Rainforest Climate Research Articles

High intestinal parasite infection detected in children from Regi\xf3n Aut\xf3noma Atl\xe1ntico Norte (R.A.A.N.) of Nicaragua

There is a lack of epidemiological information concerning intestinal parasitic infections, and especially in soil-transmitted helminths, occurring in some departments of Nicaragua. Up to now, this is the first study involving two nearby areas (Puerto Cabezas and Siuna municipalities) of the Región Autónoma Atlántico Norte (R.A.A.N.). One stool sample was analyzed by Kato-Katz, formaldehyde-ethyl acetate concentration method and modified Ziehl–Neelsen technique, and a simple questionnaire concerning demographic, sanitary and behavioral data was distributed among 735 children and evaluated. Overall prevalence of infection reached 97.0%, being the highest prevalences detected in all Nicaragua. The higher protozoan prevalence appears in Siuna (94.5%), a rural interior municipality, with a typical tropical monsoon climate, while the higher helminths rates were reached in Puerto Cabezas (92.8%), the urbanized coastal capital, with a typical tropical rainforest climate. No statistical differences were found with regard to sex. However, the 6–11-year age-group children presented the highest prevalences. Most T. trichiura infections (59.4%) were of light intensity, while 51.7% of Ascaris lumbricoides were of moderate intensity. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that those who drink rainwater and walk barefoot were 2.9 and 2.5 times more likely to have helminth infections, respectively. Results from one geographical setting might not be applied to other nearby with different climatic conditions. The use of anthelmintic drugs only will not be sufficient to bring prevalence to low levels. It is necessary to design geographically more specific intervention, with communication and interaction between different disciplines (e.g. parasitology, biochemistry, molecular biology, epidemiology, public health, etc.) being imperative to reduce STH infection.

Ethological behavior of Bos taurus, Bos indicus, and Caqueteño Creole cattle in three tree cover systems of Brachiaria decumbens paddocks at the Amazon foothills in Colombia

The study was conducted at the Amazon Research Center CIMAZ - MACAGUAL of the University of Amazonia, Colombia, with a tropical rain forest climate (Af). The behavior of Bos taurus, Bos indicus, and Caqueteño Creole cattle, the animals were observed in paddocks with three levels of scattered tree cover density. The pasture was composed of Braquiaria decumbens with 35 days of regrowth. Direct observations were made from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with 10-minute intervals between the recording of the activities. The activity performed most often during the day by all of the animals was grazing under the sun, and those who pasture the most are the Caqueteño Creole, followed by the Bos indicus and, finally, the Bos taurus. Ruminating was the second most important activity performed by the cattle, having presented the same tendency. In the paddocks with a low level of tree cover, the animals pasture more in the shade; this trend is more relevant among B. taurus cattle. Caqueteño Creole cattle dedicate less time to water consumption and rest, spending more time grazing, in the high and medium cover levels, they interrupt the grazing at noon for a shorter time compared to B. indicus and B. taurus; after 2 p.m., the creoles vertiginously increase grazing. At the high cover level, the peak of grazing of the Caqueteño Creoles is at 9 a.m. and from 1-1:30 p.m., while at the medium tree cover level, the peak of pasturing was at noon, 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m., at the high tree level of cover, the peak for the three breeds was at 11 a.m. Only at the average tree level of cover did the Caquetaño creoles and B. indicus present a similar peak. In 9-9:30 a.m. and 4-5 p.m., the breeds substantially reduce rumination.

Engineering the Lipid and Fatty Acid Metabolism in Yarrowia lipolytica for Sustainable Production of High Oleic Oils

Oleic acid is widely applied in the chemical, material, nutritional, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the current production of oleic acid via high oleic plant oils is limited by the long growth cycle and climatic constraints. Moreover, the global demand for high oleic plant oils, especially the palm oil, has emerged as the driver of tropical deforestation causing tropical rainforest destruction, climate change, and biodiversity loss. In the present study, an alternative and sustainable strategy for high oleic oil production was established by reprogramming the metabolism of the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica using a two-layer "push-pull-block" strategy. Specifically, the fatty acid synthesis pathway was first engineered to increase oleic acid proportion by altering the fatty acid profiles. Then, the content of storage oils containing oleic acid was boosted by engineering the synthesis and degradation pathways of triacylglycerides. The strain resulting from this two-layer engineering strategy produced the highest titer of high oleic microbial oil reaching 56 g/L with 84% oleic acid in fed-batch fermentation, representing a remarkable improvement of a 110-fold oil titer and 2.24-fold oleic acid proportion compared with the starting strain. This alternative and sustainable method for high oleic oil production shows the potential of substitute planting.

