Climate Comfort Research Articles

The spatiotemporal trend changes of extreme temperature-humidity variables and their impact on climatic comfort changes

This study examined the spatiotemporal variations in extreme values of relative humidity (RH), temperature, temperature-humidity index (THI) and the effect of climatic variables on THI in the northern parts of Iran from 1986 to 2016. The THI was generated for each of the 30 meteorological stations. Previously, trend analysis was calculated in different seasons using quantile regression. For the most part, the results indicate a declining and rising trend in RH and temperature, respectively. The highest percentage of decreasing trend slopes was for maximum RH (≤-50 %), but for maximum temperature, the highest percentage of increasing slopes in summer and winter (≥30 %) was identified on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. However, a decreasing trend (%≤-15) was detected for the maximum temperature in autumn. The highest increasing (decreasing) trend slope of THI (30 % and −30 %) was for low values of THI in spring and winter (autumn and winter). The minimum and maximum temperatures positively affected THI in all seasons, and the value of the effect coefficient was higher in the coastal areas. Also, high values of minimum RH in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons had a positive (negative) effect in 73, 100, 33, and 0 % (26, 0, 66, and 100 %) of the stations, respectively. But the maximum RH had a positive (negative) effect on 80, 100, 33, and 6 % (20, 0, 66, and 93 %) of stations, respectively. The findings of this study are generally helpful in identifying changes in weather extremes and their effects on human health.

Change in climatic (physiological) comfort levels in the Bani-Walid region (1962-2021)

Change in climatic (physiological) comfort levels in the Bani-Walid region (1962-2021)

Seasonal Climatic Comfort Variations in Mountain Cities: A Local Climate Zone Perspective

Seasonal Climatic Comfort Variations in Mountain Cities: A Local Climate Zone Perspective

云南旅游气候舒适度特征分析及其变化趋势

云南旅游气候舒适度特征分析及其变化趋势

Climate adaptation in traditional dwelling typologies: the case of Southern Anhui, China

ABSTRACT This study focused on the climate adaptation of traditional dwellings in Southern Anhui to identify the architectural features that influence thermal comfort conditions and uncover the mechanisms behind climate adaptation from a typological perspective. To elucidate the relationship between architectural forms and bioclimatic strategies, this study categorizes climatically responsive solutions in traditional dwellings into three levels: built shape type, space gradients, and interface adaptation. This research was conducted through a field study in Southern Anhui, and the data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively and a simulation of the environmental performance was conducted. The research findings demonstrate that the architectural forms and construction logic prevalent in traditional dwellings in Southern Anhui are well suited to the local climate. There was an explicit mathematical and morphological correspondence between the three types of architectural forms and climatic comfort. Overall, the results of this study can contribute significantly to contemporary residential architecture in Southern Anhui by shedding light on the inherent value of bioclimatic strategies in traditional dwellings, thereby facilitating the critical transmission to modern architectural practices in the region.

О тенденциях эколого-климатических рисков для здоровья человека в Арктической зоне России в условиях изменяющегося климата

The authors explore the dynamics of human health risks caused by air pollution and weather and climate comfort in the Arctic zone of Russia in 2020-2050 under two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). According to estimates, in the period up to 2050, there is generally an insignificant dynamics of risks characterized by inter-scenario variability and dispersion across the territory of the Russian Arctic. Only in certain areas there are noticeable trends. Under the RCP4.5 scenario, a significant area of the Arctic shows a trend towards increased health risks from air pollution and improved weather and climate comfort in spring and summer. In winter and autumn, in some Arctic regions of the ETR (European territory of Russia) and Siberia, increased cold discomfort is possible. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, there is a tendency to reduce the risk from air pollution in most areas, and improve comfort in almost the entire territory of the Russian Arctic in spring, in most of the subarctic zone — in other seasons, in the temperate zone — in summer. A trend towards increased cold discomfort is noted in large areas of the Arctic zone in winter, summer and autumn, in certain areas of the European territory of Russia and Siberia in the temperate zone — in autumn and winter, in the subarctic zone — in autumn. The authors outline the need for additional attention when planning measures to adapt to climate change in the territories of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The findings are relevant for strategic planning of the development of Arctic territories, environmental and climatic risks management for the population living and working in the Arctic.

