Context Of Climate Research Articles

EXPLORING BIOCLIMATISM IN THE POST-OCCUPANCY EVALUATION OF HOUSEHOLDS

Introduction: Housing complexes represent a significant part of the built environment in urban areas, playing a crucial role in providing housing for increasingly dense populations. However, the effectiveness of these projects in providing healthy and sustainable living environments is often questioned after occupation. Thus, this research proposes to explore the relevance of bioclimatism in the post-occupation evaluation of housing complexes. By examining this intersection between bioclimatism and post-occupation, we can identify gaps in the design, construction and management of housing complexes, thus contributing to the evolution of architectural and urban practices. Objective: To understand how bioclimatic principles influence the performance of residential buildings after occupation. Methodology: This study relies on a literature search approach to explore the role of bioclimatism in the post-occupancy assessment of housing developments. Results and Discussion: The results obtained from the post-occupancy analysis of housing complexes with a focus on bioclimatism revealed significant insights into the influence of these approaches on the performance of buildings and the well-being of occupants. The selected case studies spanned a variety of climate contexts and architectural designs, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of bioclimatism in practice. A striking finding is that bioclimatic principles play a decisive role in the thermal comfort of living spaces. Buildings that incorporated design strategies aimed at solar orientation, cross ventilation and the use of shading elements demonstrated superior performance in maintaining adequate indoor temperatures. Conclusion: The bioclimatic approach not only improves the performance of buildings, but also creates healthier, more sustainable and more pleasant living environments. However, to maximize the benefits of bioclimatism, an ongoing effort in awareness, education and collaboration between professionals and occupants is required. The development of specific guidelines for different climate contexts and the promotion of sustainable building standards can further enhance the positive impact of bioclimatism on urban housing.

Correlating the urban microclimate and energy demands in hot climate Contexts: A hybrid review

Correlating the urban microclimate and energy demands in hot climate Contexts: A hybrid review

Evaluation of effectiveness and resources consumption of water mist spray systems in Mediterranean areas by predictions based on LSTM Recurrent Neural Networks

To counter the increasing urban overheating, climate adaptation solutions are proposed. Among them, water mist spray recently acquired particular attention, due to its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. However, spray devices require a large amount of water and energy to cool even limited areas, thus their environmental costs/benefits ratio should be carefully evaluated. This study analyses cooling benefits and resources consumption of mist devices in 11 cities within 3 climate contexts, through Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) trained with experimental data. RNNs predict the expected time series of thermal benefits and of energy and water consumptions, also considering different design solutions of devices. Results show that when sun/wind shielding is used in the sprayed area, or the height of nozzles is limited, higher cooling results are obtained. However, energy and water consumption are extremely high if misting systems are perennially active during the day. Considering all simulated conditions, the predicted average daily energy to obtain a unitary variation of the Mediterranean Outdoor Comfort Index is 4,17 Wh/m2, while the corresponding average daily volume of water is 0,56 l*h/m2. These results confirm the need for applications managed by control logics based on the acquisition of real-time climatic data to reduce the environmental loads.

A new bioassessment multimetric index (BECOME) and diagnostic tool (BECOMEd) for small standing waters

Small shallow lakes and ponds (SSWs) have high conservation value and support numerous ecosystem services. However, these small ecosystems face many threats, including eutrophication and internal biotic pressures like Cyprinidae or exotic bioturbators crayfish, which tend to shift biodiverse SSWs to a turbid state dominated by phytoplankton unfitted to numerous usages, and compromise the effectiveness of their restoration. The ecological quality of SSWs and the efficiency of their management still remain poorly evaluated because of the lack of adapted tools. To fill this gap, we propose a new multimetric index (BECOME) and a diagnostic tool (BECOMEd) both based on macrophyte and invertebrate communities. BECOME exhibits a high sensitivity to the impact of surrounding crops, urbanization and fertilized meadows, morphological alterations, and various internal biotic sources of alterations, in a wide variety of geological and climatic contexts. BECOME is especially innovative, because taking into account internal biotic sources of pressures neglected by most of the existing biological WFD-compliant indices for European lakes and ponds, despite their importance in SSW threats. BECOMEd allows to identify the major alteration sources and estimates their relative contribution to SSW degradation, helping managers to prioritize actions or to evaluate their effectiveness. The statistical design applied for the index construction has been fitted to develop biological index for ecosystems influenced by a wide amplitude of numerous environmental conditions. This design could be easily applied elsewhere in the world, for SSWs but also for other types of ecosystems.

