooking spatial autocorrelation during map validation. To address this, we compared several widely used machine learning algorithms as gradient boosting machines (GBM), k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and random forest (RF) with parametric logistic regression (GLM) and an unsupervised remote sensing-based method (NDSI) for mapping Peru's glacier regions in a thoughtful experimental setup. Spatial and non-spatial cross-validation methods were used to evaluate model’s performance and compared with a fully independent test set. Performance differences of up to 18% were found between bias-reduced (spatial) and overoptimistic (non-spatial) cross-validation results when compared to independent test set, emphasizing the need to consider spatial autocorrelation when using machine learning for glacier mapping. K-nearest neighbors (KNN) was the overall best model across regions consistently demonstrating the highest performance followed by logistic regression (LR) and gradient boosting machines (GBM). Our novel validation approach, accounting for spatial characteristics, provides valuable insights for glacier mapping studies and future efforts on glacier retreat monitoring. Incorporating this approach improves the reliability of glacier mapping, guiding future national-level initiatives.

Objective: The study aimed to provide a picture total of the forest and erosion status of the beach and dykes of Kien Giang and Ca Mau. Theoretical framework: Kien Giang and Ca Mau are located in the West Sea, and in recent years, along the coast of this region, erosion of the coast and sea dykes has been profound. Method: There are 18 sample plots for testing. The map also includes 68 survey plots that are predefined and used as a basis for positioning in the field. The measurement indicators include tree species identification. Results and conclusion: The level of erosion in Ha Tien’s forests varies based on tree density and environmental factors. The forest with no erosion has a thickness of 9,600 trees/ha and a stem diameter of 19 cm, while the extremely erosion forest has 2,000 trees/ha and a stem diameter of 6 cm. Topographically, Ha Tien has little erosion, while U Minh is a low-lying area with high erosion. Erosion levels are 1-2 in January-April, 4-5 in May-October, and 3 in November-December. Currently, the section is divided into 28 sub-sections, with Kien Giang having 23. One sub-section is level 1, 11 sub-sections are level 2, 1 is level 3, 3 are level 4, and 3 are level 5. In Ca Mau, two sub-sections are level 4, and 3 are level 5. Implications of the research: With climate change and rising sea levels, erosion levels tend to increase one level in sub-section areas in the coming years.

For tropical forests to survive anthropogenic climate change, the trees that comprise them will need to tolerate the newly emerging conditions through adaptation or acclimation, or they can avoid climate change through range shifts and “species migrations”. In this review, we show that the rapid pace and extreme severity of modern climate change makes it extremely unlikely that tropical tree species can adapt (with some possible exceptions). We also show that while many tropical tree species are shifting their distributions to higher, cooler elevations, the rate of these migrations are mostly insufficient to offset ongoing changes in temperatures, especially in lowland tropical rainforests where thermal gradients are shallow or nonexistent. We argue that the best hope for tropical tree species to avoid becoming “committed to extinction” is acclimation. While several new methods are being developed to test for acclimation, we unfortunately still do not know if tropical tree species can acclimate or what factors may prevent or facilitate acclimation. Until these questions are answered, our ability to predict the fate of tropical species and tropical forests – and the many services that they provide to humanity – remains critically impaired.

This work proposes a methodological approach applied to ephemeral gravel-bed streams to verify the change in the magnitude and frequency of hydrological events affecting the morphological dynamics and sediment budget in this type of channel. For the case study the Azohía Rambla, located in southeastern Spain, was chosen, emphasizing the research on two reference riverbed sections (RCRs): an upper one, with a predominance of erosion, and a middle one, where processes of incision, transport, and deposition converge. First, this approach focuses on relationships between peak discharges and sediment budgets during the period 2018 to 2022. For this purpose, water level measurements from pressure sensors, a One-Dimensional Hydrodynamic model, and findings from comparative analyses of high-resolution differential digital elevation models (HRDEM of Difference - HRDoD) based on SfM-MVS and LiDAR datasets were used. In a second phase the GeoWEPP model was applied to the period 1996-2022 in order to simulate runoff and sediment yield at the event scale for the watersheds draining into both RCRs. During the calibration phase a sensitivity analysis was carried out to detect the most influential parameters in the model and to confirm its capacity to simulate peak flow and sediment delivery in the area described above. Values of NS (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency) and PBIAS (percent bias) equal to 0.86 and 7.81%, respectively, were found in the calibration period, while these indices were 0.81 and -4.1% in the validation period. Finally, different event class patterns (ECPs) were established for the monitoring period (2018-2022), according to flow stage and morphological channel adjustments (overtopping, bankfull and sub-bankfull, and half-sub-bankfull), and then retrospectively extrapolated to stages of the prior simulated period (1996-2018) from their typical sequences (PECPs). The results revealed a significant increase in the number of events and PECPs leading to lower bed incision rates and higher vertical accretion, which denotes a progressive increase in bed armoring and bank erosion processes.

Many techniques have been and are being made to find alternatives to water-saving practices. Among them, Partial root drying (PRD), one of the effective approaches, plays a major role in reducing the harmful effects of water deficit stress. An experiment was carried out using irrigation strategies [I1 (100% full irrigation “FI”), I2 (75%FI), I3 (50%FI), and I4 (PRD (50%FI)] and soil organic mulch [L0 (Zero layer organic soil mulch” control”), L1 (Single layer organic soil mulch), L2 (Two layers of organic soil mulch), and L3 (Three layers of organic soil mulch)] to inspect the impact of those treatments for increasing yield, water productivity and saving energy under arid region conditions. To meet the study's objective, two field experiments were carried out at a private farm. Our results demonstrated a general decrease in water stress and salt accumulation inside root-zone area with PRD with L3. The PRD strategy increased fruit yields by 3.7 and 7.3% and water productivity by 51.9 and 53.1% compared with I1 during 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, respectively, while reducing the applied irrigation water by 50 %. The PRD strategy showed superior results in increasing mango yield and water productivity. In general, PRD can be used as good technique to save water and energy up to 50% and enhance productivity along with using organic mulching, ultimately improving mango yield under arid climatic regions. It may prove a good adaptation strategy for current and future water shortage scenarios of climate change.

Canada has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by increasing the non-emitting share of electricity generation to 90% by 2030. As solar energy costs have plummeted, agrivoltaics (co-development of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and agriculture) provide an economic path to these goals. This study quantifies agrivoltaic potential in Canada by province using geographical information system analysis of agricultural areas and numerical simulations. Systems modeled would enable conventional farming of field crops to continue (and potentially increase yield) by using bifacial PV for single-axis tracking and vertical system configurations. Between a quarter (vertical) to more than one third (single axis tracking) of Canada’s electrical energy needs can be provided solely by agrivoltaics using only 1% of current agricultural lands. These results show that agrivoltaics could be a major contributor to sustainable electricity generation and provide the ability for Canada to render the power generation sector net zero/GHG emission free. It is clear that the potential of agrivoltaic-based solar energy production in Canada far outstrips current electric demand and can thus be used to electrify and decarbonize transportation, heating, expand economic opportunities by powering the burgeoning computing sector, and export green electricity to the U.S. to help eliminate their dependence on fossil fuels.

In the context of global warming and reduction in fresh water availability is presented a study of the evolution of dew, rain and evapotranspiration in the NW of Africa. The time periods are concerned with the years 2005-2020, using existing data, and years 2020-2100, using the low and high emissions representative concentration pathway scenarios RCP 2.6/8.5 from the Cordex database. A continuous decrease in rain precipitation is observed, on order of -14 mm/decade for the more credible scenario RCP 8.5. The amplitude is maximum on the coast and on the foothills of Atlas. A clear decrease in dew yields is also observed along a NW/SE axis, strongly correlated with a corresponding decrease in relative humidity (up to 7%). Chemical dew and rain data in the representative site of Mirleft correspond to the major cations Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+, similar to a local spring water. Concentrations in rain are about two times less than in dew water. Ionic concentrations are compatible with WHO standards. The seasonal variations of the ionic concentrations in dew and rain follow a volume dilution dependence. The expected diminution in dew and rain volumes according to the RCPs 2.6 and 8.5 should increase the dew and rain ionic concentrations in the future.

