Search Results (14,054)

Achieving sustainable urban water management is increasingly critical amid climate change, water scarcity, population growth, and intensifying pressure on freshwater resources. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) has emerged as a promising integrated framework to evaluate the holistic sustainability of municipal wastewater reuse systems by combining environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC), and Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). This paper presents a critical narrative review synthesizing current evidence on LCSA applications specifically in urban municipal wastewater reuse contexts—encompassing non-potable urban, agricultural, and potable reuse—and identifying which configurations deliver genuine sustainability benefits, where major methodological shortcomings persist, and how the field can advance toward more robust, policy-relevant practice. The evidence base was assembled through structured searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, screened from over 300 references to 25 peer-reviewed studies retained for in-depth analysis. Among the retained studies, positive outcomes were most often reported under low-carbon energy grids, short transport distances, and appropriate reuse-type matching: hybrid decentralized systems were associated with overall sustainability scores up to 4.8 times higher than conventional supply, while cluster-scale systems were associated with reductions in global warming potential of 15–40%. Persistent pitfalls include weak pillar integration, an underdeveloped social dimension, inconsistent system boundaries, and insufficient consideration of absolute sustainability. In response, this paper proposes the RENEW-LCSA Framework (Renewable Water-Oriented Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Framework)—a practical six-step operational approach incorporating reuse-type-specific Social LCA indicators, explicit absolute sustainability assessment against the Water Scarcity Index (WSI) and local carbon budgets, and evidence-based integration of Nature-Based Solutions (NbSs). Three paradigmatic cases—Windhoek (Namibia), Singapore (NEWater), and Los Angeles County (USA)—illustrate the framework’s systematic application. By moving beyond optimistic narratives, this review advances the credibility of LCSA as a decision-support tool for safe, equitable, and circular urban water management, contributing to SDG 6 and the European Water Reuse Regulation (2020/741). Full article

Child malnutrition remains a critical global health challenge, yet most existing studies rely on static risk estimates and overlook the spatial–temporal nature of environmental exposures and localized socioeconomic disparities. To address this gap, we integrated Earth observation-derived environmental indicators, geolocated conflict events, socioeconomic variables, and child health outcomes, and applied a Fixed Effects Two-Stage Least Squares Spatial Durbin Error Model (FE-2SLS-SDEM). We found distinct hotspots of joint vulnerability, where areas experiencing both high conflict intensity and recurrent droughts show significantly higher rates of childhood stunting. High conflict intensity, drought severity, diarrheal prevalence, and inadequate sanitation significantly increase stunting, while maternal and paternal education, improved sanitation, economic development (proxied by nighttime light intensity), and agricultural productivity reduce it. Among these determinants, female education demonstrated the most pronounced inverse relationship with childhood stunting. Additionally, exposure to both drought severity and high conflict intensity independently and in combination worsens childhood stunting not only within affected regions but also in nearby localities. Our results underscore the urgency of geographically targeted, multisectoral, and action-oriented policies aimed at strengthening community and health system capacities to mitigate the converging risks of climate change and conflict on child malnutrition. Full article

Brazilian campos rupestres are a global center of plant endemism, but they are increasingly threatened by climate change and human activities. In this context, Sincoraea, an endemic genus of the Espinhaço Mountain Range, provides an important model for understanding how reproductive traits influence species persistence. This study investigated the floral biology, reproductive systems, nectar dynamics, and floral visitors’ interactions of several Sincoraea species through fieldwork conducted from 2023 to 2025. Floral biology and pollination were analyzed in four species, while pollen and stigma traits were examined in eight species using light and scanning electron microscopy. The flowers had white tubular corollas, diurnal anthesis, and high pollen viability during anthesis. Nectar production peaked in the morning. All recorded pollinators were hummingbirds and all species were self-incompatible, except S. burle-marxii, which was partially self-compatible. The reproductive effectiveness index was 1.00 for all species, suggesting that natural pollination provided effective conspecific pollen transfer without evidence of pollen limitation. These findings highlight the strong dependence of Sincoraea on floral visitors and emphasize the importance of conserving plant–floral visitor networks in campos rupestres. These interactions are essential for maintaining genetic diversity and the long-term stability of ecosystems. Full article

