Search Results (2,575)

Recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer following the ban on ozone-depleting substances represents one of the most successful examples of international environmental policy. However, the long-term fate of ozone under continuing climate change remains uncertain. We present the first multi-century projections of ozone evolution to 2200 using emission-driven CMIP7 scenarios in the SOCOL-MPIOM chemistry-climate model. Our results show that despite the elimination of halogenated compounds, total column ozone exhibits non-monotonic evolution, with an initial increase of 8–12% by 2080–2100, followed by a decline to 2200, remaining 4.5–7% above the 2020 baseline. Stratospheric ozone at 50 hPa shows a monotonic decline of 2–11% by 2200 across all scenarios, with no recovery despite ongoing Montreal Protocol implementation. Critically, even in the high-overshoot scenario where CO₂ concentrations decline from 830 to 350 ppm between 2100 and 2200, stratospheric ozone continues to decrease. Intensification of the Brewer-Dobson circulation in warmer climates reduces ozone residence time in the tropical stratosphere, decreasing photochemical production efficiency. This dynamic effect outweighs the reduction in ozone-depleting substances, leading to persistent stratospheric ozone depletion despite total column ozone enhancements in polar regions. Spatial analysis reveals pronounced regional differentiation: Antarctic regions show sustained total column enhancement of +18–26% by 2190–2200, while tropical regions decline to levels below baseline (−4 to −5%). Our results reveal fundamental asymmetry between climate forcing and ozone response, with characteristic adjustment timescales of 100–200 years, and have critical implications for long-term atmospheric protection policy. Full article

Under the dual pressures of global climate change and accelerating urbanization, landscape design has been tasked with the critical mission of enhancing urban environmental resilience and ecological livability. However, conventional design practices often struggle to efficiently integrate complex sustainability norms with aesthetic creativity, leading to a disconnect between form and function. To address this issue, this study proposes and validates an AI-enabled sustainability decision-support framework. The framework is based on a “Generative-Critical” multi-agent workflow that enables “Self-Correcting” iterative optimization of design schemes through a built-in expert knowledge base and a quantitative scorecard. The framework’s effectiveness was validated through a cultural park case study and a blind evaluation by 10 experts. It guided a design from an initial concept with only aesthetic forms and lacking effective stormwater management, to an ecologically integrated scheme that strategically incorporated bioretention ponds at key nodes and converted hard plazas into permeable pavements. This transformation significantly elevated the scheme’s sustainability score from 59.3 to 88.0 (p < 0.001), while the framework itself achieved a high system usability scale (SUS) score of 85.5. These results confirm that the proposed “Generative-Critical” mechanism can effectively guide AIGC to adhere to ecological-technical norms and constraints while pursuing aesthetic innovation, thereby achieving a scientific integration of aesthetic form and ecological function at the early conceptual design stage. This study offers a scalable methodology for AI-assisted sustainable design and provides a novel intelligent tool for creating resilient urban landscapes that possess both environmental performance and aesthetic value. Full article

Driven by global initiatives to mitigate climate change, the offshore wind power industry is experiencing rapid growth. Personnel transfer between service operation vessels (SOVs) and offshore wind turbines under complex sea conditions remains a critical factor governing the safety and efficiency of operation and maintenance (O&M) activities. This study establishes a fully coupled dynamic response and control simulation framework for an SOV equipped with an active motion-compensated gangway. A numerical model of the SOV is first developed using potential flow theory and frequency-domain multi-body hydrodynamics to predict realistic vessel motions, which serve as excitation inputs to a co-simulation environment (MATLAB/Simulink coupled with MSC Adams) representing the Stewart platform-based gangway. To address system nonlinearity and coupling, a composite control strategy integrating velocity and dynamic feedforward with three-loop PID feedback is proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the composite strategy achieves an average disturbance isolation degree of 21.81 dB, significantly outperforming traditional PID control. Validation is conducted using a ship motion simulation platform and a combined wind–wave basin with a 1:10 scaled prototype. Experimental results confirm high compensation accuracy, with heave variation maintained within 1.6 cm and a relative error between simulation and experiment of approximately 18.2%. These findings demonstrate the framework’s capability to ensure safe personnel transfer by effectively isolating complex vessel motions and validate the reliability of the coupled dynamic model for offshore operational forecasting. Full article