Oligocene Climate Changes of Java

The study of palynology performed on the Oligocene marine sediment of the East Java Sea provides excellent recovery which allows the construction of palynological succession which applies regionally (Lelono et. al., 2011). In fact, this succession is characterized by assemblages that suggest climatic changes. These assemblages are divided into two major groups including mangrove and hinterland. The hinterland pollen group shows the most interesting succession, with elements on the one hand suggesting everwet climates (Dacrydium and Casuarina), and seasonal elements on the other (Gramineae, Schoutenia and Malvacipollis diversus). Mangrove pollen however suggests strong environmental control since mangrove pollen shows different abundance variations in the two wells. The age of the studied succession is independently defined using combined marine micro-fossils of foraminifer and nannoplankton which indicate Early to Late Oligocene. Although for most of the Oligocene in Southeast Asia, seasonal climate assemblages are the rule, this study interpretes the appearence of everwet climates. The Early Oligocene is characterized by common rain forest elements, suggesting an everwet rain forest climate at that time. The early part of the Late Oligocene, however, contains much reduced rain forest elements, and the presence of regular Gramineae pollen, suggesting a more seasonal climate, whereas for the latest Late Oligocene, rain forest (and peat swamp) elements return in abundance, suggesting a very wet rain forest climate. In fact, Java region experienced the wettest climate during Oligocene which probably reflected a wet climate fringe to the eastern margin of Sundaland prior to the collision of the Australian and Asian plates at the Oligo-Miocene boundary.

Global incidence of helminthic contamination of vegetables, cucurbits and fruits: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Accidental ingestion of infective stages of helminths through consumption of contaminated vegetables and fruits causes a wide range of food-borne diseases in humans. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the global incidence of helminthic contamination of vegetables, cucurbits and fruits. Several databases (Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched for literature published prior to November 2020. Overally, 184 articles (32 countries) met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 137 studies documented helminthic contamination in vegetables, 46 in cucurbits and 9 were in fruits. The pooled incidence (95% confidence interval) was 31% (26%–37%) for vegetables, 20% (14%–27%) for cucurbits and 20% (8%–37%) for fruits. The highest incidence rate was found in the Western Pacific WHO region (54%; 9%–95%). The most prevalent parasitic agents were Ascaris lumbricoides eggs (12%; 9%–15%) and Strongyloides stercoralis larvae (12%; 8%–16%) in vegetables, S. stercoralis larvae (10%; 5%–15%) and Toxocara spp. eggs (10%; 3%–21%) in cucurbits, and Trichuris trichiura eggs (9%; 1%–22%) in fruits. The highest incidence rate was found to be associated with lower-middle income countries (34%, 28%–41%) and regions with a tropical rainforest climate (50%, 10%–91%). The potential role of vegetables, cucurbits, and fruits in the spread of helminthic parasites was revealed. Utilizing clean water for irrigation, proper washing and cooking of vegetables and improved sanitary practices can decrease the public health hazard regarding the consumption of vegetables, cucurbits, and fruits.

Watershed Classification Predicts Streamflow Regime and Organic Carbon Dynamics in the Northeast Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest

AbstractWatershed classification has long been a key tool in the hydrological sciences, but few studies have been extended to biogeochemistry. We developed a combined hydro‐biogeochemical classification for watersheds draining to the coastal margin of the Northeast Pacific coastal temperate rainforest (1,443,062 km2), including 2,695 small coastal rivers (SCR) and 10 large continental watersheds. We used cluster analysis to group SCR watersheds into 12 types, based on watershed properties. The most important variables for distinguishing SCR watershed types were evapotranspiration, slope, snowfall, and total precipitation. We used both streamflow and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) measurements from rivers (n = 104 and 90 watersheds respectively) to validate the classification. Watershed types corresponded with broad differences in streamflow regime, mean annual runoff, DOC seasonality, and mean DOC concentration. These links between watershed type and river conditions enabled the first region‐wide empirical characterization of river hydro‐biogeochemistry at the land‐sea margin, spanning extensive ungauged and unsampled areas. We found very high annual runoff (mean > 3,000 mm, n = 10) in three watershed types totaling 59,024 km2 and ranging from heavily glacierized mountain watersheds with high flow in summer to a rain‐fed mountain watershed type with high flow in fall‐winter. DOC hotspots (mean > 4 mg L−1, n = 14) were found in three other watershed types (48,557 km2) with perhumid rainforest climates and less‐mountainous topography. We described four patterns of DOC seasonality linked to watershed hydrology, with fall‐flushing being widespread. Hydro‐biogeochemical watershed classification may be useful for other complex regions with sparse observation networks.