Forests play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby mitigating the impact of climate change. Estimating the accumulated biomass in a forest ecosystem is important for assessing the productivity and sustainability of the forest. Allometric models for above ground biomass (AGB) are linear regression equations based on the relationships between biomass and diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (H), and/or wood density. This study estimates AGB in the Colo-I-Suva Forest Park by applying the allometry of Chave et al (2005) and the diameter: height ratio derived from Payton & Weaver (2011) for height estimation in a plot of 20

Climate change is likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. Therefore, we tested the impact of three key factors (temperature, water, and nitrogen supply) on traits, pollination, and seed production in Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae). We grew the plants in different combinations of temperature, water, and nitrogen supplementation, measured multiple vegetative and floral traits, and assessed the response of pollinators in the field. We also evaluated the effect of growing conditions on seed set in plants exposed to pollinators and hand-pollinated plants. Our results show that water stress impaired vegetative growth, decreased flower production, reduced visitation by pollinators and seed set, while nitrogen availability played an important role in nectar production. Temperature modulated the effect of water and nitrogen availability on vegetative and floral traits and strongly affected flowering phenology and flower production. We demonstrated that changes in temperature, water, and nitrogen availability induce changes in plant vegetative and floral traits which impact flower visitation and consequently plant reproduction. Climate change, particularly increasing temperature combined with reduced precipitation, thus may impact plant-pollinator interactions with negative consequences for the reproduction of wild plants and insect-pollinated crops.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in arable soils is a challenging goal for soil management. Multiple factors should be considered for the prediction of the soil capacity to fix atmospheric carbon. In this study, we focused on the effect of crop rotation and previous land use for future carbon sequestration on two experimental fields with identical soils (Retisols) and input of organic fertilizers. We analyzed the SOC dynamics and used the Roth C model to forecast SOC changes under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Our experimental and modelling results indicated a consistent increase in SOC stocks and the stable fractions of soil organic matter (SOM). The increase in SOC was higher in the experiment with the crop-grassland rotation that in the experiment with a rotation of row crops and barley. With similar total SOC stocks, the efficiency of soil management differed as reflected by the contrasting composition of SOM, as fields with a long cultivation history showed higher SOM stability. The goal of 4‰ annual increase of SOC stocks may be reached under crop- grassland rotation in 2020-40 and 2080-90 when applying mineral or organic fertilizer system for scenario RCP4.5, and mineral fertilizer system in 2080-2090 for scenario RCP8.5.

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and other social and environmental problems pose grave risks. Progress so far has been incremental and insufficient, and as a result scientists, global policy experts, and the general public increasingly conclude that bold change is required across all sectors of society. At least two kinds of bold change are conceivable: reform of existing societal systems (e.g., financial, economic, legal, and governance systems), including their institutions, policies, rules, and priorities; and transformation, understood as the de novo development of and migration to new, improved systems. This paper is the second in a series of three that together propose a novel science-driven research and development program aimed at societal transformation. Moreover, the series advances a conceptual framework and formal mechanics by which societal transformation might be approached. Two of the underlying hypotheses are that new societal systems can be developed in a science-driven process to be fit for purpose, and system fitness can be compared across designs. Societies are viewed as superorganisms, and systems are viewed as a societal cognitive architecture. The first paper in the series provides definitions, aims, hypotheses, and a worldview. This paper discusses motivations, the role of science in societal transformation, a theory of change, and fitness metrics. The proposed R&D program and theory of change are sound, viable, and affordable. The local-global-viral strategy invites the global science community to play a unique co-leadership role with local communities in the development, testing, and monitoring of new societal systems. Systems are implemented via a novel civic club model, where participation is voluntary. Clubs grow and replicate based on merit and aided by club networks, whose systems are also viewed as societal cognitive architectures. Benefits of the program and strategy are discussed.

We performed a global analysis with data from 149 countries to test whether temperature can explain the spatial variability of the spread rate and mortality of COVID-19 at the global scale. We performed partial correlation analysis and linear mixed effect modelling to evaluate the association of the spread rate and motility of COVID-19 with maximum, minimum, average temperatures and temperature extreme (difference between maximum and minimum temperature) and other environmental and socioeconomic parameters. After controlling the effect of the duration after the first positive case, partial correlation analysis revealed that temperature was not related with the spatial variability of the spread rate of COVID-19. Mortality was negatively related with temperature in the countries with high-income economies. In contrast, temperature extreme was significantly and positively correlated with mortality in the low-and middle-income countries. Taking the country heterogeneity into account, mixed effect modelling revealed that inclusion of temperature as a fixed effect in the model significantly improved model skill predicting mortality in the low-and middle-income countries. Our analysis suggest that warm climate may reduce the mortality rate in high-income economies but in low and middle-income countries temperature extreme may increase the mortality risk.

Purpose - The purpose of the study is to investigate the missing link between leadership style and job satisfaction among Mongolian public sector employees. This study reiterates the mediating role of organizational climate (OC) and work style (WS) in a new proposed model. Methodology - The questionnaire is designed by a synthesis of existing constructs in the current relevant literature. The research sample consisted of 143 officers who work in the primary and middle units of territory and administration of Mongolia. Factor analysis, reliability test, collinearity test, and correlation analyses confirm validity and reliability of the model. Multiple regression analysis, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), tests the hypotheses of the study. Practical implications - This study has several important implications for studies related to organizational behavior and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the implications of findings are beneficial to organizations aiming at improving policies and practices related to organizational behavior and human resource management. Regulators and supervisors of private or public organizations aiming to increase the level of their employees’ job satisfaction will also benefit from the findings. Therefore, this study’s new proposed model can be the basis of fundamental research to build a better human resource policy. Although leadership style is an influential factor for job satisfaction, this study identifies the mediating missing links between leadership style and employees’ job satisfaction. Findings: The findings of this research indicate that organizational climate and work style complement and fully mediate the relationship between leadership style and job satisfaction. Appropriate leadership style is most effective when it matches organizational climate as well as employees’ work style. Furthermore, suitable organizational climate will increases the level of job satisfaction. If work style of employees is respected and taken into consideration, leadership style can find its way into job satisfaction. Originality/value - This study is the first to understand the motivators of job satisfaction in government sector of Mongolia. This study suggests valuable findings for executive officers, junior and primary unit’s officers of register sector of government in Mongolia. The findings of this study help managers and executives in their effort to develop and implement successful human resource strategies.

We examine the mass balance of the glaciers in the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, located in the Russian High Arctic using time series of time-variable gravity from the NASA/DLR Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, laser altimetry data from the NASA Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) mission, and radar altimetry data from the ESA CryoSat-2 mission. We present a new algorithm for detecting changes in glacier elevation from these satellite altimetry data and evaluate its performance in the case Novaya Zemlya by comparing the results with GRACE. We find that the mass loss of Novaya Zemlya increased from 10±5 Gt/yr over 2003-2009 to 14±4 Gt/yr over 2010-2016, with a brief period of near mass balance between 2009 and 2011. The results are consistent across the gravimetric and altimetric methods. Furthermore, the analysis of elevation change from CryoSat-2 indicates that 60\% of the mass loss occurs at low elevation, where thinning rates are highest. We also find that marine-terminating glaciers in Novaya Zemlya are thinning significantly faster than land-terminating glaciers, which indicates an important role of ice dynamics of marine-terminating glaciers. We posit that the glacier changes have been caused by changes in atmospheric and ocean temperatures. We find that the increase in mass loss after 2010 is associated with a warming in air temperatures, which increased the surface melt rates. There is no enough information on the ocean temperature at the front of the glaciers to conclude on the role of the ocean, but we posit that the temperature of subsurface ocean waters must have increased during the observation period.

Agricultural greenhouse is largely answered in the agricultural sphere, despite the shortcomings it has, including overheating during the day and night cooling which sometimes results in the thermal inversion mainly due to its low inertia. The glasshouse dressed chapel is relatively more efficient than the conventional tunnel greenhouse. Its proliferation on the ground is more or less timid because of its relatively high cost[14-22]. Agricultural greenhouse aims to create a favorable microclimate to the requirements of growth and development of culture, from the surrounding weather conditions, produce according to the cropping calendars fruits, vegetables and flower species out of season and widely available along the year. It is defined by its structural and functional architecture, the quality thermal, mechanical and optical of its wall, with its sealing level and the technical and technological accompanying[12-13]. The greenhouse is a very confined environment, where multiple components are exchanged between key stakeholders and them factors are light, temperature and relative humidity[8]. This state of thermal evolution is the level sealing of the cover of its physical characteristics to be transparent to solar, absorbent and reflective of infrared radiation emitted by the enclosure where the solar radiation trapping effect otherwise called "greenhouse effect" and its technical and technological means of air that accompany. The socio-economic analysis of populations in the world leaves appear especially the last two decades of rapid and profound transformations These changes are accompanied by changes in eating habits, mainly characterized by rising consumption spread along the year[14]. To effectively meet this demand, greenhouse-systems have evolved, particularly towards greater control of production conditions (climate, irrigation, ventilation techniques, CO2 supply, etc ...). Technological progress has allowed the development of greenhouses so that they become increasingly sophisticated and of an industrial nature (heating, air conditioning, control, computer, regulation, etc ...). New climate driving techniques have emerged, including the use of control devices from the classic to the use of artificial intelligence[10-11] such as neural networks and / or fuzzy logic, etc... As a result, the greenhouse growers prefer these new technologies while optimizing the investment in the field to effectively meet the supply and demand of these fresh products cheaply and widely available throughout the year.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most significant arboviral infection in Croatia. The aim of the study was to analyse and correlate 17-year TBE seroprevalence data with winter temperature, precipitation and wildlife abundance to identify possible patterns that can be predictive of TBE incidence. TBE diagnosis was based on IgM/IgG anti-TBE antibodies and individual clinical interpretation of the results. Of the 19,094 analysed patients, 4.2% had acute TBE, significantly more often in older age (p<0.001) and in men (p<0.001). Overall seroprevalence of TBE among the tested population was 5.8%, and varied annually from 2.8% to 10.7%. The mean acute TBE incidence rate was 1.1 per 100.000 population with significant regional differences: 1.7 in the continental vs. 0.2 and 0.5 in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions, respectively. Particularly high incidence of 3.1 was recorded in northern Croatia. TBE displayed a seasonal pattern, peaking in June and July. Moderate negative correlations were observed between TBE acute cases and winter temperatures from December to February (r=-0.461; p=0.062), relative rodent abundance (r=-0.414; p=0.098) and yearly precipitation from one year before (r=-0.401; p=0.123). Considerable efforts are needed to understand the impact on TBE incidence to improve disease prevention.

