Climatic Zones Research Articles

Effect of biochar on microplastics penetration treatment within soil porous medium under the wetting-drying cycles and optimisation of soil-biochar mixing format

Plant-based biochar was demonstrated promising capability in adsorbing microplastic particles (MPs) within soil porous mediums. However, biochar's function in mitigating MPs' vertical penetration during wetting-drying cycles, typical of seasonal precipitation and evaporation, remains uncertain. Furthermore, few studies have investigated the structures of how biochar combines with soil. This study conducted column tests to assess the MPs retention capabilities of soil-biochar porous media under saturated and wetting-drying conditions. The water retention and hydrophilic properties were investigated to elucidate the impact of wetting-drying cycles. Additionally, different biochar-soil structures were compared to optimise the structural design. Without biochar, wetting-drying cycles resulted in 8.74 % more MPs escaping from samples. However, incorporating 15 % biochar led to only around 2 % more MPs in effluent. Biochar significantly enhanced soil's MP absorption capacity and mitigated the negative effects of wetting-drying cycles. Biochar's alveolate morphology provides ample adsorption sites and creates complex flow paths. The hydrophilic groups of biochar and capillarity by micropores facilitated slower water release during drying, preventing crack propagation and flush on MP particles. This effect was more pronounced with higher biochar content and lower porosity. Moreover, layer structure was found to improve MPs removal, benefiting the long-term performance and management of the biochar functional layer.

The Role of Atmospheric Stabilities and Moisture Convergence in the Enhanced Dry Season Precipitation over Land from 1979 to 2021

Abstract Between 1979 and 2021, global ocean regions experienced a decrease in dry season precipitation, while the trend over land areas varied considerably. Some regions, such as southeastern China, the Maritime Continent, eastern Europe, and eastern North America, showed a slight increasing trend in dry season precipitation. This study analyzes the potential mechanisms behind this trend by using the fifth major global reanalysis produced by ECMWF (ERA5) data. The analysis shows that the weakening of downward atmospheric motions played a critical role in enhancing dry season precipitation over land. An atmospheric moisture budget analysis revealed that larger convergent moisture fluxes lead to an increase in water vapor content below 400 hPa. This, in turn, induced an unstable tendency in the moist static energy profile, leading to a more unstable atmosphere and weakening downward motions, which drove the trend toward increasing dry season precipitation over land. More water vapor in the low troposphere is because of higher moisture convergence and moisture transport from ocean to land regions. In summary, this study demonstrates the intricate elements involved in altering dry season rainfall trends over land, which also emphasizes the importance of comprehending the spatial distribution of the wet-get-wetter and dry-get-drier paradigm. Significance Statement This study found that global land precipitation during the dry season slightly increased from 1979 to 2021, while precipitation over oceans declined. Moist static energy analysis showed a trend toward less stability in areas with increased dry season precipitation and the opposite trend in regions with declining precipitation. Water vapor content trends and dynamic components were the primary controlling mechanism for precipitation trends. Furthermore, the hotspots with pronounced increases or decreases in dry season precipitation reflect local circulation changes influenced by anthropogenic or natural factors.

The contrasting interannual variation and mechanism of the first rainy season precipitation before and after the South China Sea summer monsoon onset

The first rainy season (FRS) is usually considered as a whole when its precipitation variability and the underlying mechanism are discussed. This strategy does not consider the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset occurring within the FRS, which implies an abrupt change in nature and, thereby, the possible characteristics and mechanism of precipitation. To overcome this deficiency, this study divides the FRS into two stages before and after the SCSSM onset, revisits their interannual precipitation variability, and finds remarkable differences in the two FRS stages. During the FRS stage before the SCSSM onset, enhanced precipitation is accompanied by an anticyclone centered on the Indian Peninsula and extending further eastward to the Philippines, active synoptic-scale disturbances in the upstream regions of South China and an anomalous anticyclone in the mid-latitudes of East Asia. This configuration reinforces the warm-moisture air transportation from the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea and cold air invasion from the mid-latitude regions to South China. It shapes the pattern of initial ascending motions over South China by both dynamical and thermal forcing. During the FRS stage after the SCSSM onset, in contrast, enhanced precipitation is accompanied by an anomalous anticyclone in the western North Pacific and the mid-latitude Silk Road pattern. This configuration reinforces warm-moisture air transportation from the tropical Western Pacific and cold air from the northwest direction to South China and shapes the initial ascending motion mainly by thermal forcing. The interannual precipitation variability is tied to a tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) dipole for the FRS period before the SCSSM onset but not after. Such a difference is possibly due to the changes in the basic thermal-dynamical state of the atmosphere near the Maritime Continent and the tropical Northwestern Pacific and their different responses to the SST forcing before and after the SCSSM onset.