Peran Pondok Pesantren Dalam Pemberdayaan Ekonomi Masyarakat Di Desa Mertak Tombok Kecamatan Praya Kab. Lombok Tengah

In general, Islamic boarding schools have a very big role in educating the nation's children through religious education. However, Islamic boarding schools have a role in empowering the economy of the community around the Islamic boarding school. The problems raised in this research are: first, what is the role of Islamic boarding schools in empowering the community's economy in Mertak Tombok Village, Praya District, Central Lombok Regency. Second, what is the Islamic boarding school's strategy for economic empowerment of the community in Mertak Tombok Village. Based on these problems, the research objectives are: first, to determine the role of Islamic boarding schools in empowering the community economy in Mertak Tombok Village, Praya District, Central Lombok Regency. Second, to find out the Islamic boarding school's strategy for economic empowerment in Mertak Tombok Village. This type of research is descriptive research. Data collection techniques used in this research are: observation, interviews and documentation. Because the research method design is qualitative research, the researcher used the data analysis technique proposed by Miles and Huberman which includes a series of three main activities, namely data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions. The results of this research show that: first, the role of Islamic Boarding Schools in Community Economic Empowerment in Mertak Tombok Village, Praya District, Central Lom-bok Regency can be seen from the provision of business capital, assistance for the construction of facilities and infrastructure, and mentoring assistance. Second, the Islamic Boarding School's strategy for community economic empowerment in Mertak Tombok Village is by creating a comfortable climate, and village-based empowerment programs in the form of assistance to farmers, MSMEs, livestock breeders, and so on.

Temporal Changes in Tourists’ Climate-Based Comfort in the Southeastern Coastal Region of Spain

In the context of climate change, where the average temperature has risen in recent decades on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, bioclimatic indicators show an increase in thermal discomfort. This is especially relevant in regions with a clear focus on mass and seasonal sun and beach tourism, with a large number of tourists experiencing discomfort in hot and humid summer environments. The research analyses the temporal evolution (1967–2022) of the coasts of the provinces of Alicante and Murcia (Spain) using the Climate Comfort Index (CCI), divided into four different regions. Used are 14 coastal meteorological observatories divided into four regions. Trend analysis was performed using the Mann–Kendall (MKT) and Theil–Sen (TSE) tests. The results revealed a loss of climate comfort during the summer season (−0.3 to −0.4/decade), as well as an expansion of the warm period toward June and early September, with an increase of 38.7 days in “hot” thermal comfort. The increase in thermal discomfort in the summer is influenced by an increase in average temperature (0.5 to 0.7 °C/decade) and a reduction in the average relative humidity (−1.0 to −2.1%/decade) and wind speed (−0.2 to −0.9 km/h/decade). In the last 22 years (2000–2022), decreases (p ≤ 0.05) have been recorded in July and September (−0.2 to −0.4/decade), reaching “excessive heat” climatic comfort thresholds for the first time. Finally, there has been an increase in thermal comfort in winter, especially during December in recent years (2000–2022).

Ice-and-snow tourism in China: trends and influencing factors

Ice-and-snow tourism (IST) is central to the Chinese ice-and-snow economy and can help achieve the green transformation and expansion of the Chinese economy. However, IST has not been defined conclusively in China. In this study, the IST concept was analyzed, and the growth of both tourism types was described using an Event–Time–Space comprehensive analysis method. Two temporal phases with large increases were highlighted in both tourisms. The factors promoting their increases were analyzed from market demand, the Beijing 2022 Olympics Winter Games, and scientific and technological developments for ice and snow. The 2020–2021 decrease in IST was primarily attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, IST has dual challenges related to natural and socioeconomic factors. Climate warming has a long-term adverse effect on IST, particularly on glacier tourism. Traditional outdoor skiing tourism in Northeast China (NEC) may also be affected by more competition owing to increased ski tourism in the pan-Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XJUAR) and Southern China, as well as by the development of indoor skiing and ice/snow entertainment. These natural and socioeconomic factors currently limit the ability of IST to promote socioeconomic development in alpine areas, particularly in western China. However, there are many opportunities for future IST growth, including warmed comfort climate at high altitudes in the NEC, XJUAR and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, major glacier resource potentials, and IST development driven by policies. The findings of this study provide important information for decision-makers and investors in IST and its related industries.