Urban heat islands (UHI), exacerbated by climate change, significantly increase heat stress, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly and children. This study evaluates the effectiveness of various urban heat mitigation technologies, including cooling fog systems, cool roofs (reflective paint), shading structures, and small water paths, in reducing temperatures and enhancing thermal comfort. Field tests were conducted from 2021 to 2023 across Gimhae-si, Yechun-gun, Geyang-gu, and Sangju-si, with support from the Korean Ministry of Environment. Results demonstrated that cooling fog systems provided immediate temperature reductions, lowering ambient temperatures by up to 3.1°C, while cool roofs reduced surface temperatures by 2-3°C. Shading structures reduced surface temperatures by up to 10°C, and small water paths cooled air temperatures by up to 1.5°C, also increasing humidity and improving thermal comfort. The findings suggest that a combination of these technologies can effectively mitigate urban heat stress, especially in areas with vulnerable populations.

Geography has been a fundamental determinant of economic development throughout history, influencing resource distribution, trade routes, climate conditions, and the spatial organization of economic activity. This essay delves into the multifaceted role of geography in shaping economic outcomes, drawing upon historical analyses and contemporary economic theories. By examining the historical origins of economic growth, the impact of geographical barriers and advantages, the influence of climate and natural resources, and the spatial distribution of industries, we explore how geographical factors contribute to international inequality and the divergent development trajectories of nations and regions. The discussion incorporates insights from seminal works, including Koyama and Rubin's "How the World Became Rich," Davis and Weinstein's analysis of the geography of economic activity, and Redding and Venables' exploration of economic geography and international inequality, among others. We also consider the roles of institutions, governance, and technology as mediating factors that can amplify or mitigate the influence of geography on economic development. By highlighting the interplay between geography and these mediating factors, the essay underscores the importance of tailored policy interventions that consider geographical realities. Understanding this complex relationship is essential for addressing global and regional disparities and formulating effective development strategies that leverage geographical advantages while mitigating disadvantages.

The social, environmental and scientific significance of the urban climate has shaped a research stream at Universitat Jaume I’s Climate Lab. Previous research has found higher temperature trends at urban observatories. This study examines in depth the features of the urban environment and the thermal behaviour of land use and land cover and the changes which have taken place. The CORINE Land Cover database was used to delimit the primary Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and its changes between 1990 and 2018. Once this had been established, land surface temperatures (LSTs) between 1985 and 2023 were retrieved from the Landsat database available on the Climate Engine website. Analysis of the primary land cover showed the greatest thermal increase in artificial surfaces, especially in industrial, commercial and transport units which are common on their outskirts. These areas also have the highest temperatures on a monthly basis with the biggest differences occurring in the summer. The results are less clear for urban fabrics and agricultural areas due to their diversity and complexity. The study concludes that urban growth and its commercial and industrial environment has an undeniable effect on the temperatures recorded by urban observatories and enables better decision-making when setting up weather stations for a more detailed time study of the urban heat island (UHI).

Indigenous traditional land uses, including hunting, fishing, sacred activies and land-based education at Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) in Manitoba, Canada are impacted by mining. Traditional land use maps and interviews were undertaken with 21 Indigenous people from RSLFN, showing many traditional land uses are concentrated on greenstone belts. The interviews revealed that mining exploration has resulted in large petroleum spills, noise distress, personal property destruction, wildlife die-offs and animal population declines, which negatively impact RSLFN’s traditional land use practices, ecosystem integrity, and community health. Red Sucker Lake First Nation (RSLFN) people want their territories’ land and water protected for traditional uses, culture and ecological integrity. Towards this goal, their Island Lake Tribal Council sought support for an Indigenous-protected and conserved area (IPCA) in their territory outside of existing mining claims, but without success. Governments need to partner with Indigenous nations to reach their biodiversity targets, particularly considering northern Canada’s peatlands, including those in Island Lake, surpassing the Amazon forests for carbon storage. Critical minerals and gold’s role in renewable energy and geopolitics have colonial governments undermining Indigenous rights, climate stabilization and biodiversity. With extractivism prioritized, the environmental impacts of mining extend to not only the mines but also the extensive development required to facilitate extraction including roads, hydro and ports to ship the minerals with proposals for a national Northern Corridor to run nearby.

In the decarbonization of the steel, cement, and chemical industry in Germany, green hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role. The utilization of green hydrogen in the production processes of said industries requires organizations to modify their business model, requiring sustainable business model innovation (SBMI). Numerous tools and frameworks that support organizations in the process of SBMI have been proposed in the literature in recent years. However, the applicability of these tools and frameworks for steel, cement, and chemical companies that intend to utilize green hydrogen to produce their goods remains unexplored. By conducting a systematic literature review on tools and frameworks for SBMI, a literature and practice review to identify and analyze existing green hydrogen projects of steel, cement, and chemical companies, and an evaluation of the identified tools and frameworks in an evaluation matrix, this paper aims to assess the suitability of SBMI tools and frameworks for steel, cement, and chemical companies that plan to use green hydrogen to produce their goods. Based on the evaluation, the Cambridge Business Model Innovation Process (CBMIP) was identified as the most suitable SBMI framework.

An existing simplified simulation model of global climate, population, economy, and governance is extended, through statistical and other data analysis, to include several measures of human well-being and population displacement. The revised model is used to explore (in testing to the year 2060) vicious cycles and causal cascades that, some have warned, could lead to acceleration of climate change in the coming decades. Model scenario testing addresses two uncertainties, namely the strength of the effect of climate change on governance erosion, and the strength of the “heat trap” effect from physical tipping points such as ice loss and permafrost thaw. This testing indicates that a strong heat trap effect could very well accelerate climate change, but that even a strong governance erosion effect is unlikely to do so. Governance erosion would hurt human well-being but is probably not much of a climate threat per se. These results are tentative but point to the possibility of formally modeling causal cascades beyond what the larger climate models have done to date.

In the field of adaptive building technologies, this research introduces the development of a self-regulating solar shading actuator, that utilizes the thermal shape memory effect. The study places its focus on addressing the actuator’s performance under diverse environmental conditions. Thermal simulations were carried out during the development of the individual components of the actuator and for the prediction of specific switching temperatures. The investigation includes an analysis of the sunshade’s response to varying environmental conditions, emphasizing its effectiveness on clear summer days and identifying challenges during overcast periods. The critical coordination between the solar collector and the shape memory alloy (SMA) wire is examined, shedding light on the impact of SMA temperature dynamics on the actuation performance. Through the integration of simulation data and real-world measurements, the study validates the thermal model for the solar collector, establishing the robustness of the system’s operation. This research work contributes significantly to the development of intelligent actuators and outlines the importance of validation of SMA-based applications under real conditions.

Abstract: Earth’s Phanerozoic history is marked by about 100 major events (“golden spikes”) indicating the beginnings of new stages in the Geologic Time Scale (GTS). Stage boundaries signify major deterministic events that are relatively well-known and can be correlated worldwide, mostly on the basis of appearances or disappearances of fossil species. The latest stage (Anthropocene) is human-made and currently involves rapid (approximately linear) increase in average atmospheric temperature. The main cause of Earth’s past and current temperature increases is addition of CO2 to the atmosphere. There is continuous exchange of greenhouse gases between atmosphere and oceans, which (per unit of volume) contain 50 to 60 times as much CO2 as the atmosphere. Abundance of new very precise worldwide observations is allowing multifractal modeling of weather and climate during the latest Quaternary stages during which some variables like temperature of the atmosphere and frequency of forest fires can be described by using the Pareto-lognormal frequency distribution model with parameters that are subject to continuous (deterministic) changes, similar to those in the earlier Phanerozoic.