The (Re)Industrialised Waterfront as a “Fluid Territory”: The Case of Lisbon and the Tagus Estuary

If delta and estuary areas are observed under the perspective of a double system of dynamic infrastructures, the object of parallel “water/urbanisation” processes, the interface spaces become key nodes. In this perspective, port and waterfront areas can be described as spaces of mediation. The article argues that in the case of Lisbon and the Tagus, as possibly in several other port cities, these edge spaces can be described as “fluid territories.” The pre-eminent characteristic of “fluid territories” is that they are not permanent, neither in space nor time. These areas present accelerated transformations, less defined boundaries, and an increased spatial and management complexity. Moreover, “fluid territories” also mediate (a) the culture-natural environment, with human action appropriating the natural system through infrastructure and urbanisation, and (b) the industrialised economic estuary, with its continuous updating. To demonstrate this hypothesis, two samples of Lisbon’s riverfront are observed, recording its constant variability over the last 200 years of industrialisation, emphasising the “fluidity” of the mediating spaces. The understanding of the “fluid” characteristic of water/land mediation spaces is relevant for the present. Being dynamic and regularly reinventing spaces, spatial planning, public space, and architectural design processes in “fluid territories” should increasingly seek adaptability, flexibility, and openness to change. In the climatic context of continuous uncertainty combined with the need to make room for infrastructure, rethinking mediation areas through the lens of the theoretical concept of the “fluid territory” enables the implementation of urban transformation processes consistent with contemporary challenges.

Touching the (almost) untouchable: a minimally invasive workflow for microbiological and biomolecular analyses of cultural heritage objects.

Microbiological and biomolecular approaches to cultural heritage research have expanded the established research horizon from the prevalent focus on the cultural objects' conservation and human health protection to the relatively recent applications to provenance inquiry and assessment of environmental impacts in a global context of a changing climate. Standard microbiology and molecular biology methods developed for other materials, specimens, and contexts could, in principle, be applied to cultural heritage research. However, given certain characteristics common to several heritage objects-such as uniqueness, fragility, high value, and restricted access, tailored approaches are required. In addition, samples of heritage objects may yield low microbial biomass, rendering them highly susceptible to cross-contamination. Therefore, dedicated methodology addressing these limitations and operational hurdles is needed. Here, we review the main experimental challenges and propose a standardized workflow to study the microbiome of cultural heritage objects, illustrated by the exploration of bacterial taxa. The methodology was developed targeting the challenging side of the spectrum of cultural heritage objects, such as the delicate written record, while retaining flexibility to adapt and/or upscale it to heritage artifacts of a more robust constitution or larger dimensions. We hope this tailored review and workflow will facilitate the interdisciplinary inquiry and interactions among the cultural heritage research community.

International Law Must Respond to the Reality of Future Generations: A Reply to Stephen Humphreys

Abstract Stephen Humphreys in his article ‘Against Future Generations’ in this journal argues against intergenerational framings in the climate context, claiming that such framings work against future generations by carrying forward today’s structural inequalities into the future. He contends that those using such framings tend to subordinate global intra-generational equity to local intergenerational equity, glossing over very significant differences in power and wealth amongst those impacted by climate change. This response to Humphreys’ article argues that Humphreys has set up a false dichotomy: it is not only developed countries that care about future generations – developing countries are concerned about addressing poverty now and their own future generations. Humphreys’ claim that climate litigation has and should limit itself to harms to persons alive now is also unconvincing. Most climate litigation involving children or young people to date has included claims brought by them both in relation to their own interests (now and in the future) and on behalf of future generations. The response points to cases where, contrary to Humphreys’ position – harms extending to future generations have made a substantive difference in legal outcomes.