The increasing frequency and magnitude of glacial lake outburst floods pose a severe threat to the safety of downstream communities. However, Interference from glacier shadows and mountain shading reduces the accuracy of remote sensing-based glacial lake detection. We propose a two-level nested framework that integrates global spatiotemporal aggregation and local adaptive enhancement. At the global level, the 80th temporal percentile (P80) of multi-temporal AWEI imagery is used to construct a stable water-background composite and suppress short-term seasonal noise. Multi-source physical constraints, including the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI), a DEM-derived slope constraint (slope < 10°), and red-band reflectance thresholds (0.3 < BandRed < 1.6), are applied to suppress interference from land, terrain shadows, snow, and glaciers. At the local scale, an adaptive dynamic segmentation strategy is proposed by establishing an equal-area buffer for each individual lake, where the temporal occurrence frequency of MNDWI is computed to build a stable water probability composite, and the Otsu algorithm is applied to independently derive lake-specific optimal thresholds. Using Landsat imagery and meteorological data from 1990 to 2025, we quantified the spatiotemporal dynamics of typical glacial lakes in the central Himalayas, and explored the driving mechanisms of climate factors on lake area changes. Over the past 35 years, the number and area of lakes have exhibited a pronounced expansion trend under a climatic regime characterized by rising temperatures, increasing precipitation, and decreasing relative humidity. During 1990–2020, lake area variations were primarily governed by strong interactions between temperature and wind speed. Summer variability exerted a more pronounced impact than winter variability. The proposed framework provides an effective approach for glacial lake extraction in the study area and may provide useful technical support for long-term monitoring of alpine lakes. Full article

Rapid urbanization and climate change have intensified environmental pressures and social inequalities, making the integration of urban resilience and sustainable development a critical global challenge, with Nature-based Solutions (NbS) emerging as a promising pathway; however, the knowledge structure, collaboration patterns, and evolutionary trends of NbS research remain fragmented and insufficiently understood. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 1261 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (2005–2025), employing tools including VOSviewer 1.6.20, CiteSpace 6.4.R1, and Bibliometrix 4.1.3 to map publication trends, collaboration networks, knowledge bases, and thematic evolution. The results reveal a rapid expansion of NbS research since 2013, characterized by strong interdisciplinarity and a multicentric yet uneven geographical distribution dominated by China, the United States, and Europe. Four major research clusters are identified, encompassing policy governance, environmental benefits, ecosystem services, and social equity, reflecting a shift from ecological performance to integrated socio-ecological frameworks. Additionally, thematic evolution indicates growing emphasis on governance mechanisms, public health, and environmental justice. Overall, NbS research is transitioning toward a multi-scale, multi-objective, and governance-oriented paradigm. These findings highlight the need for strengthened international collaboration, standardized evaluation frameworks, and inclusive policy design to enhance the effectiveness and global applicability of NbS in advancing urban sustainable development. Full article

Environmental pollution is becoming an urgent global issue. Countries are implementing various solutions and establishing legal frameworks and institutional policies to promote the use of green energy sources and thereby minimize the adverse environmental impact of economic growth, investment, and consumption. The goal of economies worldwide, including in Asia, is to implement policies that promote sustainable development while optimizing economic performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of green energy consumption and institutional quality on environmental quality. Using data from 29 selected Asian countries over the period 1970–2021, the empirical results indicate that green energy consumption does not have a statistically significant impact on environmental quality across the full sample. Improvements in institutional quality can enhance environmental quality and accelerate progress toward carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions targets. The Climate Change Conferences (COPs) have helped raise global awareness of the dangers of climate change, fostering greater international cooperation to protect the planet and promote sustainable development. To capture the influence of international climate commitments, this study employs a dummy variable for the COP period (coded 0 before COP2 in 1996 and 1 thereafter). This variable is interacted with green energy consumption and institutional quality to examine whether the implementation of COP commitments moderates their effects on CO₂ emissions. The empirical results show that greater political stability, particularly during the implementation of carbon emission reduction commitments, contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable development. The study also confirms that institutional quality plays a significant role in improving environmental quality and accelerating countries’ progress toward carbon neutrality and net-zero emission goals. Full article