The study establishes a comprehensive mathematical modeling framework for solar-driven hydrogen production by integrating a triple-diode photovoltaic (PV) model, an alkaline electrolyzer, and a hydrogen turbine (H₂T), subsequently using hybrid power utilization to optimize hydrogen output. The Triple-Diode Model (TDM) accurately reproduces the electrical performance of a 144-cell photovoltaic module under standard test conditions (STC), enabling precise calculations of hourly maximum power point outputs based on real-world conditions of global horizontal irradiance and ambient temperature. The photovoltaic system produced 1.07 MWh during the summer months (May to September 2025), which was sent straight to the alkaline electrolyzer. The electrolyzer, using Specific Energy Consumption (SEC)-based formulations and Faraday’s law, produced 22.6 kg of green hydrogen and used around 203 L of water. The generated hydrogen was later utilized to power a hydrogen turbine (H₂T), producing 414.6 kWh, which was then integrated with photovoltaic power to create a hybrid renewable energy source. This hybrid design increased hydrogen production to 31.4 kg, indicating a substantial improvement in renewable hydrogen output. All photovoltaic, electrolyzer, and turbine models were integrated into a cohesive MATLAB R2024b framework, allowing for an exhaustive depiction of system dynamics. The findings validate that the amalgamation of H₂T with photovoltaic-driven electrolysis may significantly improve both renewable energy and hydrogen production. This research aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 and global clean-energy initiatives, including the Paris Agreement, to tackle climate change and its negative impacts. An integrated green hydrogen system, informed by this study’s findings, could significantly improve energy sustainability, strengthen production reliability, and augment hydrogen output, fully aligning with economical, technical, and environmental objectives. Full article

Urban resilience has emerged as a critical paradigm for addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change, rapid urbanization, and social inequality, positioning green public spaces as catalysts for social, ecological, and institutional transformation. This article presents a systematic review conducted under the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, examining how collaborative and community participation influenced transformative urban resilience in green public spaces between 2021 and 2025. A total of 6179 records were initially identified across ScienceDirect and MDPI (last search: July 2025), of which 26 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed, empirical, published 2021–2025). Methodological rigor was strengthened through the application of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018) and confidence in qualitative evidence was assessed using the GRADE-CERQual approach, enhancing transparency and reliability. Data extraction and synthesis followed a theoretical-methodological coding framework, allowing for the comparison of participatory strategies, typologies of green spaces, resilience dimensions, and applied instruments. The results show that multi-actor co-management, co-design, and community self-organization are the most frequent participatory strategies, while urban green infrastructure, pocket parks, and urban gardens constitute the predominant spatial contexts. Socio-ecological and social-participatory resilience emerged as dominant theoretical perspectives, with qualitative and mixed-methods designs prevailing across studies. Evidence synthesis through GRADE-CERQual identified seven key pathways—multi-actor co-management, Nature-based Solutions, community-based actions, social equity, cultural identity, institutional innovation, and planned densification—each contributing differently to resilience dimensions. Overall, the findings highlight that transformative resilience depends on deep, inclusive participatory processes, multi-level governance, and the integration of social, ecological, and cultural dimensions. Despite the heterogeneity of designs and unequal data adequacy, this review confirms that transformative urban resilience is a co-produced process grounded in community action, ecological sustainability, and collaborative governance. Strengthening underexplored areas—technological innovation, cultural resilience, and standardized methodological instruments—is essential for advancing comparative research and practice. Full article

This follow-up study investigates the long-term environmental sustainability and remediation outcomes of the UPPER (‘Urban Productive Parks for Sustainable Urban Regeneration’-UIA04-252) project in Latina, Italy, focusing on Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) applied to urban green infrastructure. By integrating proximal and satellite-based remote sensing methodologies, the research evaluates persistent improvements in vegetation health, soil moisture dynamics, and overall environmental quality over multiple years. Building upon the initial monitoring framework, this case study incorporates updated data and refined techniques to quantify temporal changes and assess the ecological performance of NbS interventions. In more detail, ground-based data from meteo-climatic, air quality stations and remote satellite data from the Sentinel-2 mission are adopted. Ground-based measurements such as temperature, humidity, radiation, rainfall intensity, PM10 and PM2.5 are carried out to monitor the overall environmental quality. Updated satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 is analyzed using advanced band ratio indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI). Comparative temporal analysis revealed consistent enhancements in vegetation health, with NDVI values significantly exceeding baseline levels (NDVI 2022–2024: +0.096, p = 0.024), demonstrating successful vegetation establishment with larger gains in green areas (+27.0%) than parking retrofits (+11.4%, p = 0.041). However, concurrent NDWI decline (−0.066, p = 0.063) indicates increased vegetation water stress despite irrigation infrastructure. NDMI improvements (+0.098, p = 0.016) suggest physiological adaptation through stomatal regulation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of meteo-climatic variables reveals temperature as the dominant environmental driver (PC2 loadings > 0.8), with municipality-wide NDVI-temperature correlations of r = −0.87. These multi-scale findings validate sustained NbS effectiveness in enhancing vegetation density and ecosystem services, yet simultaneously expose critical water-limitation trade-offs in Mediterranean semi-arid contexts, necessitating adaptive irrigation management and continued monitoring for long-term urban climate resilience. The integrated monitoring approach underscores the critical role of continuous, multi-scale assessment in ensuring long-term success and adaptive management of NbS-based interventions. Full article