In this study, an analysis was conducted on 16 durum wheat genotypes cultivated under seven different crop management systems. The purpose was to investigate the influence of Genotype (G), Environment (E), and Genotype by Environment interactions (GxE) on the content of total free phenolic compounds (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity (AC) of durum wheat in Mediterranean environments and identify their adaptability in climatic change. Additionally, possible correlations between TPC and AC with protein content (PC), and vitreous-kernel percentage (VKP) of the samples were examined. The results indicated significant impacts from E, G, and GxE on both TPC and AC. Among the E, the mean values for TPC, ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP values were recorded at 48.8 mg TE/100 g dw, 121.3 mg TE/100 g dw, 23.0 mg TE/100 g dw, and 88.4 mg TE/100 g dw, respectively. Environments subjected to splitting topdressing N fertilization consistently showed low values, while the late sowing ones possessed high values. The Organic environment maintained a stable position in the middle across all measurements. The predominant influence was attributed to GxE, as indicated by the order GxE &gt;E&gt;G for ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP while for TPC was E&gt;GxE&gt;G. A comprehensive exploration of GxE interaction holds the potential to improve the total free phenolics content and antioxidant capacity of durum wheat within wheat farming systems. Achieving this enhancement involves the meticulous selection of cultivars that not only display high values but also exhibit stability across diverse conditions. Noteworthy genotypes for TPC include G5, G7 and G10, for ABTS include G3, G5 and G7, and for protein include G1, G9, and G16. G7 and G5 had high presence of frequency with G7 being the closest genotype to the ideal for both TPC and ABTS. These results suggest that the cultivation period as well as the nitrogen fertilization and its application method have a significant impact on the various antioxidant properties of durum wheat. This study holds significant importance as it represents the first comprehensive exploration of the impact of various E on the TPC and AC in durum wheat, with a special emphasis on the crop management. Notably, the significance of several statistical tools is also highlighted, such as the GGE biplot, Pi, and KR, in identifying superior genotypes, with the GGE biplot being highly valuable since it offers a visual representation of the study's outcomes.

Identification of Dengue drivers is crucial for pro-active prevention strategies. In semi-arid regions, the relationship between meteorological variables, particularly rainfall, and the dengue vector is complex. This study analyzes associations between the number of dengue cases and rainfall categories in six semi-arid locations in India. Focusing on official website data, we find significant correlations only with heavy rainfall (R>10 mm/day). The findings underscore the importance of heavy rainfall in Dengue incidence and offer insights for pro-active prevention. The study methodology involves rainfall and dengue occurrence over Indian region. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on Dengue prevention, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions during periods of heavy rainfall.

The understanding of structural alteration mechanisms due to relative humidity impact on organic supports of paintings is of crucial significance for the preventive conservation strategies in order to ensure the long-term preservation of important cultural identity artworks. The effort in this paper is to simulate Museum realistic relative humidity condition in a climate chamber while monitoring the structural responses through a quantitative interferometric method allowing the quantitative correlation between the physical values of deformation and mass alteration relevant to relative humidity fluctuations.

This article aims at investigating the complex relationship between the local population and its natural and urban environment. The study of area which, is previously dominated by cereal cultivation, facing profitability challenges due to climate change, water scarcity Rapid urban expansion and overexploitation of aquifers, influenced by changes in agricultural practices, are disrupting the local ecosystem. The study relies on three interconnected indicators: population growth, climate change effects on agriculture, and the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) reveal the impact of these factors on agricultural practices. Google Earth Engine was employed to determine urbanization and greenness indices using scripts. Key findings include a shift towards intensive and protected agriculture, driven by individual and collective choices of official and unofficial actors, deviating from government directives. Additionally, the study highlights the unsustainability of this new agricultural direction, as the available water re-sources cannot meet the demands, potentially leading to recurrent agricultural shortages. The study underscores the importance of incorporating agricultural production into future urban planning and development programs to maintain a renewed balance between built environ-ments and agriculture on the outskirts of cities.

Accurate climate data at fine spatial resolution are essential for scientific research and the development and planning of crucial social systems, such as energy and agriculture. Among them, sea surface temperature plays a critical role as the associated El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is considered a significant signal of global interannual climate system. In this paper, we propose an implicit neural representation-based interpolation method with temporal information (T_INRI) to reconstruct climate data of high spatial resolution, with sea surface temperature as the research object. Traditional deep learning models for generating high-resolution climate data are only applicable to fixed resolution enhancement scales. In contrast, the proposed T_INRI method is not limited to the enhancement scale provided during the training process and its results indicate that it can enhance low-resolution input by arbitrary scale. Additionally, we discuss the impact of temporal information on the generation of high-resolution climate data, specifically, which month the low-resolution sea surface temperature data is from. Our experimental results indicate that T_INRI is advantageous over traditional interpolation methods under different enhancement scales, and the temporal information can improve T_INRI performance for a different calendar month. We also examined the potential capability of T_INRI in recovering missing grid value. These results demonstrate that the proposed T_INRI is a promising method for generating high-resolution climate data and has significant implications for climate research and related applications.

Plant-based extracts have been recently employed as sustainable tools to improve biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and increase grape quality. However, knowledge about the effect of these extracts on secondary metabolism compounds, that are fundamental for grape and wine quality, is still scarce. In this study, a trial was installed in an experimental vineyard with the variety Touriga Franca located at University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Baixo Corgo sub-region of the Douro Demarcated Region, in two growing seasons: 2019 and 2020. Foliar sprayings with the natural products, nettle extract (NE) and Japanese knotweed extract (JKE), were tested to evaluate their effect on downy mildew incidence and severity, on grapevines bioactive compounds contents and antioxidant activity, at veraison and harvest. NE and JKE have stimulated an improvement in the concentration of total carotenoids in leaves and the concentration of total phenolics in berries along with an improved concentration of total phenolics and flavonoids in leaves and berries. Thus, it was verified that these extracts enhance grapevines bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity and, consequently, the physiological performance of the plant and the quality of the berries. Considering the challenges posed by climate change in the Mediterranean basin viticulture sector, the use of plant extracts might represent a sustainable tool to mitigate the increasing severity of drought, often associated to heatwaves and high irradiation. Moreover, downy mildew incidence results suggest that an integrated disease management approach combining conventional control with alternative fungicides can be used in the future for a more sustainable viticulture.

A distinction is made between data rescue (i.e., copying, digitizing and archiving) and data recovery that implies deciphering, interpreting and transforming early instrumental readings and their metadata to obtain high-quality datasets in modern units. This requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes: palaeography and knowledge of Latin and other languages to read the handwritten logs and additional documents; history of science to interpret the original text, data e metadata within the cultural frame of the 17th, 18th and early 19th century; physics and technology to recognize bias of early instruments or calibrations, or to correct for observational bias; astronomy to calculate and transform the original time in canonical hours that started from twilight. The liquid-in-glass thermometer was invented in 1641 and the earliest temperature records started in 1654. Since then, different types of thermometers were invented, based on the thermal expansion of air or selected thermometric liquids with deviation from linearity. Reference points, thermometric scales, calibration methodologies were not comparable, and not always adequately described. Thermometers had various locations and exposures, e.g., indoor, outdoor, on windows, gardens or roofs, facing different directions. Readings were made only one or a few times a day, not necessarily respecting a precise time schedule: this bias is analysed for the most popular combinations of reading times. The time was based on sundials and local Sun, but the hours were counted starting from twilight. In 1789-90 Italy changed system and all cities counted hours from their lower culmination (i.e., local midnight), so that every city had its local time; in 1866, all the Italian cities followed the local time of Rome; in 1893, the whole Italy adopted the present-day system, based on the Coordinated Universal Time and the time zones. In 1873, when the International Meteorological Committee (IMO) was founded, later transformed in World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a standardization of instruments and observational protocols was established, and all data became fully comparable. In the early instrumental period, from 1654 to 1873, the comparison, correction and homogenization of records is quite difficult, mainly because of the scarcity or even absence of metadata. This paper deals about this confused situation, discussing the main problems, but also the methodologies to recognize missing metadata, distinguish indoor from outdoor readings; correct and transform early datasets in unknown or arbitrary units into modern units; finally, in which cases it is possible to reach the quality level required by WMO. The focus is to explain the methodology needed to recover early instrumental records, i.e., the operations that should be performed to interpret, correct, and transform the original raw data into a high-quality dataset of temperature, usable for climate studies.