Phoracantha recurva Newman (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), a wood-boring beetle native to Australia, threatens Eucalyptus L’Hér plantations worldwide. Despite established populations across North America, South America, Europe, and Africa, its global colonization potential and niche dynamics under climate change have received limited attention. Here, we used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model, integrating 844 occurrence records and eight bioclimatic variables, to predict the potential geographical distribution of P. recurva under current conditions and three future climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) for 2041–2070 and 2071–2100. We quantified niche dynamics using the COUE framework through calculations of niche stability, expansion, unfilling, and Schoener’s D, complemented by niche equivalency and similarity tests. The model exhibited excellent predictive performance (AUC = 0.954 ± 0.004; Boyce index = 0.999). Suitable habitats for P. recurva occurred primarily between 60° N and 55° S. Under all three future scenarios, total suitable area displayed a gradual decline while the potential distribution shifted toward higher latitudes, particularly across Europe and China. Niche analysis confirmed substantial niche conservatism during global invasion, yet revealed considerable niche unfilling during colonization of the Eurasian continent—indicating persistent potential for further range expansion. Niche comparisons between native and invaded ranges under model-projected distributions yielded expanded overlap across all regions except Africa, where invasive populations may undergo niche differentiation under changing climatic conditions. Our findings emphasize the ongoing invasion risk that P. recurva poses to major Eucalyptus-planting countries and call for strengthened inspection and quarantine measures to protect global forestry plantations. Full article

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an economically important crop, and heat stress has become a major environmental constraint that limits its growth and development under global climate change. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its response to heat stress remain poorly understood. Here, transcriptome sequencing was performed on safflower leaves exposed to heat stress (42 °C) for 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h, with three biological replicates per time point. Compared with the control (0 h), a total of 12,964 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified across the five time points (1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h) using criteria of |log₂ (fold change)| ≥ 1 and false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05, of which 1097 were common to all comparisons. KEGG enrichment analysis of these DEGs across all five comparison groups consistently showed significant enrichment in plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway. Furthermore, a total of 750 transcription factors (TFs) were identified as differentially expressed across the five comparison groups, of which 99 were common to all comparisons, with the bHLH, MYB, WRKY, and HSF families being the most abundant. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified five modules that were significantly associated with different heat stress time points. Furthermore, 13 hub genes were identified as potential targets for future functional studies on heat tolerance in safflower. The reliability of the RNA-seq data was confirmed by qRT-PCR validation of selected hub genes. Notably, a non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase (CtAH03G0292100) from the MEred module, which is also involved in plant hormone signal transduction, emerged as a promising candidate gene for heat tolerance. Collectively, these findings provide candidate genes for future functional studies aimed at further elucidating the mechanisms of heat tolerance in safflower. Full article

Soil salinization and contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs), hydrocarbons, and other pollutants represent interconnected environmental challenges, particularly in arid and coastal regions. Conventional remediation technologies are associated with elevated costs and environmental constraints, limiting their applicability in fragile saline environments. In this context, halophytic plants have emerged as promising biological tools for the phytoremediation of salt-affected and contaminated soils due to their adaptations to salinity stress. This review summarizes halophyte classification, salt-tolerance mechanisms, and their role in phytoremediation processes, including phytoextraction, phytostabilization, and phytodegradation. Particular attention is given to the interactions between salinity and contaminant mobility, highlighting the species-dependent effects of saline conditions on metal bioavailability and plant uptake. Evidence from both in situ and ex situ studies is discussed, emphasizing the advantages and limitations of halophyte-assisted remediation under saline conditions. Current evidence indicates that halophytes are generally more effective for phytostabilization and long-term risk mitigation than for rapid contaminant extraction. Overall, halophyte-based phytoremediation represents a sustainable strategy for the ecological rehabilitation of saline-degraded soils under increasing pressures associated with climate change and global soil salinization. Future advances integrating plant–microbe interactions, remote sensing technologies, and biomass valorization strategies may further enhance the implementation of halophyte-assisted remediation. Full article