Morphological responses of root hairs to changes in soil and climate depend on plant life form

IntroductionRoot hairs increase the surface area of a plant’s root system that is in contact with the soil, thus facilitating plant water and nutrient uptake. However, little is known about the characteristics of the root hairs of herbaceous and woody plants and their specific response patterns to biotic and abiotic variables from the perspective of resource acquisition strategies in the context of global change.MethodsHere, we analyzed 74 published case studies with 1074 observations of root hair traits to identify patterns of root hair length, density and diameter in relation to soil (e.g., soil pH, nutrient levels), growing environments (e.g., greenhouse, field) and climatic factors (e.g., air temperature), as well as genome size and plant age.ResultsRoot hairs were longer, denser and thicker in woody plants compared with herbaceous plants, and the length and diameter of root hairs in herbaceous plants increased with genome size. With increasing plant age, woody plants had significantly longer and thicker root hairs, while root hair density and diameter declined significantly for herbaceous plants. Soil-cultured plants had longer root hairs than solution-cultured plants. The length and density of root hairs were greater in greenhouse-cultured plants than in field-grown plants, and the latter had thicker root hairs than the former. As soil pH increased, root hair length increased but diameter decreased in woody plants, while root hair density increased in herbaceous plants. Increased soil total nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) significantly increased root hair length, density and diameter in herbaceous plants, while soil total N significantly decreased root hair density in woody plants. Root hair length increased significantly, while root hair density decreased significantly, with higher mean annual temperature and greater precipitation seasonality, while the opposite pattern was true for a wider annual temperature range.DiscussionOur findings emphasize the life-form-specific responses of root hairs to soil and climatic variables. These findings will help deepen our understanding of resource acquisition strategies and their mechanisms in different plant forms under global climate change.

Fire suppression and land-use strategies drive future dynamics of an invasive plant in a fire-prone mountain area under climate change

Woody invasive alien species can have profound impacts on ecosystem processes and functions, including fire regulation, which can significantly affect landscape resilience. Acacia dealbata, a widespread invasive alien plant in the Iberian Peninsula, holds well-known fire-adaptation traits (e.g., massive soil seed banks and heat-stimulated seed germination). In this study, we assess to what extent fire suppression and land-use strategies could affect the potential distribution of A. dealbata in a fire-prone transboundary protected mountain area of Portugal and Spain, using Habitat Suitability Models. Specifically, we predicted changes in habitat suitability for A. dealbata between years 2010 and 2050. We explored the potential impacts of two land-use strategies ('Business-as-usual' or 'High Nature Value farmlands') combined with three levels of fire suppression effectiveness using the biomod2 package in R. We also considered the potential effects of two climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Our modeling approach demonstrated a strong capacity to predict habitat suitability using either climate or land-cover information alone (AUC climate = 0.947; AUC LC = 0.957). According to climate-based models, A. dealbata thrives under conditions characterized by higher precipitation seasonality, higher precipitation in the warmest month, and higher minimum temperature in the coldest month. Regarding land cover, A. dealbata thrives mainly in landscapes dominated by urban areas and evergreen forest plantations. Our models forecasted that habitat suitability by 2050 could either increase or decrease depending on the specific combinations of fire suppression, land-use, and climate scenarios. Thus, a combination of business-as-usual and fire-exclusion strategies would enhance habitat suitability for the species. Conversely, management promoting High Nature Value farmlands would decrease the available suitable habitat, particularly under low fire suppression efforts. These findings suggest that promoting sustainable farming activities could impede the spread of A. dealbata by reducing habitat availability, while strategies aiming at fire-exclusion could facilitate its expansion, likely by enabling establishment and large seed production. This study highlights the complex interplay between fire-prone invasive species, fire and land-use strategies, and climate change; and thus the need to consider the interactions between land-use and fire management to promote invasive species control and landscape resilience.