Detecting the trends of species and populations is fundamental to identify taxa with high conservation priority. Unfortunately, long-term monitoring programs are challenging and often lacking. The Italian agile frog Rana latastei is endemic to Northern Italy and adjacent countries, is considered vulnerable by the IUCN, and is protected at the European level. However, quantitative estimates of its decline are extremely scarce. In this study, we document the trends in abundance and distribution of Rana latastei within the Monza Park, which currently represents the area closer to the type locality of the species. Wetlands within the park were monitored from 2000 to 2023; counts of egg clutches were taken as a measure of reproductive output and of the abundance of breeding females. In 2000, the species occurred over a significant proportion of the park. Total abundance showed strong yearly variation but remained rather constant from 2000 to 2019. However, Rana latastei disappeared from the park around 2021 and was never detected in 2022-23. The decline is probably related to the joint effect of multiple factors, including the conversion of breeding sites for farming, inappropriate water management, invasive alien species, and severe drought. The local extinction of Rana latastei occurred despite legal protection, highlighting the need for more effective and stringent tools for the conservation of European biodiversity.

Abstract: This paper summarises an early and successful piece of citizen science, performed within The University of Queensland Seismograph Stations (UQSS) observatory, in cooperation with colleagues at CSIRO. It was designed to en-courage young STEM students from Brisbane high schools to engage in “real” re-search, back in 1995. Having completed the project report, their (analog) results sat in a cupboard until the report was dusted off and the project was re-analysed in 2022 by an honors student, considering timely climate change applications for the study. This is a time when science is changing considerably from analog to digital medium and operational methods. The original project was called Earthquake generated T phases on BRS Seismograph (Brisbane, Q’ld)- a predictor for Tasman Sea Tsunamis? [1] Fortunately, seismology is a very collaborative field. The research question has since changed. There is a lot of data analysis involved in the science of recording earthquake signals, with auxiliary definitive catalogues, observers logbooks, housing of the recordings themselves (analog and digital) and the software mediums that change over time. In other words, a lot of headaches can be encountered in longitudinal data collection study such as this. The citizen science students used a pre-prepared decadal collection (1980-90) derived from the BRS observatory data catalogue. BRS is part of the global World-Wide Seismograph Station Network (WWSSN). Currently in Australia, university earth science observatories have diminished, and in their place, public seismic networks (PSN) have evolved, either in back-yard sheds or school science labs. The level of expertise required fits the role of advancing citizen science for a real science advantage. This is a topical citizen disaster preparedness action area for today’s climate emergency, which is threatening the globe and all lifeforms. Citizen engagement or mobilisation is an essential preparedness strategy. Keywords: citizen science 1; seismology 2; earth observation 3; climate change 4; education for sustainable development 5; disaster preparedness 6; disaster alerts 7

To remain relevant in the green transition, companies are beginning to voluntarily account for the exchange of emissions in their supply chain transactions and using the resulting greenhouse gas inventories for climate resilient decision support. Market advantages of sustainability and transparency see a shift from internal decision support tools to external communication tools which potentially expose companies to the risk of uncovering greenwashing if claims are not supported by transparent data, sound modelling, and a climate just emissions inventory, which considers external impacts connected to the production system. The different methods and standards in place for such greenhouse gas inventories, despite all referring to the ISO life cycle analysis standards and guidelines, present mixed signals and leave room for different interpretations, that may ultimately lead to cascading greenwashing, misleading results, and false successes. The new GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance draft addresses this in part. With the GHG Protocol moving into revision periods, we identify gaps that present barriers to companies, or allow for interpretations that goes against the intentions of reporting GHG emissions related to an activity or organisation. The literature agrees that not rectifying these subtle-ties present counterproductive decision support for the green transition’s overall goal: to reduce global emissions.

The emerging concept of planetary health needs to be discussed in a more organized and sustainable way within the global public health and healthcare disciplines. Therefore, planetary health should be considered a cardinal component of the global academic framework for healthcare professionals. The availability of related curricula and courses is crucial to equip health professionals in this relatively new discipline of planetary health. In this review article, we aimed to explore published articles and online databases of courses to summarize the available planetary health education opportunities and discussions for health professionals, to identify the gaps in resource allocation and to suggest future recommendations. We observed a visible re-source inequity in global south with the lack of a universal planetary health module for healthcare professionals. Additionally, there is minimal inclusion of allied health disciplines in this learning process. We, therefore, recommend a dedicated network of motivated healthcare professionals and regional hubs with an agenda to ensure a comprehensive, uniform, and inclusive planetary health education curriculum and practice.

Lettuce is a salt-sensitive crop and has a threshold electrical conductivity of 1.3–2.0 mS cm-1 and above that is considered detrimental. As there has been very little information on the physio-logical response of different critical stages of lettuce under different salt stress (SS), the current study is focused on investigating the effects of SS on the critical physiological traits influencing the carbon assimilation in different growth stages of lettuce. The experiment was conducted in deep-water culture hydroponic system in a greenhouse condition. Four levels of sodium chloride salt treatments (EC: 20, 16, 8, and 1.8 mS cm-1) were applied. During both growth stages (day 11 (GS1) and day 19 (GS2) after salt treatment), the leaf transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 were severely decreased. However, the carbon assimilation rate remained unchanged under SS. Similarly, the water use efficiency increased under the SS. It is concluded that the increasing SS increased stomatal and non-stomatal limiting factors during GS1 suggesting the enhanced limitation in photosynthetic activity while no such trend was observed during GS2. The decreased gm with increased SS at GS1 and GS2 suggested that SS induced the irreversible decrease of gm, which in turn can be responsible for the transient reduction in the Vcmax and Jmax during GS2. Taken together, the evidence from this research recommends that varying the SS levels can significantly affect the physiological performance of lettuce at both growth stages.

Whereas many carbon cycle models track CO₂ perturbations relative to a pre-industrial equilibrium, this paper uses absolute quantities to describe atmospheric CO₂ sinks, source and flow rates. This method, when combined with the notion of source and sink resistance, and a finite biospheric reservoir, accurately describes ¹⁴C levels between 1820 and 2020 using only five external parameters. The inputs are:- global records of fossil-fuel emissions, records of CO₂ mixing-ratio and listings of atmospheric atomic weapons tests. Over the same period ¹³C flows are also accurately described given a ð¹³C value for fossil fuel and a ð¹³C value for the initial background. This top-down approach differs from complex climate models since it circumvents the necessity to catalogue individual processes. The paper proceeds to use the method to examine the anthropogenic fossil-fuel emissions contributions during the period 1750 to 2020, deducing that around 24% remains in the atmosphere, while 76% has been absorbed in the land, terrestrial biosphere and surface ocean. During the same period 13% of the total CO₂ atmospheric concentration is due to fossil fuels. However, regarding the increase, fossil fuels contributed to 38% of the rise during this period.

Recent times have witnessed an increasing number of countries and private firms pledging carbon neutrality by mid-century. Whilst representing a significant improvement in intentions to tackle climate change, such pledges lack substance and structure. For instance, individual pledges lack coordination and aggregation among peers, while strategies and measures to achieve ambitious targets are largely absent. Moreover, current disagreements obstructing progress in international climate change negotiations further undermine the reliability of carbon neutrality objectives. Effective international policies are needed to foster aggregate mitigation ambitions and the creation of adequate supporting mechanisms. This theoretical paper describes a governance innovation aimed at overcoming such shortfalls and disagreements through a unifying yet customizable pathway towards carbon neutrality. It does so by first outlining a political governance framework based on a climate club interpretation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Secondly, it proposes carbon emission mitigation effort sharing on a per capita basis to ensure efficiency, equity and political feasibility. Thirdly, this paper describes how the supply of certified mitigations of carbon emissions required to satisfy effort sharing-based demand can be assetized as carbon credits by operationalizing Article 6 as a joint certification mechanism. The resulting governance architecture for managing demand and supply of mitigations shifts efforts to tackle climate change from a ‘problem-driven’ cost approach to ‘opportunity-driven’ value creation pathways towards carbon neutrality.

Land and climate are strongly connected through multiple interface processes and climate change may lead to significant changes in land use. In this study, high-resolution observational gridded datasets are used to assess modifications in the Köppen-Geiger and Worldwide Bioclimatic (WBCS) Classification Systems, from 1950‒1979 to 1990‒2019 in Portugal. A compound Bioclimatic-Shift Exposure Index (BSEI) is also defined to identify the most exposed regions to recent climatic changes. The temporal evolution of land cover with vineyards and olive groves between 1990 and 2018, as well as correlations with areas with bioclimatic shifts, are analyzed. Results show an increase (decrease) of CSa Warm Mediterranean climate with hot summer (CSb, warm summer) of 18.1% (‒17.8%). The WBCS Temperate areas also reveal a decrease of ‒5.11%. Arid and semi-arid ombrotypes areas increased, conversely to humid to sub-humid ombrotypes. Thermotypic horizons depict a shift towards warmer classes. BSEI highlights the most significant shifts in northwestern Portugal. Vineyards have been displaced towards regions that are either the coolest/humid, in the northwest, or the warmest/driest, in the south. For oliviculture, the general trend for a relative shift towards cool/humid areas suggests an attempt of the sector to adapt, despite the cover area growth in the south. As vineyards and olive groves in southern Portugal are commonly irrigated, options for the intensification of these crops in this region may threaten the already scarce water resources and challenge the future sustainability of these sectors.