Influence of Solid Retention Time on Membrane Fouling and Biogas Recovery in Anerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treating Sugarcane Industry Wastewater in Sahelian Climate.

Sugarcane industries produce wastewater loaded with various pollutants. For reuse of treated wastewater and valorization of biogas in a Sahelian climatic context, the performance of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was studied for two solid retention times (40 days and infinity). The pilot was fed with real wastewater from a sugarcane operation with an organic load ranging from 15 to 22 gCOD/L/d for 353 days. The temperature in the reactor was maintained at 35 °C. Acclimatization was the first stage during which suspended solids (SS) and volatile suspended solids (VSS) evolved from 9 to 13 g/L and from 5 to 10 g/L respectively, with a VSS/SS ratio of about 80%. While operating the pilot at a solid retention time (SRT) of 40 days, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency reached 85%, and the (VSS)/(TSS) ratio was 94% in the reactor. At infinity solid retention time, these values were 96% and 80%, respectively. The 40-day solid retention time resulted in a change in transmembrane pressure (TMP) from 0.0812 to 2.18 bar, with a maximum methane production of 0.21 L/gCOD removed. These values are lower than those observed at an infinite solid retention time, at which the maximum methane production of 0.29 L/gCOD was achieved, with a corresponding transmembrane pressure variation of up to 3.1 bar. At a shorter solid retention time, the fouling seemed to decrease with biogas production. However, we note interesting retention rates of over 95% for turbidity.

Estimation of Outcrossing Rate of Faba Bean under Natural Moroccan Conditions

Background: Faba bean is a crop of agro-ecological and socio-economic importance in Morocco. Thus, in a changing climatic context, it is important to develop varieties that are resilient to several abiotic constraints, such as synthetics. However, the reproductive system must be understood. Methods: We aimed to estimate faba beans outcrossing rate under natural Moroccan conditions, using two varieties, ‘Reina Mora’ and ‘Zina’ and two phenotypic markers, seed coat color and its size and shape, in two contrasted locations, Saïs and Gharb. Varieties were sown in six alternate rows with six seeds per row and three replicates per location. The experiment consisted in counting the number of purple seeds within ‘Zina’s beige offspring. Besides, seeds collected from ‘Reina Mora’ were counted and processed for differences in size and shape. In total, 859 seeds were measured, including their length, width, thickness, geometric diameter, area and sphericity, enabling to distinguish hybrids from parental seeds and self-seeds. Result: Results showed an average inter-crossing of 3.7% in Saïs and 7.22% in Gharb. A more reliable open-pollination could be achieved by introducing bees and bumblebees colonies as well as using varieties from same geographic gene pools.

The role of indigenous plant species in controlling the erosion of top soil in sub-tropical environment: In-situ field observation and validation

Due to soil erosion, agricultural land productivity has declined in monsoon-dominated region of India. In this perspective, food security is threatened due to large-scale erosion and its associated declining tendency of fertility. So, people are trying to maximize production by considering HYVs (high-yielding varieties) seed, the large amount of fertilizer, and the agricultural system's alteration. For this reason, the intensity and amount of erosion have increased eventually. In the Indian context, most of the research regarding soil erosion has been done with the help of various established empirical and semi-empirical methods. These methods were developed universally and were less accurate in the Indian climatic context. This research establish a new (Indian soil erosion model: ISEM) on soil erosion considering the Indian climatic condition. This model was validated with the measured soil erosion and is much more reliable regarding optimal capacity than other established models. There is currently no such model for soil erosion in the Indian climate. So, our study has validated the innovative technique to soil erosion modelling that we created and presented. We used vegetation indices from several plots, including those with indigenous species land, external species land, and shrub land, to correlate the projected soil erosion using ISEM. The r2 values for the native, outside, and shrub land are, respectively, 0.5112, 0.2827, and 0.3028. From this, we can easily understand the optimal capacity of the model and the suitable measures in the plantation programme.