A new evolutionary forest model via incremental tree selection for short-term global solar irradiance forecasting under six various climatic zones

The increasing integration of solar sources into the energy mix presents significant challenges, particularly in short-term energy management. Accurate solar irradiance forecasts can greatly assist solar power plant operators and energy network managers in making informed decisions about energy production and consumption. This paper aims to develop a new accurate forecasting model for short-term global solar irradiance based on an innovative evolutionary forest approach. Our model, baptized EFITS, performs incremental tree selection through appropriate evolutionary operators maintaining a good tradeoff between accuracy and diversity, generating progressively near-optimal decision trees to construct the final evolutionary forest forecaster. This new evolution process also automatically selects near-optimal input parameters, enhancing the overall model accuracy and generalization ability. Six climatically diverse locations in Morocco and three types of inputs (endogenous, exogenous, and hybrid) are used to assess the performance of the proposed. The results demonstrate that our proposed model exhibits excellent performance across all studied sites and horizons. Among all input types, hybrid inputs delivered the best forecasting accuracy across all studied sites and horizons. Notably, the continental climate site (Bni Mellal) achieved the highest accuracy, with nRMSE ranging from 4.94% to 7.54% and nMBE from 0.71% to −0.46% for 1 to 6 h forecasts. Conversely, Ifrane city, characterized by a humid temperate climate, showed the lowest accuracy, with nRMSE ranging from 10.34% to 18.94% and nMBE from 1.21% to −1.54%. Finally, a detailed comparison with benchmarking models (random forest, bagging, gradient boosting, single decision tree, bidirectional long short-term memory network, and scaled persistence models), revealed that our model consistently outperforms them across all tested scenarios, locations, and forecasting horizons.

Geodetic Evidence for Cascading Landslide Motion Triggered by Extreme Rain Events at Joshimath, NW Himalaya

AbstractSlope instability due to tectonic, hydrological and anthropogenic activities cause severe landslides in Himalaya. Joshimath, a densely populated Himalayan town witnessed a catastrophic landslide event during December 2022 and January 2023 causing damages to ∼700 buildings. We use Interferometric synthetic aperture radar, Global Positioning System and rainfall measurements to probe the kinematics of the Joshimath landslide. We separate the seasonal and episodic deformation components using singular spectrum analysis. While the low amplitude annual landslide motions are modulated by seasonal precipitation, acceleration phases are triggered by extreme rain events. Our analysis revealed episodes of cascading motions triggered by extreme rain events resulting an overall increase in landslide velocity from −22 mm/yr during 2004–2010 to −325 mm/yr during 2022–2023. We estimate the landslide depth (∼30 m) and hydraulic diffusivity (∼3 × 10−5 m2/s) using a 1‐D pore‐water pressure diffusion model. Our study reveals the importance of systematic monitoring of ground deformation and weather parameters for landslide hazard mitigation.

Distribution Pattern of Species Richness of Endemic Genera in Mountainous Areas of Southwest China and Its Influencing Factors