We develop the process of discounting when underlying rates follow a jump-diffusion process, that is, when, in addition of diffusive behavior, rates suffer a series of finite discontinuities located at random Poissonian times. Jump amplitudes are also random and governed by an arbitrary density. Such a model may describe the economic evolution specially when extreme situations occur (pandemics, global wars, etc.). When between jumps the dynamical evolution is governed by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck diffusion process, we obtain exact and explicit expressions for the discount function and the long-run discount rate and show that the presence of discontinuities may drastically reduce the discount rate, a fact that has significant consequences for environmental planning. We also discuss as a specific example the case when rates are described by the continous time random walk.

This article argues that we need to look at living examples provided by non-state communities in various regions of the world that are, perhaps unwittingly, contributing to the maintenance of the Earth's optimal thermal balance. These fully sustainable communities have been living outside the mainstream for centuries, even millennia, providing examples in the global struggle against the degradation of social–ecological systems. They have all, to varying degrees, embraced simple forms of living that make them ‘exemplary ethical communities’ (EECs) – human communities with a track record of sustainability related to forms of traditional knowledge and the capacity to survive outside the capitalist market and nation-state system. The article proceeds in three steps: First, it condenses a large body of research on the limits of the existing nation-state system and its accompanying ideology, nationalism, identifying this institutional–ideological complex as the major obstacle to tackling climate change. Second, alternative social formations that could offer viable micro-level and micro-scale alternatives are suggested. These are unlikely to identify with existing nation-states as they often form distinct types of social communities. Taking examples from hunter-gatherer societies and simple-living religious groups, it is shown how the protection and maintenance of these EECs could become the keystone in the struggle for survival of humankind and other forms of life. Finally, further investigation is called for, into how researchers can come forward with more examples of actually existing communities that might provide pathways to sustainability and resistance to the looming global environmental catastrophe.

The boundary layer height (BLH) distinguishes the interface between the lower and free atmosphere, which is a key variable in numerical simulation, aerosol, and environmental pollution studies. Thus, the goal of this work is to propose a novel method conjuncting with numerical regularization to analyze climate characteristics of the marine boundary layer height (MBLH) using 2007-2011 GPS-RO data from the COSMIC mission. While traditionally, the difference method has been used to achieve this aim, herein, we propose an innovative method, in which the bending angle profile gradient was calculated using the numerical regulation method where the regulation parameters are determined by the double-parameter model function method. Then, the MBLH was determined by employing the maximum gradient method to ascertain the height corresponding to the smallest gradient. The results show a correlation between currents and the MBLH—a relationship that has not been previously demonstrated. A low MBLH is associated with seasons and regions where cold ocean currents are prevailing; whereas a high MBLH is observed in the seasons and places where warm currents are prevailing. This correlation was validated by comparing the obtained results with different occultation data—i.e., atmprf and echprf—which also established that atmprf is more sensitive to convective cloud top capture. In seas with active convection, the armprf calculated bending angle is higher than that from echprf. Subsequently, the standard deviation was used to express the MBLH confidence level. The results show that the MBLH standard deviation is highest in low latitudes and lowest in the middle and high latitudes. Furthermore, we analyzed the interannual MBLH variation trend, which displayed a seasonal variation and spatial distribution corresponding with the current and subsolar point. Finally, we conducted a case study in the South China Sea, and identified a distinctive seasonal change and downward trend.

Evaluation of agronomic practices, genetic diversity and population structure of Moringa oleifera (Lam.) is crucial to its sustainable utilization to ensure food and nutritional security. Four agronomic practices of field preparation and soil analysis, regeneration, weeding and pruning, as well as harvesting, were adopted. Genetic diversity and population structure of 20 populations were evaluated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer pairs (E-ACC/M-CAC and E-ACA/M-CAG). The effects of agronomic practices on leaf quantity production were evaluated using standard procedures. The physico-chemical and morphological data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while genetic diversity, population structure, dendrogram reconstruction, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were analyzed from the AFLP genetic data. Significant effects (P ≤ 0.05) of agronomic practices on the quantity of leaf production were recorded across the accessions. The two primer pairs generated a total of 80 alleles with a mean major allele frequency of 0.0250. Gene diversity and polymorphic information content (PIC) values were high with a mean of 0.98 and 0.974, respectively. The Gst value of 0.0490 indicated that 5 % of the total genetic divergence was among the population while 95 % within the population. Dendrogram reconstruction with genetic distance ranging from 0.87 to 0.96 segregated the accessions into eleven clusters while PCA generated six cluster groups. Field preparation and physico-chemical soil properties, regeneration, weeding and pruning, and stand development, as well as harvesting, influenced the leaf yield and genetic diversity observed in this study. The genetic data revealed that some accessions were clustered along eco-geographical lines while others grouped disparately. Identified potential parent genotypes with valuable and desirable genetic traits can be exploited for commercial, breeding and conservation purposes to ensure sustainable utilization of the species in Nigeria.

The impacts of climate change on precipitation and drought characteristics over Bangladesh were examined by using the daily precipitation outputs from 29 bias-corrected general circulation models (GCMs) under the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. A precipitation-based drought estimator, namely, the Effective Drought Index (EDI), was applied to quantify the characteristics of drought events in terms of the severity and duration. The changes in drought characteristics were assessed for the beginning (2010–2039), middle (2040–2069), and end of this century (2070–2099) relative to the 1976–2005 baseline. The GCMs were limited in regard to forecasting the occurrence of future extreme droughts. Overall, the findings showed that the annual precipitation will increase in the 21st century over Bangladesh; the increasing rate was comparatively higher under the RCP8.5 scenario. The highest increase of rainfall is expected to happen over the drought-prone northern region. The general trends of drought frequency, duration, and intensity are likely to decrease in the 21st century over Bangladesh under both RCP scenarios, except for the maximum drought intensity during the beginning of the century, which is projected to increase over the country. The extreme and medium-term drought events did not show any significant changes in the future under both scenarios except for the medium-term droughts, which decreased by 55% compared to the base period during the 2070s under RCP8.5. However, extreme drought days will likely increase in most of the cropping seasons for the different future periods under both scenarios. The spatial distribution of changes in drought characteristics indicates that the drought-vulnerable areas are expected to shift from the northwestern region to the central and the southern region in the future under both scenarios due to the effects of climate change.

Ethiopian agriculture is not only affected by precipitation declines (meteorological droughts) but also soil dryness caused by temperature increases and associated long-term hydrological changes. Meteorological drought indicators (e.g., SPI), do not fully capture the water deficits in agricultural systems (i.e., agricultural droughts). An Ethiopia-wide assessment of meteorological and agricultural drought trends was carried out to characterize century-scale (1902 – 2016) changes in droughts. SPI and SPEI calculated using two-month accumulation and the Palmer Z-index were used for assessing intra-season drought trends. SPI and SPEI at six-month accumulations and PDSI were used to define full season droughts. Detrended variance corrected Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis during Bega (dry), Belg (short-rainy) and Meher (long-rainy) seasons. The SPEI-2 and PDSI were most aggressive in characterizing intra-season and seasonal-drought trends. There is on average 1% - 6% annual increase in dryness with the lower estimate based on precipitation declines and the upper end accounting for seasonal soil moisture dynamics. The area between 37.5° E – 42.5° E denotes a climate hot-spot. Precipitation declines in Belg along the Ethiopia-South-Sudan/Sudan border during Belg and along Eretria-Ethiopia border during Meher have the potential to exacerbate transboundary water conflicts and further threaten the food security of the region.

Background: Mitigating climate change requires fundamentally redesigned energy systems in which renewable energy sources ultimately replace fossil fuels such as natural gas. In this context, the question how and to which extent the gas sector can contribute to an increasingly climate-neutral future EU energy system is heavily debated among scholars, energy industry experts and policy makers. Methods: We take a two-step approach: We begin with a review of studies from energy industry and academia to discuss potential gas sector contributions from a holistic energy system design point of view; this is followed by a comprehensive discussion of technical potentials, micro-economic conditions and societal implications of renewable gas. We then enrich our findings with the results of an empirical focus group process. Results: The gas sector can not only contribute to balancing volatile renewable energy production but also enable the supply of renewable energy to end-users in gaseous form; based on existing infrastructure. This could reduce costs for society, increase public acceptance and ultimately speed up the energy system transformation. There is the theoretical technical potential to substitute major parts of natural gas with renewable gas of biogenic and synthetic nature. This, however, crucially requires a supportive policy framework like the one established for renewable electricity. Conclusion: Given the societal benefits and the competitiveness of renewable gas as compared to renewable alternatives, energy policy makers should incorporate renewable gas and the existing gas infrastructure in the future energy system framework. The objective should be an optimized interplay of various energy vectors and their infrastructure along the entire energy supply chain. This requires a level playing field for different renewable technologies across different policy areas and a form of public support that strikes the balance between facilitating the gradual substitution of natural gas by renewable gas while maintaining public acceptance for this transformation despite higher costs for end-users.: Given the societal benefits and the competitiveness of renewable gas as compared to renewable alternatives, energy policy makers should incorporate renewable gas and the existing gas infrastructure in the future energy system framework. The objective should be an optimized interplay of various energy vectors and their infrastructure along the entire energy supply chain. This requires a level playing field for different renewable technologies across different policy areas and a form of public support that strikes the balance between facilitating the gradual substitution of natural gas by renewable gas while maintaining public acceptance for this transformation despite higher costs for end-users.