Building Information Modeling (BIM 6D) and Its Application to Thermal Loads Calculation in Retrofitting

The purpose of this study is to propose optimal actions to improve the energy efficiency of large office buildings in tropical regions with cooling systems, while ensuring the users’ comfort at a reasonable cost. In tropical climates, the building envelope plays a crucial role in saving thermal energy as buildings are exposed to significant climatic impacts and require a significant amount of energy to achieve optimal indoor comfort conditions. In this context, BIM-3D simulation is considered to be effective since it can provide results very similar to those of its physical counterpart, which can be useful for decision making. For this purpose, a public building in Costa Rica is used as a case study, which is modeled in Revit 2019 to obtain a BIM-3D model and simulate its thermal behavior using the BIM tools of the referred software. The architectural characteristics are evaluated in the climatic context of the building, and results are simulated with different configured materials. The obtained results lead to the conclusion that simulation together the previous economic analysis is a valuable decision-making tool for design, enabling significant savings during construction and subsequent building use.

Deactivating climate activism? The seven strategies oil and gas majors use to counter rising shareholder action

International oil companies (IOCs) are facing mounting pressure to transition towards low-carbon business models in line with the Paris Agreement's goals to limit global warming. Shareholder activism in oil and gas companies has increased rapidly over the past decade but has not yet been widely researched. This study explores company communication strategies within the context of climate and transition-related shareholder activism at IOC annual general meetings (AGMs). We analyse 123 relevant proxy statements produced by ExxonMobil, Chevron, and BP at their AGMs from 2006 to 2022. This yielded 10 distinct categories of resolution request, and seven common themes of communicative strategy deployed by IOCs. IOCs were generally successful at minimising the impact of climate-related and environmental shareholder activism, with most resolutions unsuccessful, and even successful ones having limited impact on company performance. However, recent shareholder revolts reveal the oil and gas (O&G) sector is experiencing more instances of, and more successful, investor pressure to improve environmental performance. Cases of voluntary changes in company policy and behaviour further indicate the potential for shareholder activism to influence low-carbon transitions. Further research of the phenomenon itself to gain greater understanding of IOC response strategies can yield insights into the nature and likelihood of a transition away from fossil fuels in the future.

Long-term integrated crop-livestock grazing stimulates soil ecosystem carbon flux, increasing subsoil carbon storage in California perennial agroecosystems

The strategic use of ruminant grazing in perennial cropland is steadily increasing throughout Mediterranean perennial agroecosystems. Integrated sheep-vineyard (ISV) management, where small ruminant livestock graze on understory vegetation, is viewed by some practitioners as a feasible transition opportunity to facilitate less petrochemically intensive vineyard understory management. However, our knowledge of soil carbon dynamics associated with grazing in perennial integrated crop-livestock (ICL) agroecosystems is notably limited, especially within Mediterranean climate contexts. Here, we use a series of on-farm paired surveys to assess soil ecosystem habitat and resource conditions related to SOC flux and storage in vineyards utilizing sheep-integration (ISV) and conventional understory management techniques (CONV). Our results show that long-term grazing increased the quantity of active, labile, and soluble carbon (C) within ISV soils, with much higher quantities of microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Vineyard soils with sheep grazing also showed increases in phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers, particularly amongst core functional groups related to decomposition. Soil microbial communities under ISV had higher C mineralization rates as well as higher carbon use-efficiency, as indicated by less CO2-C respired relative to the size of the MBC pool. Whereas inorganic soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) were also higher under ISV, microbial communities showed distinct metabolic investment strategies related to nutrient acquisition, with lower P-cycling enzyme activity and higher N-cycling enzyme activity. Additionally, ISV resulted in an increase in subsoil SOC storage, including higher quantities of physicochemical stabilization in the mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pool of the deepest measured subsoil layer (30–45 cm). We observed no differences in soil structure indicators between treatments nor differences in the carbon fractions associated with four distinct aggregate size categories. We propose a framework to explain observed shifts in SOC dynamics of perennial ICL systems that include i) deposition of C and nutrient inputs with higher lability and solubility; ii) ruminant-induced decoupling of C from N and P, resulting in increased nutrient bioavailability; and iii) altered soil microbial metabolic strategies with more efficient biomass accumulation. These findings show strong potential of strategically applied ICL grazing to enhance soil functioning and increase SOC storage in Mediterranean perennial agroecosystems.