China’s southwest mountainous region is one of the hotspots of biodiversity in the world. However, the study on the pattern of species richness distribution of endemic plants in this region and its influencing factors is still in the exploration stage. A clear regional spatial distribution pattern of plants and its influencing factors are very important for the protection and management of plant diversity in southwest China. In this study, 511 county-level regions in the southwest mountainous region were taken as examples to establish a plant species resource bank in the southwest mountainous region, and the distribution pattern of the proportion and abundance of endemic plant families and genera was analyzed based on 19 climate and environmental factors and 8 human disturbance factors in the southwest mountainous region. The geographical weighted regression model (GWR) was used to reveal the main factors affecting the spatial distribution of species. The results showed that: (1) A total of 4688 species investigated in the southwest mountain belong to 19 families and 32 genera. (2) The endemic species richness in the southwest mountainous region showed a significant uneven spatial pattern, mainly concentrated in the Heng Duan Mountain area, southwest Sichuan and northern Yunnan area, and the Ruoergai-Hongyuan area of West Sichuan Plateau. (3) The results of the GWR model showed that the diurnal mean temperature range, precipitation seasonality and distance from the main road had significant effects on species richness. The study on the distribution of endemic genera and their influencing factors in the southwest mountainous region has important implications for the exploration of the evolutionary history and species conservation of the mountain flora.

Tropospheric Ozone levels in and around southern city Bengaluru, India

The diurnal to seasonal ozone (O3) pre-cursors (NO, NO2, CO, VOCs) trends over local climatic zones (LCZs) with the changes in weather patterns with respect to land cover classes determines the O3 trends and useful for air quality management. In this work, diurnal to seasonal patterns of O3 concentrations are analysed across the different LCZs in Bengaluru region. The Central/State Pollution Control Boards (CPCB/SPCB) operate more than 500 continuous air quality and weather monitoring stations across the India. Hourly O3 concentration data were collected from CPCB for 5 different LCZs within the Bengaluru region over a period of four years (2019-2022). Time series analyses were conducted to examine the temporal variations in O3 levels. The results showed significant fluctuations in diurnal trends of O3 due to the influence of air temperature and relative humidity variations across the five LCZs within Bengaluru region. There were distinct seasonal trends in O3 concentrations with maximum (60-65 ppb) observed during the winter and summer seasons and that of minimum concentration in the range 20-25 ppb during the monsoon months. The observed maximum ozone levels (60 -65 ppb) found to be beyond the threshold national ambient air quality standard (NAAQ) and the accumulation exposure over threshold of 40 ppb (AOT 40) during the winter and summer. The O3 concentration trends are in line with the published research on premature mortality about 1200 annually for Karnataka state for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease owing to population exposure to O3 beyond its threshold level of NAAQ. Also, the annual rice yield loss is about 2% (~0.1 Metric Tonne) with the AOT 40 to paddy crop for Karnataka state. Thus, O3 diurnal to seasonal trends serve the first-hand information to local authorities for the action plan of air quality management taking into consideration O3 precursors, wind speed, and wind direction.

INVESTIGATION OF TROPOSPHERIC RADIO REFRACTIVITY AND OTHER RELEVANT PARAMETERS USING METEOROLOGICAL VARIABLES OVER BAUCHI, NIGERIA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) archives were used in this work to obtain the measured monthly average daily temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure over a 41-years period (1981–2021) for Bauchi (latitude , longitude ) to calculate the monthly tropospheric radio refractivity. The site is located in Nigeria's midland climate zone. We also looked into the variation with other factors, the refractivity gradient, and the percentage contribution of the dry term (Ndry) and wet term (Nwet) radio refractivity. The results showed that during the rainy and dry seasons, respectively, the months of August and February had the highest and lowest average values of radio refractivity, measuring 355.032 (N-units) and 273.255 (N-units), respectively. This suggests that radio refractivity is higher during the rainy season than it is during the dry season. The wet term contributes to the significant fluctuation in radio refractivity values, while the dry term makes up 77.60 % of the total value. The average refractivity gradient estimate was found to be – 40.854 N – units/km suggesting super-refraction propagation for Bauchi indicating that electromagnetic waves are often bent downward towards the earth when the super refraction condition occurs.