High-resolution tropical rain-forest canopy climate data

Abstract Canopy habitats challenge researchers with their intrinsically difficult access. The current scarcity of climatic data from forest canopies limits our understanding of the conditions and environmental variability of these diverse and dynamic habitats. We present 307 days of climate records collected between 2019 and 2020 in the tropical rainforest canopy of the Yasuní National Park, Ecuador. We monitored climate with a 10-min temporal resolution in the middle crowns of eight canopy trees. The distance between canopy climate stations ranged from 700 m to 10 km. Apart from air temperature, relative humidity, leaf wetness, and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), measured in each canopy climate station, global radiation, rainfall, and wind speed were measured in different subsets of them. We processed the eight data series to omit erroneous records resulting from sensor failures or lack of the solar-based power supply. In addition to the eight original data series, we present three derived data series, two aggregating canopy climate for valleys or for ridges (from four stations each), and one overall average (from the eight stations). This last derived data series contains 306 days, while the shortest of the original data series covers 22 days and the longest 296 days. In addition to the data, two open-source tools, developed in RStudio, are presented that facilitate data visualization (a dashboard) and data exploration (a filtering app) of the original and aggregated records.

Rainfall Variability and Trends over the African Continent Using TAMSAT Data (1983–2020): Towards Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation

This study reveals rainfall variability and trends in the African continent using TAMSAT data from 1983 to 2020. In the study, a Mann–Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope estimator were used to analyze rainfall trends and their magnitude, respectively, under monthly, seasonal, and annual timeframes as an indication of climate change using different natural and geographical contexts (i.e., sub-regions, climate zones, major river basins, and countries). The study finds that the highest annual rainfall trends were recorded in Rwanda (11.97 mm/year), the Gulf of Guinea (river basin 8.71 mm/year), the tropical rainforest climate zone (8.21 mm/year), and the Central African region (6.84 mm/year), while Mozambique (−0.437 mm/year), the subtropical northern desert (0.80 mm/year), the west coast river basin of South Africa (−0.360 mm/year), and the Northern Africa region (1.07 mm/year) show the lowest annual rainfall trends. There is a statistically significant increase in the rainfall in the countries of Africa’s northern and central regions, while there is no statistically significant change in the countries of the southern and eastern regions. In terms of climate zones, in the tropical northern desert climates, tropical northern peninsulas, and tropical grasslands, there is a significant increase in rainfall over the entire timeframe of the month, season, and year. This implies that increased rainfall will have a positive effect on the food security of the countries in those climatic zones. Since a large percentage of Africa’s agriculture is based only on rainfall (i.e., rain-fed agriculture), increasing trends in rainfall can assist climate resilience and adaptation, while declining rainfall trends can badly affect it. This information can be crucial for decision-makers concerned with effective crop planning and water resource management. The rainfall variability and trend analysis of this study provide important information to decision-makers that need to effectively mitigate drought and flood risk.

Quality reference values for trace metals in Podzols, Ferralsols, and Acrisols of Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

In tropical coastal forest ecosystems, human activities spread rapidly. It is, therefore, necessary to define soil quality. For this, the determination of the natural content of trace metals is an essential step. This study aims to understand the distribution of trace metals in the main soils of tropical coastal rainforest ecosystems: Ferralsols, Acrisols, and Podzols, in Bahia state, Brazil. After morphological, chemical, and physical characterization and classification of the soils, the concentration of trace metals was investigated both in soil profiles and in surface composite samples (national guideline recommendation), in five locations for each soil class. The soils were classified as Geric Ferralsol, Haplic Acrisol, Chromic Acrisol, and Ortsteinic Carbic Albic Endogleyic Podzol. Concentrations of metals differed significantly between soil classes. Even under tropical rainforest climate during soil formation, the parent rock material still influences geochemistry. Al, Fe, Mo, Ni, V, and Zn accumulate in Ferralsols, while Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, and Mn accumulate in Acrisols. In the Podzols, metals highly accumulate in B spodic horizon. The data highlights that composite sampling strictly based on soil layers and not horizons (as the national guideline recommends) can cause significant misinterpretations. Instead, the multivariate regression models provided consistent data, accurately predicting the pseudo-total concentrations of trace metals in individual soil samples. The regression method is fast and low cost and provides a reliable geochemical baseline for the definition of reference values.