Viticulture in Oltenia region (Romania) in the new climatic context

Viticulture in Oltenia region (Romania) in the new climatic context

Patterns and Drivers of Change in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Nunavik (Québec, Canada) over the Period 1984–2020

Altered temperature and precipitation regimes associated with climate change generally result in improved conditions for plant growth. For Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems, this new climatic context promotes an increase in primary productivity, a phenomenon often referred to as “greening”. Although this phenomenon has been widely documented at the circumpolar scale, little information is available at the scale of plant communities, the basic unit of the Arctic and sub-Arctic landscape mosaic. The objectives of this study were (1) to quantify the variation of NDVI within the different plant communities of Nunavik (Québec, QC, Canada) in order to identify which ones contributed the most to the greening and (2) to identify the climatic and biophysical drivers of the greening. To do so, we used Landsat imagery to produce a time series of summer NDVI for the period 1984 to 2020. A fine-resolution map of Northern Québec vegetation was then overlaid on the time series of NDVI imagery and on maps of surficial deposits, topography, and gridded climate data to obtain information at the plant community level. We found that greening was more important in shrub-dominated communities, particularly near the tree line. Summer temperature, fall and winter precipitation, and surficial deposits were identified as drivers of greening. Through utilizing detailed vegetation maps to accurately quantify changes in Nunavik’s plant communities, this study provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the region’s ecosystem under rapid climate change.

Digitisation and sustainable development of the European Union Member States. Actions supporting "sustainable digitisation"

Digital technologies redefine the shape of the modern economy and social relations, bring many benefits, but also challenges in the social, economic, environmental and climate context. The aim of the article in theoretical aspect is to broaden the knowledge about the dimensions of digitisation of economies, which must correspond to the goals of sustainable development. In empirical aspect, the aim of the presented research is to identify the level of digitisation of EU Member States’ economies and changes in the digital gap. The research methods include: institutional and legal analysis, descriptive and comparative methods. The main part of the article contains the review of the available studies, in which the authors analysed the relationships between digitisation and sustainable development, looking for the answer to the question of how digital transformation can contribute to economic, social and environmental sustainability. In the final part of the article, EU activities supporting "sustainable digitisation" will be analysed, which would facilitate and accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The study made it possible to draw conclusions about the most important aspects of the EU development strategy in the context of "sustainable digitisation" and to understand the importance of digitisation for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Member States. The results of the conducted research indicate the growing importance of the digitisation of EU countries in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the face of contemporary crisis situations.

Organizational Climate and Gender: Evidence from Algerian Local Authorities

The present paper aims at exploring the relationship between organizational climate and gender within Algerian local authorities, mobilizing Mixed Method Research MMR, qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative study – interviews with civil servants – revealed in two stages, the socially constructed position. Otherwise, a quantitative study was carried out on civil servants in five Algerian local authorities (Blida department), allowed us to analyze the relationship between organizational climate and gender within local authorities. The results give us some insights: Gender (in the organizational climate) is not decisive for civil servants. Our quantitative research does not reveal any significant differences between men and women (civil servants) on the perception of the organizational climate and managerial context of local authority. In addition, the qualitative research reveals that there is no competition between the different categories of civil servants. Furthermore, competition is ineffective between women and men civil servants, who apparently do not aspire to promotion without financial advantages. Local authorities are seen as a second-best option for job seekers, an option reserved mainly for women who have adapted cognitive assets to that organizational climate requirements. Women civil servants would be more resilient than men, their acceptance of the professional framework constraints seems to be more explicit.