The 21st century is defined by converging anthropogenic and biophysical stressors. This study assessed the vulnerability of the endemic specialist lizard Liolaemus multimaculatus and the habitat generalist L. wiegmannii to climate change and land-use/land-cover (LULC) transformation within the Pampean Eastern Dune Barrier up to 2050. Using satellite data, LULC spatial projections, and ecological niche models (ENMs), we quantified habitat dynamics and projected future climatic suitability. Historical analysis (1994–2022) revealed a 20% retraction of active dunes driven by exotic afforestation and urban growth. Projections for 2050 indicate an intensification of these trends, with urban areas accounting for nearly 26% of the regional territory, leading to an additional 17% loss of active dunes. Abundance modeling predicted a decline in L. multimaculatus within the remaining active dunes, while ENMs projected a near-total contraction of climatically suitable areas. Crucially, these correlative models may overlook potential physiological or behavioral adjustments; however, the limited dispersal capacity and physical landscape barriers inherent to this specialist likely preclude effective niche tracking. These findings confirm that ecological specialization heightens sensitivity to global change, creating a “double threat” for endemic species. Protecting remnant active dune patches is essential to mitigate the projected collapse of these range-restricted lineages. Full article

Background/Objectives: Climate change is a major global health challenge with direct implications for public health. As frontline health professionals and agents of change, nurses must develop competencies to address climate-related health issues and implement sustainable practices. This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the Climate, Health, and Nursing Tool (CHANT) into French and to assess its content validity using item-level and scale-level content validity indices (I-CVI and S-CVI, respectively). The CHANT evaluates nurses’ awareness, motivations, concerns and self-reported behaviours related to climate change. A secondary objective was to examine potential associations between experts’ sociodemographic and professional characteristics and their CVI ratings. Methods: A descriptive international study using a three-round modified e-Delphi approach was conducted between January and June 2025 in French-speaking regions of Switzerland, France and Belgium. A multidisciplinary panel of experts in nursing, planetary health and environmental sciences evaluated the relevance, clarity and comprehensiveness of each item and response option, enabling iterative refinement. Results: The original 12-item CHANT was evaluated by 17 experts in Round 1. Following expert recommendations, one additional item was incorporated, resulting in a 13-item version, which was subsequently evaluated by 15 experts in Round 2 and 25 experts in Round 3. Across the three Delphi rounds, 57 completed expert evaluations contributed to the iterative refinement of the instrument. Round 1 I-CVI ranged from 0.79 to 1.0, and S-CVI reached 0.935, with full consensus. Round 2 I-CVI ranged from 0.71 to 1.0, and S-CVI was 0.91 (92% consensus), with one item not meeting the predefined threshold. Round 3 I-CVI ranged from 0.82 to 1.0, and S-CVI returned to 0.935, confirming consensus. A final linguistic, semantic and cultural review conducted by the research team ensured the conceptual consistency and cultural appropriateness of the translated instrument. Conclusions: The French-language version of the CHANT demonstrated satisfactory content validity and provides a culturally adapted instrument to assess climate-related competencies and eco-literacy in nursing education and practice. Further psychometric evaluation is warranted. Full article

Moisture damage in buildings has traditionally been discussed primarily in relation to winter condensation in cold climates. In hot-humid regions, however, damage develops under different boundary conditions, including warm and humid outdoor air, frequent rainfall, air-conditioning operation, air leakage, and limited drying after wetting. Climate change is treated here as contextual background that can intensify these boundary conditions, not as the primary object of quantitative attribution. This structured narrative review synthesizes literature on climatic boundary conditions, envelope moisture response, moisture- and mold-risk assessment, microbial implications, and building adaptation. It is supplemented by illustrative climate-data analysis, global exposure mapping, and selected field examples; these components contextualize the proposed drying-deficit framework but do not constitute comprehensive validation or global risk prediction. Drying deficit is proposed as an interpretive framework for situations in which moisture supply, storage, and repeated wetting exceed available drying capacity over relevant time scales. The review identifies the need for assessment methods that account for cooling-driven gradients, airflow paths, material storage, microbial response, and occupant behavior. It also highlights adaptation strategies such as rain control, leakage reduction, vapor-open drying paths, humidity-controlled ventilation, dehumidification, moisture-tolerant materials, and integrated hygrothermal and microbial monitoring. The proposed framework requires further validation and should not be treated as a universal explanation for all moisture damage in hot-humid buildings. Full article

