Search Results (7)

This paper presents a novel study of the Nature-based Solutions (NbSs) approach to analyze and propose mitigation measures for extreme floods. The study area is the Llobregat River in Catalonia, which crosses urban areas. We have selected one section in the final stretch of 4.5 km in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. The section has suffered several damages in the last floods (e.g., 2016, 2018 and 2019), and we propose measures to reduce flood risk. Therefore, we proposed the following three specific objectives: (a) the identification of critical areas in the river stretches; (b) the identification of NbS opportunities and utilities; and (c) the mitigation measures in concrete areas from NbSs. The effectiveness of a NbS is based on the 2D simulation of the Gloria flood event (20–21 January 2020) with HEC-RAS software (version 6.0) for the better management of stormwater, and it is influenced by design and placement aspects; however, the better use of NbSs can improve flood mitigation and enhance urban resilience. Full article

In 2015, Catalonia introduced sickle cell disease (SCD) screening in its newborn screening (NBS) program along with standard-of-care treatments like penicillin, hydroxyurea, and anti-pneumococcal vaccination. Few studies have assessed the clinical impact of introducing NBS programs on SCD patients. We analyzed the incidence of SCD and related hemoglobinopathies in Catalonia and the change in clinical events occurring after introducing NBS. Screening 506,996 newborns from 2015 to 2022, we conducted a retrospective multicenter study including 100 screened (SG) and 95 unscreened (UG) SCD patients and analyzed SCD-related clinical events over the first six years of life. We diagnosed 160 cases of SCD, with an incidence of 1 in 3169 newborns. The SG had a significantly lower median age at diagnosis (0.1 y vs. 1.68 y, p < 0.0001), and initiated penicillin prophylaxis (0.12 y vs. 1.86 y, p < 0.0001) and hydroxyurea treatment earlier (1.42 y vs. 4.5 y, p < 0.0001). The SG experienced fewer median SCD-related clinical events (vaso-occlusive crisis, acute chest syndrome, infections of probable bacterial origin, acute anemia requiring transfusion, acute splenic sequestration, and pathological transcranial Doppler echography) per year of follow-up (0.19 vs. 0.77, p < 0.0001), a reduced number of annual emergency department visits (0.37 vs. 0.76, p < 0.0001), and fewer hospitalizations (0.33 vs. 0.72, p < 0.0001). SCD screening in Catalonia’s NBS program has effectively reduced morbidity and improved affected children’s quality of life. Full article

Coastal zones experience increasing climatic and human pressures, which lead to growing risks and tipping points (TPs) under future scenarios and natural resource scarcity. To avoid crossing TPs with irreversible coastal losses, this paper proposes the development of adaptation pathways based on advanced coastal oceanography and engineering knowledge that enables a comprehensive assessment of evolving coastal risks. These pathways feature sequential interventions steered by simulations and observations as a function of available coastal resources (mainly space and sediment) and risks for infrastructure and socioeconomic assets. Such an adaptation has been developed for urban and peri-urban Mediterranean beaches, considering conventional coastal engineering together with nature-based solutions (NbS). Both types of interventions are assessed in terms of key physical variables, which serve to evaluate performance and estimate TPs. This analysis supports the new coastal protection and management plan promoted by the regional government of Catalonia and the coastal adaptation plan of the central government of Spain. The approach and results illustrate the potential of adaptation pathways for beach sustainability, enhancing the compatibility between short-/long-term coastal protection objectives under present/future climate and management scenarios. The development of adaptation pathways underpins increasing stakeholder cooperation to achieve shared decisions for coastal sustainability. Full article

Building-integrated greenery (BIG) systems, which include green roofs and green facades, are well-established nature-based solutions (NBS) with proven scientific benefits. However, initial costs and economic apprehensions stemming from potential negative outcomes act as adoption barriers. Furthermore, the lack of standardized indicators and assessment methodologies for evaluating the city-level impacts of BIG systems presents challenges for investors and policy makers. This paper addresses these issues by presenting a comprehensive set of indicators derived from widely accepted frameworks, such as the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) and the NBS impact evaluation handbook. These indicators contribute to the creation of a ‘sustainability factor’, which facilitates cost–benefit analyses for BIG projects using locally sourced data. The practical application of this factor to a 3500 m² green roof in Lleida, Catalonia (Spain) demonstrates that allocating space for urban horticultural production (i.e., food production), CO₂ capture, and creating new recreational areas produces benefits that outweigh the costs by a factor value of nine during the operational phase of the green roof. This cost–benefit analysis provides critical insights for investment decisions and public policies, especially considering the significant benefits at the city level associated with the implementation of BIG systems. Full article