Climate change and increasing groundwater demand underscore the urgency of sustainable water resource planning. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) represents a promising strategy, yet its implementation depends on accurately identifying locations suited for specific MAR techniques. This study presents a GIS-based methodology developed under the DEEPWATER-CE project for identifying suitable locations for six MAR techniques in Central Europe. The methodology integrates environmental, hydrological, and land use criteria in a two-stage approach: an initial screening to delineate potentially suitable areas, followed by a detailed classification of those areas into high, moderate, and low suitability categories. The approach was tested in the Polish part of the Dunajec River catchment (4835 km²), revealing that river or lake bank filtration, infiltration ditches, and underground dams are the most viable MAR options, suitable for 12.6%, 13%, and 15.6% of the catchment area, respectively. A focused analysis within the Tarnów agglomeration, identified as highly vulnerable to climate change and with intensive groundwater use, demonstrated that 83–87% of the area is moderately suitable for infiltration ditches and riverbank filtration techniques. This decision-support tool can inform water managers and planners regarding the best locations for implementing MAR to enhance aquifer resilience, ensure water availability, and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events. The methodology is transferable to other regions facing similar hydroclimatic challenges. Full article

Heatwaves pose increasing risks to human health and socio-economic systems, yet their spatiotemporal organization and underlying synergistic mechanisms remain insufficiently understood, particularly with respect to daytime and nighttime processes. Using a dual identification framework combining absolute and relative temperature thresholds, this study systematically investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of daytime and nighttime heatwaves across China during 1961–2022. A complex network approach is further introduced to characterize the interannual co-variability and interdecadal structural evolution of heatwave activity from a system-level perspective. Results reveal a pronounced interdecadal transition in the early 1990s, accompanied by a fundamental reorganization of heatwave co-occurrence networks. Heatwave frequency exhibits a clear post-transition desynchronization, characterized by a sharp decline in network connectivity and fragmented local clustering, indicating a shift from large-scale, circulation-dominated coherence toward increasingly localized and heterogeneous heatwave occurrences. In contrast, heatwave duration shows an opposite evolution, with significantly enhanced spatial synchronization after the transition. Degree centrality and clustering coefficients increase markedly, and high-connectivity cores expand from coastal regions into inland areas, including North, Central, and Northwest China. This coexistence of desynchronized heatwave occurrence and strongly synchronized persistence suggests an emerging high-risk regime in which heatwaves occur more randomly but, once initiated, tend to persist coherently across large regions. Furthermore, a dual-layer network analysis reveals previously undocumented cross-temporal coupling between daytime and nighttime heatwaves, with pronounced regional differences. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are more strongly influenced by local processes, whereas northern China is increasingly governed by large-scale circulation control and enhanced regional clustering after the transition. These findings demonstrate that complex network analysis provides a powerful framework for uncovering hidden structural changes in extreme heat events and offer new insights into the evolving risks of compound and persistent heatwaves under climate change. Full article

Climate change is intensifying drought frequency and severity, posing increasing challenges for tropical forest species whose growth and survival depend on water availability. Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. (balsa) is a fast-growing pioneer tree that plays important ecological roles, and it is valued for its lightweight timber, yet little is known about its drought tolerance or intraspecific variation among populations. This study evaluated the morphophysiological responses of O. pyramidale seedlings from three provenances spanning a rainfall gradient (850–6275 mm year⁻¹) under controlled soil moisture levels. The experiment followed a completely randomized factorial design with two factors, provenance (high-, medium-, and low-rainfall origins) and soil moisture (100%, 50%, and 20% field capacity), with six replications per treatment (n = 54 total plants). Drought significantly affected growth, water status, and physiological variables. Seedlings maintained high relative water content and photosynthetic pigment concentration under moderate stress (50% field capacity) but showed marked declines at 20% field capacity. Soluble sugar accumulation increased with drought intensity, suggesting osmotic adjustment, while root proliferation was enhanced under moderate stress (50% FC), evidenced by significantly higher Total Root Length (TRL) and Number of Branch Points (NBP). Provenance effects were weak, with only the number of leaves differing significantly among provenances. These results demonstrate that O. pyramidale tolerates moderate drought through physiological adjustment and root plasticity, supporting its use in reforestation and restoration initiatives in water-limited tropical environments. Full article