Loess was deposited in the Negev during the Pleistocene, but such sediments seem to be missing for the Holocene. This could be due to erosion unless structures such as ruins offered protection. We studied soils developed on archaeological hilltop ruins in the Negev and the Petra region and compared them with local soils, paleosols, geological outcrops, and current dust. The ruin soils in both regions were found to consist of similarly complex mixtures of local and remote sediment sources. They differ from sediments deposited during current dust storms. This seems due to fixation processes: average accretion rates are estimated to ~0.14 mm/a, suggesting that only ~3% of the current dust that can be trapped with dry marble dust collectors is stored in the soils. Vegetation, biocrusts, and/or clast pavements associated with vesicular layers seem to act as sediment-fixing agents. As well, climate might play a role: rain, and in particular one snowstorm in the Petra region brought a high amount of sediment that was more similar to the ruin soils. Wet deposition and snow might catalyze dust deposition and enhance fixation by fostering vegetation and crust formation. Frequent snow during the Pleistocene might be one explanation of enhanced loess deposition.

To assess the presence of organochlorine pollutants (OCP) in Alaskan sub-Arctic latitudes, we analyzed ice core and meltwater samples from Jarvis Glacier, a polythermal glacier in Interior Alaska. Jarvis Glacier is receding as atmospheric warming continues throughout the region, increasing opportunity for OCP transport both englacially and into the proglacial watershed. Across all meltwater and ice core samples we identify the pesticides DDT, DDE and DDD, α- HCH and ϒ-HCH. OCP concentrations in ice core samples were highest at the 7-14 m depth (0.51 ng/L of DDT) and decreased gradually approaching the bedrock at 79m. Meltwater concentrations from the proglacial creek slightly exceeded concentrations found in the ice core, potentially indicating aggregate OCP glacial loss, with peak OCP concentration (1.12 ng/L of DDD) taken in July and potentially associated to peak melt. Ongoing use of DDT to fight Malaria in Asia, and the extended atmospheric range of HCH may account for concentrations in near-surface ice, correlating with use and atmospheric transport. The opportunity for biota bioaccumulation of OCPs, or human uptake of OCPs from glacial meltwater, may increase as glacial melt continues.

This study aims to suggest a basis for the selection of technologies for developing high-performance buildings to reduce energy consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy-saving technologies comprising of 15 cases were categorized into passive, active, and renewable energy systems. EnergyPlus v8.8 was used to analyze the contribution of each technology in reducing the primary energy consumptions and CO₂ emissions in the Korean climate. The primary energy consumptions of the base model were 464.1 and 485.1 kWh/m²a in the Incheon and Jeju, respectively, and the CO₂ emissions were 83.4 and 87.4 kgCO₂/m²a, respectively. Each technology (cases 1–15) provided different energy-saving contributions in the Korean climate depending on their characteristics. The heating, cooling, and other energy-saving contributions of each technology indicate that their saving rates can be used when selecting suitable technologies during the cooling and heating seasons. Case 15 (active chilled beam with dedicated outdoor air system + ground source heat pump) showed the highest energy saving rate. In case 15, the Incheon and Jeju models were reduced by 189.4 (59.2%) and 206.2 kWh/m²a (57.4%) compared to the base case, respectively, and the CO₂ emissions were reduced by up to 32.7 (60.8%) and 35.6 kgCO₂/m²a (59.3%), respectively.

The importance of predicting the exposure to environmental hazards is highlighted by issues like global climate change, public health problems caused by environment stresses, and property damages and depreciations. Several approaches have been used to assess potential exposure and achieve optimal results under various conditions, for example, for different scales, groups of people, or certain points in time. Micro-simulation tools are becoming increasingly important in human exposure assessment, where each person is simulated individually and continuously. This paper describes an agent-based model (ABM) framework that can dynamically simulate human exposure levels, along with their daily activities, in urban areas that are characterized by environmental stresses such as air pollution and heat stress. Within the framework, decision making processes can be included for each individual based on rule-based behavior to achieve goals under changing environmental conditions. The ideas described in this paper are implemented in a free and open source NetLogo platform. A simplified modeling scenario of the ABM framework in Hamburg, Germany, further demonstrates its utility in various urban environments and individual activity patterns, and portability to other models, programs and frameworks. The prototype model can potentially be extended to support environmental incidence management by exploring the daily routines of different groups of citizens and compare the effectiveness of different strategies. Further research is needed to fully develop an operational version of the model.

The Siret River crosses NE Romania from the north to the south and it discharges into the Danube, near the city of Galati. During the period, 17^th June - 10^th July 2010, significant amounts of precipitations in the mountainous basin of Siret were recorded. The floods comprised two periods with four bimodal cycles and they were counted among the strongest on the Romanian territory. The exceptional floods occurred in the rivers of Siret, Suceava, Moldova, Bistrita, Trotus and so on. The most important compound flood wave was determined by the precipitations which fell within the period, 29^th June to 1^st July 2010, when significant amounts of rain were recorded, sometimes, exceeding 80 mm. The high discharges on the Bistrita River – downstream from the Bicaz Reservoir – were controlled by complex hydro technical works. The maximum discharge for the year 2010 summer floods was recorded at Dragesti hydrometric station: 2,884 m³/s (historic discharge) compared to the preceding historic discharge of the year 2008 (2,850 m³/s). The effects of floods were strongest in the counties of Suceava, Neamt, and Bacau. The floods on the main course of the Siret River were analyzed in correlation with the tributaries within the mountainous sector.

With consumers increasingly aware of the effects of human activity on the environment, tourism products and destinations are increasingly marketed as sustainable and socially responsible. As most sustainable practices lead to additional costs, and tourists’ decisions tend to be price sensitive, achieving sustainability goals necessarily involves understanding how much tourists are willing to pay extra for sustainable practices, as well as the antecedents of such Willingness to Pay (WTP). The present study aims to advance knowledge on the antecedents of WTP for Sustainable Destinations (WTP-4-SD), for which it builds on previous studies employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP). In this context, a theoretical model involving Ecotourism Attitudes, Environmental Beliefs, Climate Change-Related Risk Perceptions (CC-RRP), Environmental Concern During trip (ECDT), and Sustainable Consumption Behavior (SCB) as antecedents of WTP-4-SD is proposed. The model was tested based on data collected through an online survey, form a sample of 1,545 Spanish and Portuguese tourists, and analyzed through Structural Equations Modelling (SEM). The findings suggest that a cohesive set of attitudes and beliefs regarding the man-nature relationship, the risks of climate change and the role of tourism – which have been labelled “No Planet-B Attitudes” – is the main driver of WTP-4-SD.

Dengue fever is a persistent public health issue in tropical regions, including Vietnam, where climate variability plays a crucial role in disease transmission dynamics. This study focuses on developing climate-based machine learning models to forecast dengue outbreaks in Ba Ria Vung Tau (BRVT) province, Vietnam, using meteorological data from 2003 to 2022. We utilized four predictive models—Negative Binomial Regression (NBR), Seasonal AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Regressors (SARIMAX), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)—to predict weekly dengue incidence. Key climate variables, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed, were integrated into these models, with lagged variables included to capture delayed climatic effects on dengue transmission. The NBR model demonstrated the best performance in terms of predictive accuracy, achieving the lowest Mean Absolute Error (MAE) compared to other models. The inclusion of lagged climate variables significantly enhanced the model’s ability to predict dengue cases. SARIMAX and LSTM models, although effective in capturing seasonal trends, struggled with overfitting and failed to accurately predict short-term outbreaks. XGBoost exhibited moderate predictive power but was sensitive to overfitting, particularly without fine-tuning. Our findings confirm that climate-based machine learning models, particularly the NBR model, offer valuable tools for forecasting dengue outbreaks in BRVT. However, improving the models’ ability to predict short-term peaks remains a challenge. The integration of meteorological data into early warning systems is crucial for public health authorities to plan timely and effective interventions. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on climate-based disease forecasting and underscores the need for further model refinement to address the complexities of dengue transmission in highly endemic regions.