Gender, climate and landowning: Sources of variability in the weather pattern change and ideal fertility relationship in Sahelian West Africa

This paper advances our understanding of the relationship between climate change and ideal fertility in Sahelian West Africa by exploring sources of variation in that relationship. Using an integrated dataset of Demographic and Health Surveys with monthly rainfall and temperature data, the analyses model dimensions of prospective ideal fertility for young, childless men and women in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. Temperature, particularly in the arid climate zone, is shown to have a positive effect on ideal fertility. Landowning insulates individuals from adjusting their fertility ideals in response to change. Gender-stratified models reveal that under hotter conditions, women have a higher ideal number of children but their ideal gender composition remains relatively balanced, while men do not change their ideal number of children but show a preference for more sons. The increase in ideal fertility in response to weather change may be understood as an increasing need to generate human capital to meet the increased labour demands that climate change brings over both the short and the long term.

Disentangling the impact of climate change, human activities, vegetation dynamics and atmospheric CO2 concentration on soil water use efficiency in global karst landscapes

Soil Water Use Efficiency (SWUE), which quantifies the carbon gain against each unit of soil moisture depletion, represents an essential ecological parameter that delineates the carbon-water coupling within terrestrial ecosystems. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of SWUE, its sensitivity to environmental variables, and the underlying driving mechanisms across various temporal scales in the global karst region are largely uncharted. This study utilized the sensitivity algorithm of partial least squares regression, partial differential equations, and elasticity coefficients to investigate the characteristics of SWUE variations across different climatic zones in the global karst region and their responsiveness to environmental variables. Moreover, the study quantified the individual contributions of climate variability, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, human activities, and vegetation changes to SWUE variations. The results indicated that SWUE across different climatic zones in the global karst region demonstrated an increasing trend from 2000 to 2018, with the most notable improvement observed in the humid zone. SWUE presented regular distribution and variation characteristics across different latitudinal zones at a monthly scale. The sensitivity of SWUE to precipitation was significantly higher compared to its responsiveness to other environmental factors. Additionally, the trend in SWUE's sensitivity to precipitation demonstrated the most significant change. The sensitivity of SWUE to various environmental factors and the trend of this sensitivity in the arid zone revealed significant variation compared to other climatic zones. Gross primary productivity and soil moisture were identified as the intrinsic factors influencing SWUE changes, contributing 16 % and − 84 %, respectively. Climate variability and human activities were identified as the primary exogenous factors contributing to the increase in SWUE, accounting for 76 % and 16 %, respectively. This study advances the understanding of carbon-water coupling in karst regions, providing significant insights into the ecological management of global karst environments amidst climate variations.

Comparison of Different Soil Tillage Methods for Sustainable Agriculture in the Transition Climate Zone in Terms of Seedbed Quality and Green Grass Yield of Triticale-Vetch Mixture

In the research conducted under the conditions of Tokat, silage triticale-vetch mixture-second crop silage corn rotation was applied. The study used four different tillage methods to compare the quality and product yield of the seedbed prepared for silage triticale-vetch mixture. Conventional tillage method (M1), conservation tillage method (M2), reduced tillage method (M3), and direct sowing (M4) methods were applied. Seedbed quality: It was evaluated regarding soil moisture content, bulk density, penetration resistance, degree of soil fragmentation, and surface roughness for depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. The effect of soil tillage methods on porosity, surface roughness, and green grass yield were statistically insignificant. Although there were statistical differences between the methods regarding soil moisture content (MC), bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR), and mean weight diameter values (MWD), the values are within the limit values determined for plant growth. However, crop yield is the same between soil tillage methods. This result shows that alternative tillage methods are applicable when evaluated in sustainable agriculture, which does not create a statistically significant difference in crop yield compared to conventional tillage.

Using deep learning to unravel the structural evolution of block-scale green spaces in urban renewal

Most urban green space (UGS) studies focus on city-level analysis, which is not conducive to urban renewal. We developed a new deep learning approach for characterising the structural evolution of block-scale UGS in urban renewal scenarios. Taking Beijing and Shanghai as models, we first segmented the study areas into block-scale grids and trained a random forest model based on a local climate zone framework to identify the spatial morphological classes of the grids. Second, we established a VGG16-based deep learning model to identify UGS structural types. Finally, we examined the associated patterns of grid spatial morphology and UGS structure under different renewal scenarios. We found that six distinct types of UGS structure are associated with different urban morphological classes. Spatial and temporal variations of UGS structures were observed in terms of direction of conversion, activity level, and extent of improvement to service level. Holistic and micro-renewal approaches drove positive evolution of block-scale UGS structures mainly by reducing building density and via precise optimization, respectively. Our results provide a reference for urban renewal policies and planning guidelines for block-scale UGSs in high-density cities.