The effect of forest area change in tropical islands towards baseflow and streamflow

Baseflow is a very important component in maintaining river flow. Baseflow is generated from groundwater flow. Baseflow is very important role in water conservation. Indonesia is located in a tropical climate. Based on the Koppen climate classification, Indonesia is included in the tropical rainforest climate (type Af), so that the characteristics of the climate, soil, flora and fauna are unique. About 70% of Indonesia’s territory consists of water. Baseflow in the tropical island region has a unique characteristic. This research aimed to obtain the knowledge on the effect of forest area change in tropical islands towards the characteristics of baseflow and streamflow that involved RDF filter parameter calibration, baseflow contribution towards streamflow based on the Baseflow Index (BFI) and Q90 on Q50 ratio, rain contribution on the total baseflow, baseflow stream domination, and discharge stability of streamflow. This research was conducted in three sub watersheds with forest area percentage of ±18% Bango Sub watershed, ±23% Brantas Hulu Sub watershed, and ±59% Cobanrondo Sub watershed. The results showed that One Parameter Algorhitm method satisfied the application of baseflow separation. There was a positive correlation between rain and baseflow. Baseflow dominated the streamflow in the research location. The greater the forest area, the more stable the flow condition from year to year.

MODIS high-resolution MAIAC aerosol product: Global validation and analysis

This paper attempt to verify the accuracy of the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) aerosol optical depth (AOD) product on a global scale using AOD measurements during 2000–2019 at 332 Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) sites. The results indicate that MAIAC AOD retrievals are highly correlated with ground-based AOD measurements. The correlation coefficients (R) are greater than 0.8 at more than 68% of AERONET sites. Meanwhile, the performance of MAIAC AOD retrievals in different climate zones is also investigated. The accuracy of MAIAC AOD retrievals is high (within expected error (EE) = 87.49% and 83.15%) in the regions of tropical rainforest climate and tropical open forest climate. Then, the uncertainties and estimation deviation of MAIAC AOD retrievals in various land-cover-types are analyzed. The results find that the MAIAC AOD retrievals show high correlation with aerosol measurements in the forest (within EE > 95%), while the poor accuracy is always observed in the barren areas (within EE = 62.56%, RMSE = 0.12). The uncertainty of the MAIAC AOD retrievals is not only related to the satellite and solar geometries, but also depends on the aerosol conditions, which become larger with the increase of aerosol loading and Ångstrom exponent (AE). Finally, the spatial variations of AOD values over the world are investigated. High AOD values are mainly distributed in Central Africa, Saudi Arabia, Southern Asia and China.

Case Study Comparing Effects of Microplastic Derived from Bottle Caps Collected in Two Cities on Triticum aestivum (Wheat)

As plastic has become an integral component of daily life, microplastic has become a ubiquitous, unavoidable constituent of nearly all ecosystems. Besides monitoring the amount and distribution of microplastic in the environment, it is necessary to understand the possible direct effects, especially toxicity and how it is affected by environmental factors where it is discarded. The present study investigated how microplastic derived from high-density polyethylene bottle caps collected in two climatically different cities, i.e., Singapore (tropical rainforest climate) and Lahti, Finland (continental climate), affected the essential agricultural grain crop, Triticum aestivum (L.). Wheat seedlings were exposed to microplastic derived from these collected bottle caps, as well as new and artificially aged caps, for seven days. Morphological parameters, such as root and shoot length and oxidative stress development, were measured. Exposure to microplastic derived from the caps resulted in reduced seedling root and shoot lengths compared to the controls, as well as enhanced lipid peroxidation and catalase activity. With all parameters tested, microplastic derived from Lahti bottle caps exhibited more severe effects than Singapore, which was similar to that elicited by new microplastic. The Singapore microplastic had possibly leached its toxic substances before collection due to accelerated degradation promoted by the prevailing warmer climate conditions.