A web application – IMERG Precipitation Extractor (IPE) was developed that relies on the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG-GPM) data available at a global coverage. The IPE allows users to query, visualize, and download time series satellite precipitation data for various locations, including points, watersheds, country extents, and digitized areas of interest. It supports different temporal resolutions ranging from 30 minutes to 1 week. Additionally, the IPE facilitates advanced analyses such as storm tracking and anomaly detection, which can be used to monitor climate change through variations in precipitation frequency and intensity. To validate the IMERG precipitation data for anomaly estimation over a 22-year period (2001 to 2022), the Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI) was calculated and compared with RAI data from 2,360 NOAA stations across the conterminous United States (CONUS), considering both dry and wet climate regions. In the dry region (e.g., Nevada), the results showed an average correlation coefficient (CC) of 0.94, a percentage relative bias (PRB) of -22.32%, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.96, a mean bias ratio (MBR) of 0.74, a Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.80, and a Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) of 0.52. In the wet region (e.g., Louisiana), the average CC was 0.93, the PRB was 24.82%, the RMSE was 0.96, the MBR was 0.79, the NSE was 0.80, and the KGE was 0.18. Median RAI indices from both IMERG and NOAA indicated an increase in rainfall intensity and frequency since 2010, highlighting growing concerns about climate change. The study suggests that IMERG data can serve as a valuable alternative for modeling extreme rainfall anomalies in data-scarce areas, noting its possibilities, limitations, and uncertainties. The IPE web application also offers a platform for extending research beyond CONUS, advocating for further global climate change studies.

This study investigates the cooling effects of water facilities installed in urban parks, focusing on Sangju Namsan Park. The park features a water path and a cooling fog system, introduced as part of an environmental adaptation project to mitigate urban heat. Microclimate data were collected during the hot summer months of 2023 to assess the impact of these facilities on air temperature, humidity, and perceived thermal comfort. Results indicate that the water path and fog system reduced surface temperatures by up to 1.08°C, with additional benefits in reducing fine particulate matter and CO2 levels. The findings suggest that strategically placed water features can enhance thermal comfort and air quality in urban parks, offering a practical approach to climate change adaptation in urban planning. These insights are crucial for urban planners and policymakers aiming to improve public health and quality of life in the face of climate change.

The Keeling Curve shows that in addition to the progressive increase in the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, the rate of increase in the rate of uptake of CO₂ into the atmosphere, both in ppm and gigatons C/year, has been progressively increasing from 1960 to the present, despite some leveling off of man-made emissions. There is a similar processive increase in the earth’s heat imbalance. I propose that this is due to the additive effect of multiple partially activated tipping points putting the earth into a positive feedback mode such that these increases in rate will continue even after net zero emissions from fossil fuels is attained. As a result, controlling global warming will require a marked acceleration of Carbon Dioxide Removal using multiple Negative Emission Technologies.

Deploying onshore wind energy as a cornerstone of future global energy systems challenges societies and decision-makers worldwide. Expanding wind energy should contribute to a more sustainable electricity generation without harnessing humans and their environment. Opponents often highlight the negative environmental impacts of wind energy to impede its expansion. This study reviews 152 studies to synthesize, summarize, and discuss critically the current knowledge, research gaps, and mitigation strategies on the environmental impacts of onshore wind energy. The investigated effects comprise impacts on the abiotic and biotic environment, with birds and bats in particular, noise and visual impacts. Effects are discussed in the context of social acceptance, other energy technologies, and wind energy expansion in forests. The review illustrates that many effects are highly case-specific and must be more generalizable. Studies are biased regarding the research focus and areas, needing more standardized research methods and long-term measurements. Most studies focus on the direct mortality of birds and bats at wind farms and are concentrated in Europe and North America. Knowledge gaps persist for many impact categories, and the efficacy of mitigation strategies has yet to be proven. More targeted, unbiased research is required that allows for an objective evaluation of the environmental impacts of wind energy and strategies to mitigate them. Impacts, such as those on biodiversity, need to be addressed in the context of other anthropogenic influences and the benefits of wind energy. This forms the basis for a socially acceptable, efficient, and sustainable expansion of wind energy.

This study investigates the mean annual water temperature trends at the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers, along with air temperature trends at the Belgrade meteorological station, spanning from 1956 to 2020. Results reveal a consistent increase in temperature across all three measuring stations, with the Danube experiencing a rise of 0.34°C/10 years, the Sava at 0.44°C/10 years, and Belgrade's air temperature increasing by 0.39°C/10 years. Employing the RAPS method, sharp rises in water temperature were pinpointed in 1989 for the Sava and 1990 for the Danube, while Belgrade's air temperature surge began in 1998. The highest intensity of air temperature increase within the recent period (1998-2020) was observed at the Belgrade observatory, reaching 0.76°C/10 years. Notably, the Sava exhibited a faster increase in water temperature over the last thirty years compared to the Danube. August marked the peak average water temperature for both rivers, while July recorded the highest average air temperature in Belgrade. Despite differing flow rates, both rivers exhibit similar hydrological regimes, with maximum flows occurring in April and minimum flows in August for the Sava, and October for the Danube. Seasonal temperature increases were most pronounced in summer, notably in August, with the smallest rises occurring during cold periods. Additionally, an inverse proportional relationship between mean annual water temperatures and discharges was observed at both river stations.

Herein, we examined the effects of weather parameters and individual clinicodemographic risk factors on hemorrhagic stroke (HS) incidence, severity on admission, and disability at discharge in a harsh desert climate. In a retrospective design we studied patients admitted to a stroke unit in Arab Emirates in 2016-2019. With a distributed lag nonlinear model we explored immediate and delayed effects of weather on stroke incidence. Supervised machine learning was used to build models predictive of scores in NIHSS and mRS scales. We assessed model performance by calculating ROC AUC, F1 scores, specificity, and sensitivity. HS risk increased after a significant change in any weather parameter. The risk was reduced below baseline after 1-week adjustment to environmental changes. Climate input from the previous 3 days yielded reliable classification models. Humidex was a better predictor of severity than air temperature, whereas body mass index, age, and time of day at stroke onset were the strongest clinical predictors. Weather parameters before admission were stronger predictors of disease severity than individual clinical factors. We addressed limitations of previous studies by analyzing a full set of climate parameters: ambient temperature, relative humidity, humidex, atmospheric pressure, and wind speed. Predictive models may help to optimize patient management and develop preventative strategies.

The Australian tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) is home to approximately 18 percent of the nation’s total vascular plant species. Over the past century, human activity and industrial development have caused global climate changes, posing a severe and irreversible danger to the entire land-based ecosystem, and WTWHA is no exception. The current average annual temperature of WTWHA in FNQ is 24 °C. However, in the coming years (by 2030), the average annual temperature increase is estimated to be between 0.5 and 1.4 °C compared to the climate observed between 1986 and 2005. Looking further ahead to 2070, the anticipated temperature rise is projected to be between 1.0 and 3.2 °C, with the exact range depending on future emissions. We identified 84 plant species endemic to the WTWHA in FNQ, which are already experiencing climate change threats. Few of these plants are used in herbal medicines. This study comprehensively reviewed metabolomics studies conducted on these 84 plant species until now toward understanding their physiological and metabolomics responses to global climate change. This review also discusses: i) recent developments in plant metabolomics studies that can be applied to study and understand the interactions of wet tropical plants with climatic stress, ii) medicinal plants and isolated phytochemicals with structural diversity, and iii) reported biological activities of crude extracts and isolated compounds.

The target area of the present study is the entrance to the Sulina channel in the Black Sea, the zero-kilometer of the Danube River. This represents the southern gate of the seventh Pan-European transport corridor and is subjected to high navigation traffic. The coastal environment at the Danube’s mouth is very often subjected to strong environmental conditions inducing high risks for navigation hazards. From this perspective, the objective of the present work is to provide a more comprehensive picture concerning the past and future expected dynamics of the environmental matrix in this area, including especially wind and wave conditions. An analysis of some in situ measurements performed at the zero kilometer of the Danube is first carried out for the 15 years 2009-2023. A second analysis is based on data provided by regional climate wind models. Two 30-year periods are considered, the recent past (1976-2005), when also comparisons with ERA5 reanalysis data were performed, and the near future (2041-2070), when two different models and three climate scenarios were considered. Finally, using as a forcing factor each of the wind fields before analyzed, simulations with a spectral wave model were carried out and the nearshore wave conditions were evaluated. The results show that both extreme wind and wave conditions are expected to be slightly enhanced in the future. Strong wind fields are characteristic in this area, with wind gusts exceeding on average with more than 70% the maximum hourly averaged wind speed. As regards the waves, due to the complex nearshore phenomena, considerable enhancements in terms of significant wave heights are induced. Furthermore, there is also a high risk of rogue wave’s occurrence.