Pune City’s Microclimate: An Assessment of Selected Local Climate Zones Using ENVI-Met

The urban fabric of Pune city has undergone massive changes due to diversifying urban functionalities. The study attempts to identify different urban morphological landscapes within the city based on Local Climate Zones (LCZs) configurations. After identification of urban morphology in accordance with the LCZ scheme, the microclimatic simulations for the performance and attenuation of the meteorological parameters that is air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (RH), mean radiant temperature (Tmrt), and wind speed (WS) was accomplished through ENVI-met during the warmest month for the city. The urban landscapes characteristics similar to the proposed LCZ configuration and to collect field data for the chosen meteorological parameters ground survey was done. In addition to field observations, climatological normals and long-term trends for the meteorological parameters were also analyzed. The simulation results revealed that barren lands are warmer (by ~18℃) than the compact city core due to the heat sink effect. For Ta and RH the simulation is more reliable in case of open LCZs (R2~0.9) compared to compact LCZs (R2~0.5). With changing LCZs, there is no significant change in the simulation except continuous underestimation of the Tmrt and the role of wind flow in modifying Tmrt was noticed.

Preliminary screening of plant essential oils from an oceanic climate zone (NW Spain) for the control of equine cyathostomins

Cyathostomins (Strongylida: Cyathostominae) are gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) that affect equines in many parts of the world. Due to anthelmintic resistance (AR), it is necessary to search for control alternatives. The objective of the study was to carry out a screening of 26 essential oils (EOs) from plants to determine in vitro their action on cyathostomins. Essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation from leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of the selected species and used against the eggs of cyathostomins by means of the tests of egg hatching and larval motility inhibition. For each EO, different concentrations were prepared (250, 125, 62.5, 31.3, 15.6, 7.8, 3.9, 2.0, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.24 mg/mL). Oxfendazole at 2.5% mixed with closantel 5% was used as positive control, and PBS served as negative control. Cyathostomin eggs were obtained from feces of infected horses and infective larvae were recovered after coproculture. The in vitro test was carried out 36 h after the challenge with the EOs. The highest production of EOs was obtained from leaves of bay, eucalyptus, mallow, and basil, as well as from seeds of black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, anise, and peel of orange and cloves, cumin, and Lawson’s cypress. The oils extracted from laurel leaves, ground cinnamon, anise, cumin, and coriander seeds had a very high effect on cyathostomins eggs up to concentrations lower than 3.9 mg/mL. Therefore, in addition to the uses against other pathogens such as fungi and bacteria, some EOs might attain great importance as an alternative control strategy in the control of nematode eggs.

Sustainability of telework: Systematic quantification of the impact of teleworking on the energy use and emissions of offices and homes

Previous research has explored the impact of telework on homes and offices separately, but it is necessary to examine these domains together, as energy savings in one may be offset by increased consumption in the other. Therefore, the present study aims to fill this gap by quantifying the impact of telework on the energy use of homes and offices simultaneously. Using a medium office building reference model and four home models, the present study simulates telework scenarios from 0 % teleworking to 100 % teleworking in 20 % increments in six different Canadian climate zones in EnergyPlus. The results show homes and offices with technologies that adapt to occupancy levels (adaptable) consume less energy and produce less emissions compared to inadaptable ones. However, energy use associated with homes increases slightly due to longer hours of occupancy. Emissions associated with telework depend on the impact of telework on internal heat gains, climate zones, and sources of energy (emission factors). The results demonstrate that the increase in energy consumption associated with various teleworking scenarios ranges from approximately 0.6 %–6.1 %. Similarly, the increase in emissions varies, ranging from nearly 0.5 % to 7.6 %. The present study is the first comprehensive study that considers the home type and size and other statistical data for different Canadian climate zones. The results have major implications for employers and policymakers aiming to adopt telework as a sustainable practice. The results of this study create the foundation for future comprehensive studies on teleworker behavior, transportation, and the internet use associated with telework.