The paper introduces ‘transformative’ curriculum initiatives such as education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED), which address ‘macro’ challenges such as climate change, together with ‘holistic’ approaches to student learning such as ‘social and emotional learning’ (SEL) and education for ‘life skills’, ‘21st century skills’, ‘transversal competencies’, AI-related ethics, and ‘health and well-being.’ These are reflected in Section 6 of the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development. It is suggested that such broad goals put forward at global policy level may serve as inspiration for national context-specific programming, while also needing better integration of national insights and cultural differences into global discourse. The paper aims to provide insights to education policy-makers responsible for national curriculum, textbooks and other learning resources, teacher training and examination processes, helping them to promote the human values, integrity and sense of agency needed by students in a time of multiple global and personal challenges. This requires an innovative approach to curricula for established school subjects and can be included in curricula being developed for AI literacy and related ethics. Research into the integration of transformative and holistic dimensions into curricula, materials, teacher preparation, and assessment is needed, as well as ongoing monitoring and feedback. AI-supported networking and resource sharing at local, national and international level can support implementation of transformative and holistic learning, to maintain and strengthen the human dimensions of learning. Full article

Stone cultural relics are primarily composed of sandstone, a water-sensitive rock that is highly susceptible to deterioration from environmental solutions and dry-wet cycles. Sandstone pagodas are often directly exposed to natural elements, posing significant risks to their preservation. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the performance of sandstone towers in complex solution environments and understand the degradation mechanisms influenced by multiple environmental factors. This paper focuses on the twin towers of the Huachi Stone Statue in Qingyang City, Gansu Province, China, analyzing the changes in chemical composition, surface/microstructure, physical properties, and mechanical characteristics of sandstone under the combined effects of various solutions and dry-wet cycles. The results indicate that distilled water has the least effect on the mineral composition of sandstone, while a 5% Na₂SO₄ solution can induce the formation of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O). An acidic solution, such as sulfuric acid, significantly dissolves calcite and diopside, leading to an increase in gypsum diffraction peaks. Additionally, an alkaline solution (sodium hydroxide) slightly hydrolyzes quartz and albite, promoting calcite precipitation. The composite solution demonstrates a synergistic ion effect when mixed with various single solutions. Microstructural examinations reveal that sandstone experiences only minor pulverization in distilled water. In contrast, the acidic solution causes micro-cracks and particle shedding, while the alkaline solution results in layered spalling of the sandstone surface. A salt solution leads to salt frost formation and pore crystallization, with the composite solution of sodium hydroxide and 5% Na₂SO₄ demonstrating the most severe deterioration. The sandstone is covered with salt frost and spalling, exhibiting honeycomb pores and interlaced crystal structures. From a physical and mechanical perspective, as dry-wet cycles increase, the water absorption and porosity of the sandstone initially decrease slightly before increasing, while the longitudinal wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength continually decline. In summary, the composite solution of NaOH and 5% Na₂SO₄ results in the most significant deterioration of sandstone, whereas distilled water has the least impact. The combined effects of acidic/alkaline and salt solutions generally exacerbate sandstone damage more than individual solutions. This study offers insights into the regional deterioration characteristics of the Huachi Stone Statue Twin Towers and lays the groundwork for disease control and preventive preservation of sandstone cultural relics in similar climatic and geological contexts. Full article