The Effectiveness of Phytosanitary Treatments in the Control of Oak Mildew, in the Current Climate Context

In the technical process of afforestation, most of the compositions require the act of founding the new forest artificially produced seedlings. In some situations, obtaining them is a difficult process due to the complex diseases and pests that can cause significant losses in nurseries. Climatic factors influencing the health of crops in nurseries are: air temperature, amount of precipitation, atmospheric humidity, potential evapotranspiration. The data were recorded with the help of the CEM DT 172 device, with the help of which data regarding temperature and humidity were recorded within the Beclean and Valea Iușului Nurseries. It was observed that the experiments related to the control of the pathogen Oidium alphitoides, using Proquinazid 200gr/l were placed in three cultures, one one-year-olds and two two-year-old, the amount of solution being the same in each variant, differing only the concentration and effectiveness was performed on four degrees of attack. The situation was positively reflected at the time of determining the effectiveness, when, except for the control variant, in all the treated variants most seedlings were weakly or moderately attacked.

An innovative application of 5GDHC: A techno-economic assessment of shallow geothermal systems potential in different European climates

Energy consumption for thermal purposes represents the most impacting energy issue in the European building sector. In addition to space heating, space cooling is constantly growing, due also to climate change, which provokes extreme hot events in summer even in moderate climates. To approach this challenge, it is essential to invest in lowering the overall energy demand, to increase the energy conversion efficiencies and to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.The research here presented deals with the European decarbonization goals and focuses on shallow geothermal technology in district thermal systems (DTS), i.e. Geo-5GDHC.The research investigates whether Geo-5GDHC can be cost-effective in different scenarios based on climatic contexts, insulation levels and the possible integration of photovoltaic and thermal technology (PVT).Through the elaboration of proper KPIs and the implementation and use of a tool specifically developed to couple a Geo-5GDHC energy assessment model with an economic analysis (PILEDHC), the research highlights results and guidelines for providing solutions for new and innovative DTS, considering both energy and economic aspects in different contexts.

Ecological risk of geohazards and its combination patterns: A case study of an ecologically fragile region, NW China

Our comprehension of ecological risk in the Upper Yellow River region in China remains limited due to the prevailing focus of current studies on urbanized areas, with insufficient attention given to the mountainous regions. Luqu County is widely recognized as an important regional ecological barrier and ecologically fragile area, susceptible to geohazard effects. However, the relationship between ecological risk and geohazard remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted an assessment of ecological risk and analyzed its combination patterns using the available geohazard inventory of Luqu. We established a framework for ecological risk assessment, employing the MaxEnt, Fragstats, and InVEST models to evaluate the degree of hazard, ecological vulnerability, and potential ecological loss. The evaluation results consider the significance of the geoenvironmental and climatic context in Luqu. Among the selected conditioning factors, elevation, distance to the river, average precipitation from May to September, gully density, and stratigraphic age exhibit the highest relative contribution values to the geohazards, with values of 0.861, 0.789, 0.764, 0.67, and 0.636, respectively. The Northern Taohe River Basin has been identified as a high ecological risk area characterized by highly fragmented landscapes. Furthermore, ecological risk exhibits a gradual decline trend from the northeast to the southwest. The combination pattern characterized by high ecological fragility-predominated, low hazard and low ecological loss-supplemented exhibits the highest ecological risk. This pattern covers over 60% of Luqu. The township-level ranking of medium-high and high ecological risk proportions is as follows: Ala (33.59%), Xicang (19.52%), Shuangcha (14.38%), Ma'ai (6.96%), Larenguan (4.49%), Langmusi (1.06%), and Gahai (0.13%). Compared with hazard and ecological loss, ecological fragility has generally maintained a relatively stable level during current period. Considering the positive correlation between ecological risk and geohazards found in this study, we recommend that local communities prioritize high-risk areas for effective risk management.