Effect of Phase Change Materials on the Thermal Performance of Residential Building Located in Different Cities of a Tropical Rainforest Climate Zone

This study aims to investigate the thermal performance of PCM and PCM combined with nighttime natural (NV) and mechanical ventilation (MV) applied to a residential building located in eight cities of tropical rainforest climate zone (Af). The analysis was accomplished using numerical simulations and developing a unique methodology for selecting the PCM melting temperature based on the thermal comfort limits. The thermal performance of the PCM integrated building was quantitatively evaluated using the concept of peak temperature drop. Additionally, a novel indicator of Total Temperature Drop (TTD) was introduced to determine the overall impact of the PCM and PCM combined with NV/MV on the thermal comfort conditions inside the building. The results showed that PCM 28 was the most efficient in improving the thermal performance of the building located in the Af climate zone, achieving a TTD of up to 356 °C per year. The usage of PCM 28 combined with nighttime natural ventilation improved the TTD values by up to 15%, whereas the integration of PCM 28 combined with mechanical ventilation resulted in a TTD values increase of up to 45%. Conclusively, mechanical ventilation showed its superiority over natural ventilation in the tropical rainforest climate, and PCM 28 applied together with mechanical ventilation could be used as the optimum combination for the whole climate zone.

Assessment of potential risks induced by increasing extreme precipitation under climate change

A warmer climate has caused more extreme climate events like the heatwave or extreme precipitation, which has led to a large number of lives and economic losses. In this study, we adopt historical daily precipitation from rainfall estimates on a gridded network (REGEN) and future daily projections from 10 general circulation models (GCMs) to analyze the potential risks of extreme precipitation due to changes in the magnitude and frequency. We calculate the 10-year and 100-year return levels by fitting the partial duration series (PDS) data with the generalized Pareto (GP) distribution. The potential risks are quantified in two terms: by the ratio of the magnitude to the threshold and by the exceedance frequency comparing to the theoretical value. The results show that in the future, about 46% of the world may suffer from mid or high risk of change in extreme precipitation. Most regions show higher risk due to the increased frequency of extreme precipitation events under the RCP8.5 scenario. The high risk of humid regions mainly appears under the RCP8.5 scenario and is mainly driven by frequency change, while that of arid regions appears under both the scenarios and is driven by both the frequency and magnitude change. The tropical rainforest climate areas of South America (SA (N)), the tropical savanna or tropical wet monsoon and tropical dry areas of South Asia (SA), and the subarctic climate areas of Northern Asia (NOA) may suffer more risks from the view of both magnitude and frequency changes of extreme precipitation.

Performance loss rates of floating photovoltaic installations in the tropics

Floating photovoltaics (FPV) is a relatively new concept for the PV community. The operating environment of FPV systems is different from that of conventional PV systems and offers the potential advantage of higher energy yield. Consequently, there is a rapid increase recently in both the installed and planned capacity of FPV systems worldwide. However, there exists a lack of knowledge and data about the performance stability of FPV systems. This paper presents, for the first time, a detailed analysis of the performance stability of FPV systems from one of the largest FPV testbeds worldwide, located on the Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore (tropical rainforest climate). The study is based on data gathered during the operation period of April 2017 to March 2020. Three commonly-used statistical methods are deployed to calculate performance loss rates (PLRs) — ordinary least squares (OLS), seasonal and trend decomposition using locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (STL) and year-on-year (YoY) methods. The mean PLRs of eight monitored FPV strings (all deploying crystalline silicon modules) based on OLS, STL and YoY are −0.7, −0.5 and −0.5%/year, respectively; the median annual PLRs (in the same order) are −0.6, −0.5 and −0.5%/year, respectively. These values are in line with the performance warranty from PV module manufacturers. Furthermore, a comparison is also made to two monitored PV strings (both deploying crystalline silicon modules) from a nearby rooftop reference system. Overall, there is no significant difference in the performance stability between the rooftop and the FPV installations in the testbed during the first three years of operation.

Eucalypts for Tropical Rainforest (Af) climate

Abstract The equatorial region of the world includes areas of Tropical Rainforest (Af) and Tropical Monsoon (Am) climate zones, which are distinguished by high temperatures and high rainfall, but soils which are often deficient. Potential productivity of plantation forestry in this area is high, and so are the pest and disease dangers which threaten it. This paper describes the Eucalyptus and Corymbia species which are adapted to this situation and also resistant to the main diseases like leaf blights. Based on the highly adapted E. biterranea and E. deglupta and several more, hybridization combined with vegetative propagation is discussed as an excellent alternative to obtain quick gains in short rotations while maintaining wide genetic diversity in such plantations. Management remedies are given for the possible backlash of quick soil depletion.