Eco-friendly driving, defined as an individual’s daily driving practices that reduce fuel and energy consumption, remains significantly underutilized despite growing attention to climate change and sustainability. Given that changes in consumer behaviour are central to sustainability transitions and strongly influenced by how individuals perceive sustainability-related information, this study investigates the psychological and structural barriers that shape consumers’ perceptions of eco-friendly driving. A scoping review of empirical research on these barriers (Study 1), informed by Gifford’s “dragons of inaction,” combined with 50 semi-structured interviews (Study 2) conducted in a highly car-dependent regional context, provides convergent evidence on the complex factors shaping consumer behaviour in sustainable mobility. Across both studies, consistent psychological barriers emerged, including limited awareness of eco-driving techniques, doubts about effectiveness, emotional responses such as stress or range anxiety, and habitual reliance on conventional driving. Structural barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, limited charging accessibility, economic constraints, and weak policy support further constrained perceived feasibility. Evidence from both studies showed that these barriers reinforce one another, intensifying scepticism and reducing engagement with sustainability initiatives and messages. The findings contribute to research on sustainable consumer behaviour and sustainability communication by showing how internal and external constraints jointly shape eco-friendly driving decisions. Practically, the results highlight opportunities for coordinated infrastructure, policy, and communication strategies to support broader adoption of eco-friendly driving behaviours. Full article

Individual actions play a pivotal role in climate change, one of the most urgent global challenges, as daily behaviors generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Saudi Arabia, in particular, demonstrates its strong commitment to environmental sustainability through the Saudi Green Initiative and Middle East Green Initiative, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2060 and advancing reforestation, land conservation, and renewable energy under Vision 2030. However, many Saudi individuals remain unaware of the environmental consequences of their choices, including transportation, energy consumption, and lifestyle habits. To address this gap, this study developed GreenKSA, the first Arabic-supported gamified mobile application designed to promote pro-environmental behavior within the Saudi culture. The app integrates gamification elements grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) in an attempt to bridge the gap between theory and practice. GreenKSA delivers multimedia content—short videos and infographics—demonstrating sustainable routines in households, workplaces, and mobility. The design and user experience of GreenKSA were evaluated in a pilot study of 10 participants. The results indicated high usability (SUS = 91.25) and a positive overall user experience. By combining theory-driven design with culturally relevant gamification elements, this study contributes to digital sustainability interventions and aligns with the global Sustainable Development Goals SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Action. Full article

River ecosystems play a crucial role in the global water cycle and regional ecological security, yet they face severe challenges under the dual pressures of human activities and climate change. To systematically assess the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of river ecological impacts, this study proposes a modular and transferable method, which is Quantitative Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variations in Ecological Water-Supplementation Benefits of Rivers Based on Remote Sensing (QASViewSBR). Taking the Yongding River (Beijing section) from 2016 to 2023 as a case study, this research integrates multi-source remote sensing and ground monitoring data to extract river water bodies using an improved Normalized Difference Water Index and Vertical–Horizontal polarization characteristics. The Seasonal and Trend decomposition using Loess (STL) method was employed for time-series trend decomposition, Pearson correlation analysis was applied to identify driving factors of area changes, and the Pelt algorithm was used to quantify the response range of riparian vegetation to changes of river water levels. An integrated analytical framework of “dynamic monitoring—time series analysis—driving factor identification—spatial heterogeneity assessment” was established, enabling standardized end-to-end analysis from data acquisition to evaluation. The results indicate that the river water area in the basin increased significantly after 2019, with enhanced seasonal fluctuations. Under the ecological water supplementation policy, the “human-initiated, natural-response” mechanism was clearly observed, and the ecological responses along both riverbanks exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity due to variations in surface features and topography. QASViewSBR exhibits good universality and transferability, providing methodological support for ecological restoration and management in different river basins. Full article

Lichens, symbiotic associations between fungi and photobionts, are essential and sensitive bioindicators of environmental change. Despite their resilience, lichens face increasing threats from air pollution, land-use change, unsustainable harvesting, and climate change. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of global research on lichen threats between 1981 and 2024, using data from Scopus and Web of Science, combined with an additional analysis based on the database Recent Literature on Lichens (RLL). A total of 319 research publications were analyzed through VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) and Biblioshiny (R core team version 4.5.2) to assess temporal trends, thematic evolution, authorship, and geographical distribution of affiliations, and 1354 publications from RLL were studied for frequent authors and geographical distribution of study sites. Results show that research output was initially dominated by air pollution studies (1981–2004) but shifted after 2005 toward conservation and climate change impacts, with a sharp increase after 2017. North America and a few European countries led in scientific production, while biodiversity-rich regions in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia remained underrepresented. Despite increasing publication trends, collaboration remains moderate (23% international co-authorship), and many threatened species remain unassessed. Recovery measures emphasize habitat protection, improved forest management, pollution control, integration of lichens into global biodiversity frameworks, and enhanced international collaboration. This study provides a systematic overview of how lichen conservation research has evolved, suggesting strategies for decelerating lichen diversity loss under accelerating global change. Full article