With the intensifying global climate change and the full implementation of China’s “dual-carbon” strategy, the green and low-carbon transition in rural areas has become a core issue in urban and rural construction. As China’s most economically developed and highly urbanized region, the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) holds typical demonstrative significance in the research and practice of green and low-carbon rural construction. This study retrieves 4166 core documents from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus published between 1997 and 2025 to perform multi-database bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping analysis. CiteSpace and VOSviewer are employed to conduct a comparative analysis of domestic and international literature and to delineate the knowledge evolutionary trends, core research hotspots, and research trajectories in this field. The findings reveal that the research on green and low-carbon rural construction in the YRD has experienced three stages. The first stage involves the introduction of foundational low-carbon concepts, the second stage centers around green transition and policy response, and the third stage is driven by the national rural revitalization and “dual-carbon” strategies. Moreover, five principal research directions have been determined, including spatial planning based on “low-carbon control units”, excavation of green wisdom from traditional villages, discussion of passive green strategies, retrofitting of existing rural residences and integration of low-carbon technologies, and precision rural construction based on industry–space synergy. Consequently, by constructing a dual-thread evolutionary framework integrating the natural ecosystem with the social system, this study systematically extracts the theoretical contributions, paradigm characteristics, and transferable empirical models from the research on green and low-carbon rural construction in the YRD, and proposes a future agenda to facilitate the shift in research paradigm from “problem solving” to “forward planning”. Ultimately, this study aims to offer a demonstrative “YRD solution” for the sustainable development of rural areas in China and beyond. Full article

Global trade and climate change are accelerating the spread and impacts of invasive forest pests worldwide. The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) is among the most destructive invasive ambrosia beetles, attacking approximately 680 woody plant species across five continents and causing substantial ecological and economic losses. This review synthesizes the current knowledge of PSHB taxonomy, biology, fungal symbiosis, host range, invasion history, surveillance and management. Evidence indicates that eradication is rarely feasible once populations become established, while existing chemical and biological control measures remain of limited effectiveness, making early detection and rapid response essential. This review highlights major knowledge gaps in invasion biology, host susceptibility, fungal interactions and chemical ecology, and identifies research priorities to improve surveillance, risk prediction and integrated management. Advancing these areas will strengthen global biosecurity and enhance protection of forests, urban trees and commercial orchards. Full article

Mediterranean grasslands are highly sensitive to climate variability because their productivity is strongly constrained by water availability. Understanding how future climate change may affect forage production across hydroclimatic gradients is essential for the adaptation of extensive grazing systems. This study evaluated the response of Mediterranean grassland productivity to future climate scenarios along a climatic gradient in central Spain using the ecohydrological model SIMPAST driven by an ensemble mean of six CMIP6 global climate models under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Three representative grassland systems located in mountain, foothill, and semi-arid flatland environments were characterized according to vegetation composition, soil properties, and historical biomass production. The model was calibrated using productivity data from 2016 to 2023 and independently validated with biomass observations from 2024 to 2025. Calibration focused on radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency parameters, achieving high agreement between simulated and observed biomass (R² = 0.90) with calibration absolute errors below 20 kg DM ha⁻¹ across the three study sites. Independent validation using biomass observations from 2024 to 2025 resulted in RMSE values ranging from 506 to 771 kg DM ha⁻¹. Simulations revealed clear spatial differences in future productivity responses. Mountain grasslands exhibited stable productivity throughout most of the century, with projected biomass reductions of approximately 4% and increases in interannual variability of 14% under SSP5–8.5 relative to the historical period. In contrast, foothill grasslands showed moderate productivity declines (25%) and higher variability (37%), while semi-arid flatland systems revealed the strongest reductions in biomass production (33%) together with the largest increase in interannual variability (72%). These results indicate that arid environments are considerably more vulnerable to future climatic stress due to stronger water limitations. Simulations also suggested increasingly variable and less predictable forage availability under future climate conditions, particularly under higher-emission scenarios. Overall, the findings highlight the central role of water availability in regulating Mediterranean grassland productivity and demonstrate the usefulness of ecohydrological models for supporting adaptive grazing management and climate change adaptation in Mediterranean livestock systems. Full article