Projection of bioclimatic patterns via CMIP6 in the SoutheastRegion of Türkiye: A guidance for adaptation strategies for climatepolicy.

Over the past three decades, global urbanization and climate change have caused significant differences in climate conditions between urban and rural environments. The effects of global warming affect the climatic values in the urban area. The bioclimatic comfort in an area effectively chooses a site regarding the urban quality of life and activities. This study aims to predict the temporal and spatial changes of the bioclimatic comfort zones of Gaziantep province in terms of climate comfort in the context of long-term global scenarios. The future climate simulation maps were produced and analyzed comparing comfort conditions according to Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 245 and 585 scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) Phase 6 (CMIP6). Spatio-temporal changes in temperature, humidity, and bioclimatic comfort areas were analyzed to inform these efforts according to Thom's discomfort index (DI) and effective temperature-taking wind velocity (ETv). The current situation of bioclimatic comfort areas to examine their synergy under extreme hot weather throughout the province and their possible concerns in 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100 were modeled using ArcGIS 10.8 software. SSP585/2100 will create hot (84%) areas, according to DI, and warm (29%) areas, according to ETv. The spatial results of the research are discussed, and some strategies are produced in terms of urbanplanning, design, and engineering.

Game Attendance in Luxury: Purchase Motivations of Suites and Club Level Seating in Division I College Football

At the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, athletic departments generate revenues from ticket sales, and premium seating areas provide spectators with upgrades in exclusive parts of stadiums for a substantial fee. The focus of this study was to determine purchase motivations for college football premium seating, where emergent themes were discerned from data provided by actual premium seating users and expert athletic administrators. Results indicated the following prevalent themes (and sub-themes) on motivations to purchase luxury suites: experience (comfort and amenities, watching the game), entertainment (family and friends, corporate), prestige, and support. In club level seating, the results indicated purchase motivations included: watching the game (view, seat setting), upgraded amenities (climate comfort, food and beverages/alcohol), prestige, and support. Chiefly, the findings indicated college football premium seating spectators are distinct from general seating attendees, and expanded premium seating research beyond just administrator perceptions with corporate clientele in professional sport. Keywords: college football, FBS, luxury suites, club level seating, premium seating, attendance, motivators, sport consumer behavior, Division I, ticket sales

Student first? A case study examining the student-athlete support services at an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Institution

The purpose of this study was to examine the current student-athlete support services at an NCAA Division I FBS level institution through the lens of high impact educational practices. The researchers considered the overall college athlete experience by identifying and describing what resources student-athlete support services provide, how college athletes are (or are not) utilizing these services and applying high impact educational practices to these services. Employing a qualitative approach, 14 semi-structured interviews with college athletes and administrators presented several themes addressing the implementation of high impact educational practices. The results presented are of importance to athletics administrators interested in understanding how to develop meaningful student-athlete support services, while supporting college athlete interests and constraints. Athletics administrators can learn to establish on-campus programming for their college athletes in addition to creating a comfortable climate and connection between college athlete support services and on-campus resources.

Atmospheric CO2 Level Measurement and Discomfort Index Calculation with the use of Low-Cost Drones

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms are emerging as an essential tool for various studies in environmental engineering. The quadcopters drones have immense potential for sensor interfacing and stable data acquisition. These UAVs can perform critical activities like volcanic eruption monitoring, stack emission monitoring, urban air quality monitoring, identification of pollution levels in 3D space, etc. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and the Discomfort Index (DI) are essential indicators of air quality and climate comfort. Hence, it is critical to monitor them with extreme accuracy. This study demonstrates a novel application of CO2 profiling using low-cost drones at varied altitudes. The drone-aided vertical CO2 profiling was carried out at 60 m AGL (Above Ground Level) during summer and winter, in Nagpur city of India. This study retrieved some exciting data on the DI. It was found that CO2 concentration in the range of 20-70 m AGL was lower than the surface level. The derived DI was maximum at the height range of 40-50 m. Inversion was observed in the range of 30-40 m. A positive correlation between CO2 and temperature was observed in both seasons. The lightweight commercial drones are capable of tethering sensor modules to get accurate results in less cost and effort. This type of novel tethered sensor technique could be applicable in weather forecasting, landfill surface monitoring, volcanic eruption monitoring, and other probable applications with few drone flight limits.

Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of Human Thermal Comfort in Xinjiang: Based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index from 1981 to 2019

Xinjiang is one of the world’s most sensitive and vulnerable regions to climate change. However, little is known about the current status and changes in thermal comfort conditions in this area. Using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) derived from the newly available high-resolution dataset HiTiSEA, the spatial–temporal pattern and changes thereof over annual and seasonal scales across Xinjiang from 1981 to 2019 were evaluated. The results reveal that the distribution and change of thermal comfort in Xinjiang have apparent regional heterogeneity and seasonal characteristics. Across all scales, 7 of 10 UTCI thermal stress categories were observed, from slight cold stress to strong heat stress. Annually, the mean UTCI is 3 °C and has significantly increased at 0.37 °C decade−1. The mean number of comfortable days (CDs) is 114 days, with a range from 0 to 189 days. On the space scale, the Tarim Basin experiences the highest UTCI value, while the Ili River Valley, the north side of the Tianshan Mountains, and the peripheral areas of the Tarim Basin have a higher number of CDs. Seasonally, summer has the highest UTCI value, while winter is the lowest. The trend for all seasons is upward, and spring increases fastest. Results also indicate that air temperature has a positive correlation with climate comfort, and the influence of air temperature on climate comfort is most significant. Further research indicates that the range and intensity of population exposure to uncomfortable climates in Xinjiang have increased. The distribution and expansion of population exposure are similar to the population density. These findings contribute to a systematic understanding of the local climate environment and can be helpful for the assessment of the impact of climate change and optimize tourism development.

Streets and Stress: A Pilot Study on How Quality and Design of Streets Impacts on Urban Stress.

To identify how quality and design of streets impacts urban stress. Few studies have comprehensively addressed environmental factors affecting stress in urban public spaces. However, a remarkable portion of our everyday life is spent in public spaces, particularly streets. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of three types of streets as major public spaces on stress. These include a street with the dominance of green spaces (A), a motorist-oriented street (B), and a pedestrian street (C). For this purpose, we selected a group of participants (n = 16) aged 20-30, with an equal number of men and women who were generally healthy and had normal stress levels. Participants were asked to wear an electroencephalogram (EEG) headset, walk different streets, and answer the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS) and urban design qualities questionnaires. According to the results, participants experienced the highest stress in street type B and the lowest in type A. Green space and vegetation, a sense of security, privacy and coziness, climatic comfort, and safety of space had the most positive effect on stress reduction. Whereas noise pollution, vehicle traffic, and crowdedness were the most critical factors of stress. Finally, our findings suggest that the component of green space has a more significant effect on stress reduction compared with the elimination of vehicle traffic.

Spatial influence of exposure to green spaces on the climate comfort of urban habitats in China

This study aimed to improve the number of days with comfortable climate by increasing urban green space exposure. Geographic information technology and a spatial econometrics model were used to analyze the spatial influence and heterogeneity of urban green spaces on the climate comfort of urban habitats in China. The model was built using urban green space data extracted from remote sensing images, and days with comfortable climatic conditions, measured through the temperature and humidity index. The results showed that exposure to green space was generally high in Northeast and Southwest China, and low in Northwest and Southeast China. The exposure to green space of high urbanization level cities is generally lower than cities with low urbanization level. The climate comfort of urban habitats in the northeast and northwest is relatively cold, whereas that of those in the south, central and east is relatively hot. Southwest China has a complex and diverse range of climates. The climate of North China experiences greatly extremes of cold and heat in a year. The significance and mechanism of the influence of exposure to urban green space on climate comfort are differences in different regions. High exposure to green space can adjust thermal comfort by means of water storage, transpiration and heat absorption, reducing the range of temperature difference between day and night, and blocking cold and warm air flow. In addition, moderate human activities and sustainable land use can improve exposure to green space to help vegetation fully contact the air, affecting climate comfort by promoting evaporation and reducing thermal radiation.