Advancing toward a sustainable future in subtropical semi-arid type climatic zone: Iraq case - The progress of solar photovoltaic energy implementation

The study delves into Iraq's shift towards sustainable energy, focusing on solar photovoltaic energy adoption and expansion to meet rising energy demands and the need for cleaner energy solutions. It highlights the potential of harnessing solar energy, particularly through small-scale solar PV systems, supported by incentives like net metering programs that encourage surplus energy feed-in to the grid. Using Geographic Information System data, the paper examines the spatial distribution of solar PV installations and projects the capacities of rooftop solar PV systems by 2035 under various promising scenarios. It also demonstrates the link between increased solar PV capacity and meeting national energy demands, underscoring the importance of strategic policies, technological advancements, and the engagement of consumers and businesses in driving Iraq towards a sustainable energy future. By fostering an environment conducive to solar PV adoption, the results offers valuable insights for ongoing discussions and future studies on renewable energy strategies in Iraq.

Temperature exposure and health inequality

This paper analyzes the relationship among temperature exposure, health inequality, and adaptive behavior in China, a country with diverse climate zones ranging from the cold, arid northwest to the warm, humid south. Utilizing follow-up survey data spanning from 2000 to 2015, this paper constructs a measure of health inequality at the community level. Our findings reveal that extremely cold or hot days increase the health inequality at the community level. Specifically, with each incremental rise in the day’s extreme temperature, the Gini coefficient of community health rises by 0.0032, which constitutes approximately 0.4% of the community average. Furthermore, vulnerable communities, which are characterized by low average income, education levels, per capita electricity consumption, and urbanization, are highly susceptible to the effects of extreme temperatures on health equality. From the perspective of adaptive behavior, residents in high-income communities exhibit elevated electricity consumption and engage in frequent preventive health check-ups during extreme temperature exposure. This phenomenon may exacerbate social polarization because well-resourced individuals and communities are better equipped to withstand the challenges posed by climate change and extreme weather events compared with impoverished ones. Addressing this disparity requires local managers to implement comprehensive policies and interventions that can enhance the adaptability of low-income communities, improve public health facilities, and promote social equity.

Mitigating urban heat and air pollution considering green and transportation infrastructure

Global urbanization is causing an increase in population and transportation along with a reduction of green spaces. This phenomenon is leading to the development of Urban Heat Island (UHI) and Urban Pollution Island (UPI) effects, negatively impacting the urban environment. Numerous mitigation strategies have been proposed to reduce heat and air pollution. However, the combined impact of green and transportation infrastructure and their potential to mitigate heat and air pollution remains partially understood. This review aims to contribute by systematically investigating studies on mitigation strategies for urban green and transportation infrastructure from 2003 to 2023. These strategies are classified into two types: green infrastructure-related (greenery, green roofs, and green walls) and transportation-related (transportation fuel, transportation networks, and transportation organization systems). The findings are presented under five aspects: (1) Most research on transportation infrastructure adopts qualitative research methods, whereas research on green infrastructure tends to adopt quantitative methods; (2) Developed countries prioritize upgrading their transportation fuel, while developing countries remain inclined towards developing urban green spaces; (3) In subtropical and temperate zones, green roofs and green walls may cool the local ambient (within 1 m above the surface) by up to 10℃, whereas the cooling effect in other climate zones is within 5℃; (4) More focus was put on reducing the surface temperature rather than the air temperature. Green roofs and green walls are found to cool the former 2–3 times more than the latter; (5) Green infrastructure in the subtropical zone is 1.2 to 2 times more effective at adsorbing gaseous pollutants than in the temperate zone. This review can assist policymakers, urban planners and researchers in effectively mitigating urban heat and air pollution, and guide future research endeavors.