Hourly performance forecast of a dew point cooler using explainable Artificial Intelligence and evolutionary optimisations by 2050

The empirical success of the Artificial Intelligence (AI), has enhanced importance of the transparency in black box Machine Learning (ML) models. This study pioneers in developing an explainable and interpretable Deep Neural Network (DNN) model for a Guideless Irregular Dew Point Cooler (GIDPC). The game theory based SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method is used to interpret contribution of the operating conditions on performance parameters. Furthermore, in a response to the endeavours in developing more efficient metaheuristic optimisation algorithms for the energy systems, two Evolutionary Optimisation (EO) algorithms including a novel bio-inspired algorithm i.e., Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), are employed to simultaneously maximise the cooling efficiency and minimise the construction cost of the GIDPC. Additionally, performance of the optimised GIDPCs are compared in both statistical and deterministic way. The comparisons are carried out in diverse climates in 2020 and 2050 in which the hourly future weather data are projected using a high-emission scenario defined by Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). The results revealed that the hourly COP of the optimised systems outperform the base design. Although power consumption of all systems increases from 2020 to 2050, owing to more operating hours as a result of global warming, but power savings of up to 72%, 69.49%, 63.24%, and 69.21% in hot summer continental, Arid, tropical rainforest and Mediterranean hot summer climates respectively, can be achieved when the systems run optimally.

A review of design, construction, and performance of permeable asphalt mixes in rainy countries: case of Colombia

Colombia is located in a tropical region, characterized by a predominant humid rainforest climate. In rainy seasons, traffic accidents are more likely to occur due to the wet condition of the pavement. To overcome this situation, permeable asphalt mixes (PAM) represent a feasible alternative to evacuate runoff water from the surface asphalt layer. PAM are discontinuously-graded asphalt mixes with a high content of air voids (AV) allowing a surface macrotexture and a high hydraulic conductivity attaining safer roads. Over the last decade, road concessionaires -private sector firms that build and operate roads in Colombia for periods consisting of twenty to thirty years- have developed projects employing PAM as top layers over primary-level roads (Inter-state). In consequence, the gained experiences using PAM are varied; some agencies have reported satisfactory behavior, whereas others have reported raveling as the primary distress at the end of their life cycle and then discontinuing its use. This paper aims at providing an overview of the design, construction, and performance of PAM in rainy countries. After explaining the current design practice in Colombia, three case-studies are reported and comprehensively analyzed, considering functionality and durability. From these analyses and compared to abroad experiences, some insights are given to improve the current practice based on performance criteria particularly for rainy countries. At the end, this paper represents a contribution towards the state-of-practice and implementation of PAM in countries with heavy rainfall regimes.

Analyses Water Bodies Effect in Mitigation of Urban Heat Effect: Case Study Small Size Cities Kuching, Sarawak

United Nations in 2019 predicted by 2050, approximately 70% of humans will live in urban areas. The development without a proper plan can leading a treat to the environment and increasing the urban heat effect. The urban heat effect is where the condition the temperature in urban areas higher than rural. It becomes highly essential subject areas due to continues urban growth to fulfill the demand of the migration population from rural areas to urban areas. In general, prior work is limited to a subset of urban green space in mitigation of urban heat island. Hence, the effect of water bodies has not studied extensively, particularly in the tropical rainforest climate. Thus, understanding this is a key to uncover the origin of the influence land use/land cover in water bodies’ effects on urban heat effect. For this study, the following critical data from Landsat 5 TM in the year 1988 and Landsat 8 TIR OLI. The first step this studied applied pre-processing, namely geometric correction, radiometric correction, and atmosphere correction. The second stage generates the land surface temperature (LST) for the year 1988 and 2019. The third stage performs 200 samplings, which 100 samplings to north and 100 to the south from Sarawak river. The measurement of LST takes from water bodies following next every 100 meters until it reached 1000 meters. The result did not demonstrate a direct correlation between distance water bodies and LST. The land use and land cover type of active influence on the LST pattern than the distance waterbody effect. However, the distance for water below 200 meters shows a strong relationship between LST. It notable that a close correlation exists between the LST distance of water bodies at this below 200 meters. The effect of the waterbody in reducing the LST at urban heat was active at a distance of 200 meters and below. There were clear benefits to be seen in the mitigation of urban heat islands. The theoretically should provide further interest to urban planners and policymakers to develop sustainable cities.

Interview: Sir Tim Smit

As the Eden Project celebrates its 20th anniversary, its CEO and thought leader Sir Tim Smit reflects on the technological achievement and educational impact of simulating rainforest and Mediterranean climates in a clay pit in rural Cornwall.