KOLABORASI GURU BIMBINGAN DAN KONSELING DAN AGEN PERUBAHAN (ANTI PERUNDUNGAN) DALAM MELAWAN PERUNDUNGAN DI SMK NEGERI 2 BANJARBARU

The anti-bullying and school-based violence program is an effort to prevent and deal with violence against children. This study uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The purpose of this research is to describe the vision, mission and work programs of change agents, the impact of the existence of change agents, and how collaboration between Guidance and Counseling Teachers and Change Agents. The research subjects consisted of Guidance and Counseling Teachers, members of Change Agents and Students. Data collection techniques used are observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques consist of data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions and verification. The results of the study are (1) Vision and Mission of the program for preventing and overcoming acts of bullying within the education unit, as an effort to prevent and deal with violence against children. Aims to create a safe and comfortable climate for students to learn. (2) The impact of the existence of a change agent for SMK Negeri 2 Banjarbaru, namely the existence of an anti-bullying change agent has a positive impact on school residents, including self-awareness to always behave well and spread kindness to fellow human beings. (3) Guidance and Counseling Teachers and Change Agents collaborate well where the Guidance and Counseling Teachers become facilitators or coaches. Meanwhile, change agents are tasked with giving or influencing friends with positive behavior and always maintaining the comfort of the school.

Microclimate adaptability analysis of waterfront traditional villages: a case study of Mingyuewan Village in Suzhou

Abstract Traditional villages contain human beings adapting to the natural environment and spontaneously forming a living environment in the process of their evolution. However, with the frequent occurrence of harsh weather in recent years, the livability of traditional villages is also facing challenges. In order to improve the climatic adaptability of traditional villages, scholars have proposed many methods, but there is a lack of research on the spatial microclimate adaptation of traditional villages based on the perspective of spatial accessibility. This paper selects typical traditional villages in the Taihu Lake Basin, analyzes spatial accessibility and CFD numerical simulation comfort by spatial syntax from the two levels of village and iconic nodes, and discusses the correlation between spatial accessibility and climate comfort. Also, the study concludes the following: (1) The overall integration degree of Mingyuewan Village is not high, and the overall accessibility is poor. (2) The correlation between wind environment and spatial accessibility is weak. The thermal environment is associated with spatial accessibility. Comfort is strongly correlated with the degree of spatial accessibility. This paper proposes to consider the lake surface to dominate the seasonal wind, reserve windward outlets, and add green plants and shade facilities in green public open spaces.

The Heritage Climate Index (HERCI): Development, Assessment and Application for Tourism Purposes in Geoheritage and Cultural Heritage Sites

The development of climate indices and their application can influence the preferences of tourists and the time frame for visiting the locality. This study develops a new Heritage Climate Index (HERCI) that finds its application in assessing climate comfort for visiting geoheritage and cultural heritage objects. The study analyzed the geoheritage site in Western Serbia (Stopića Cave) and the cultural heritage site in Eastern Serbia (Golubac Fortress). The index was developed to represent climatic comfort on a monthly basis and consisted of five climatic elements. The values of the HERCI index were obtained based on the multi-criteria decision-making model—the Best–Worst method (BWM). The results were classified into five classes, depending on the degree of conformity. After a comparative analysis of the index results for four localities and their attendance for the period 2012–2021 and 2019–2022, it was determined that there is a very high level of correlation (>0.9). This is the first study to use the BWM to develop and analyze a climate index. From the aspect of tourism policy, this study significantly contributes to tourism organizations and tourists in better understanding climate comfort and making decisions about the organization’s time frame and realization of the travel.

Research on the spatial form effects of thermal comfort on urban waterfront trails in summer – a case study of West Lake in Hangzhou, China

ABSTRACT The waterfront trail is a crucial outdoor activity area for urban residents, but the increasing high temperature in summer has negatively affected the quality of outdoor activities. To address this issue, this article examines the relationship between the spatial form of the waterfront trails and thermal comfort, using the West Lake Hangzhou trails as an example. Seven waterfront trail spaces were selected for the study, and six spatial structure parameters and three climatic parameters were measured on three representative summer days. The Rayman model was then used to calculate the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) value of each sample plot based on five climate parameters, human body parameters, and Sky View Factor (SVF). The results indicate that the primary spatial form factors affecting the microclimate and thermal comfort of the waterfront trails in summer are the average tree height, the average tree spacing, and the ratio of shadow-generating side tree height to the trail width. The average tree height significantly impacts thermal comfort, followed by the tree spacing and the shadow-generating side tree height ratio to the trail width. These parameters primarily affect the thermal comfort of the waterfront trails through air temperature and wind speed. The study’s findings can guide the design of waterfront trail spaces and help create waterfront trails that combine climate comfort and landscape.