Much has been debated regarding the environmental and economic aspects that conform the pillars of sustainability in nature-based solutions (NbSs). However, the social implications are lagging behind in both theory and practice. NbSs are not inherently socially and environmentally just and they might not work for or benefit everyone. On the contrary, they may lead to unequal environmental tradeoffs influencing therefore community acceptance. This research explored the different levels of community acceptance of NbSs in the Tordera delta (Catalonia) through structured interviews and Q-methodology with representative stakeholders. It pretended to contribute to more just NbS discussions by identifying variables of community acceptance through a socio-environmental perspective. The results exposed existing socio-economic and socio-spatial differences that cause unequal co-benefits and tradeoffs among stakeholders of the area. Three distinctive discourses were identified: (1) NbSs as an opportunity to re-naturalize the river; (2) the possibility of NbS implementation if aligned with the current socio-economic structure of the delta; and (3) the belief in a hybrid NbS future, combining grey infrastructure and NbSs. Building on those results and discussions, the paper reflected on a restructuration of the delta’s governance through further collaborative processes to seek a more socio-environmentally just and inclusive NbSs in the area. Full article

Newborn screening (NBS) for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) started in Catalonia in January-2017, being the first Spanish and European region to universally include this testing. In Spain, a pilot study with 5000 samples was carried out in Seville in 2014; also, a research project with about 35,000 newborns will be carried out in 2021–2022 in the NBS laboratory of Eastern Andalusia. At present, the inclusion of SCID is being evaluated in Spain. The results obtained in the first three and a half years of experience in Catalonia are presented here. All babies born between January-2017 and June-2020 were screened through TREC-quantification in DBS with the Enlite Neonatal TREC-kit from PerkinElmer. A total of 222,857 newborns were screened, of which 48 tested positive. During the study period, three patients were diagnosed with SCID: an incidence of 1 in 74,187 newborns; 17 patients had clinically significant T-cell lymphopenia (non-SCID) with an incidence of 1 in 13,109 newborns who also benefited from the NBS program. The results obtained provide further evidence of the benefits of early diagnosis and curative treatment to justify the inclusion of this disease in NBS programs. A national NBS program is needed, also to define the exact SCID incidence in Spain. Full article

There are currently four countries and one local region in Europe that use PAP in their newborn screening programme. The first country to employ PAP at a national level was the Netherlands, which started using IRT/PAP/DNA/EGA in 2011. Germany followed in 2016 with a slightly different IRT/PAP/DNA strategy. Portugal also started in 2016, but with an IRT/PAP/IRT programme, and in 2017, Austria changed its IRT/IRT protocol to an IRT/PAP/IRT program. In 2018, Catalonia started to use an IRT/PAP/IRT/DNA strategy. The strengths of PAP are the avoidance of carrier detection and a lower detection rate of CFSPID. PAP seems to have advantages in detecting CF in ethnically-diverse populations, as it is a biochemical approach to screening, which looks for pancreatic injury. Compared to an IRT/IRT protocol, an IRT/PAP protocol leads to earlier diagnoses. While PAP can be assessed with the same screening card as the first IRT, the second IRT in an IRT/IRT protocol requires a second heel prick around the 21st day of the patient’s life. However, IRT/PAP has two main weaknesses. First, an IRT/PAP protocol seems to have a lower sensitivity compared to a well-functioning IRT/DNA protocol, and second, IRT/PAP that is performed as a purely biochemical protocol has a very low positive predictive value. However, if the advantages of PAP are to be exploited, a combination of IRT/PAP with genetic screening or a second IRT as a third tier could be an alternative for a sufficiently performing CF-NBS protocol. Full article