Search Results (131)

The IPCC has emphasised the increasing impacts of climate change across multiple sectors, including cultural heritage. In response, UNESCO launched the Policy Document on Climate Action for World Heritage in 2023, offering guidance on mitigation strategies for historic sites. Cultural heritage faces risks not only from sudden catastrophic events—such as floods, droughts, and wildfires—but also from the gradual deterioration of buildings and artefacts due to shifting environmental conditions. Climate change further affects the indoor microclimate of heritage sites, including museums, archives, and libraries, which are critical to the long-term preservation of cultural assets. Heritage, including heritage buildings and both tangible and intangible heritages, are subject to changes; therefore, their conservation should be assessed to identify sustainable approaches. This study investigates how climate change and microclimate alterations impact the conservation of historic buildings without modern climate control, using the Malatestiana Library—a UNESCO Memory of the World site—as a case study. The library has preserved a remarkably stable indoor environment for centuries, without the introduction of heating, cooling, or major restorations. A monitoring campaign during the summer of 2024 assessed the effects of extreme heat events on the library’s microclimate, comparing two internal spaces to examine the attic’s role in mitigating thermal stress. Data from the 2024 heatwave are also compared with similar data collected in 2013. Results show a marked shift toward a more tropical indoor climate over the past decade, signalling new threats to the preservation of historic materials. These findings highlight the urgent need for adaptive conservation strategies to address the evolving challenges posed by climate change. Full article

Global warming and the increasing frequency of marine heatwaves (MHWs) threaten marine ecosystems and aquaculture. For the economically important spotted seabass (L. maculatus), the neuroendocrine basis of its stage-specific thermal responses has yet to be elucidated. This study examined the transcriptomic, physiological, and behavioral adaptations to chronic heat stress in late larval and late juvenile seabass over 14 days. After thermal acclimation, larvae demonstrated a marked behavioral shift, preferring warmer waters (26–34 °C). While heat stress upregulated key thermosensory genes (e.g., trpv1, trpv4) in the brain across both stages, it induced distinct expression profiles in the skin, suggesting a developmental transition from peripheral to central dominance in thermosensation. Brain transcriptomics revealed stage-specific pathway activation: juveniles engaged in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions and MAPK signaling, whereas larvae showed enrichment in phosphatidylinositol signaling and protein processing. Both stages showed activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis (upregulation of crh, crhr1, crhr2, pomc) and heat shock response (hsp70, hsp90), accompanied by elevated serum cortisol. Notably, energy metabolism diverged significantly: larvae maintained appetite and developed hyperglycemia, while juveniles exhibited severe feeding suppression and hypoglycemia, which was correlated with differential regulation of appetite genes (npy, orexin, cck). Our results elucidate the distinct neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying thermal acclimation in L. maculatus and provide a scientific basis for developing climate-resilient aquaculture practices for this species. Full article

Extreme weather events, particularly marine heatwaves (MHWs), increasingly threaten aquaculture systems worldwide by impairing animal physiology and economical sustainability. This showcases the need to develop nutritional approaches that enhance animal performance under sub-optimal conditions. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with the brown macroalga Laminaria digitata (whole dried powder or extract) on the antioxidant status, digestive activity, and lipid metabolism of juvenile Sparus aurata exposed to a simulated MHW. Fish were fed four diets (control, 0.3% extract, and 0.3% or 1.5% powder) for 30 days before being exposed to a category III Mediterranean MHW. Under optimal temperature, macroalgae supplementation reduced oxidative status (lower catalase activity). The powder-feeds decreased lipid peroxidation, while the extract-feed elicited the opposite. All supplemented diets reduced proteolytic activity, and the extract-feed also decreased amylase activity. The MHW impaired gastrointestinal antioxidant defenses and liver lipid metabolism, decreasing catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities, as well as ΣPUFA n-6, 16:1 n-7, and 18:2 n-6 levels. The 0.3% powder-feed mitigated MHW-induced reductions in antioxidant activity, while both 0.3%-diets prevented thermal stress-related alterations on fatty acid profile. Overall, L. digitata powder at 0.3% was most effective at enhancing thermal stress resilience, supporting its value as a functional aquafeed ingredient. Full article

This study examines the relationships between land use, climate, and nature-based adaptation in coastal and island regions of South Korea, focusing on the counties of Muan and Shinan along the southwest coast. Using land use data (2014) and meteorological data (2001–2010), Spearman correlation analysis was applied to assess the associations between six land-use categories and eight climatic indicators, including temperature extremes, tropical nights, and precipitation patterns. Results show that built-up and agricultural areas are closely linked to higher maximum temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, indicating greater climatic vulnerability. Conversely, wetlands, and bare lands demonstrate significant cooling effects, acting as natural buffers against rising temperatures. Wetlands play dual roles in supporting initial hydrological heat mitigation but enhancing nocturnal heat retention during prolonged heatwaves. Forests and grasslands emerged as important land-use types that can help reduce the number of tropical night days. These findings underscore the importance of nature-based land management—such as forest expansion, wetland conservation, and vegetation restoration—for mitigating heat stress and enhancing climate resilience. This study calls for extending national climate adaptation policies beyond urban areas to support aging, and therefore vulnerable, coastal and island populations facing the intensifying effects of climate change. Full article

Compound drought and heatwave (CDHW) events pose a rising threat to global water security and ecosystem stability. While their increased frequency under global warming is recognized, their spatiotemporal evolution and subsequent cascading impacts on hydrological processes in monsoonal lake basins remain poorly quantified. This study investigates the characteristics and hydrological impacts of CDHW in the Poyang Lake Basin, China’s largest freshwater lake, from 1981 to 2016. Using a daily rolling-window approach with the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Temperature Index (STI), we identified CDHW events and characterized them with metrics of frequency, severity, and intensity. Event coincidence analysis (ECA) was employed to quantify the trigger relationship between CDHW and subsequent hydrological droughts (streamflow and lake water level). Our results reveal a paradigmatic shift in the CDHW regime post-2000, marked by statistically significant increases in all three metrics and a fundamental alteration in their statistical distributions. ECA demonstrated that intensified CDHW events significantly enhance hydrological drought risk, primarily through a robust and increasing lagged influence at seasonal timescales (peaking at 40–90 days). Decomposition of compound events attributes this protracted impact predominantly to the heatwave component, which imposes prolonged hydrological stress, in contrast to the more immediate but rapidly decaying influence of drought alone. This study highlights the necessity of integrating compound extremes and their non-stationary, lagged impacts into water resource management and climate adaptation strategies for monsoonal basins. Full article

We examine how the Arctic Oscillation (AO) shapes winter sea-surface-temperature (SST) variability in the East/Japan Sea, with a focus on sub-seasonal SST memory (how long anomalies persist) and air–sea coupling (where SST and atmospheric anomalies co-vary). Using daily OISST v2.1 and ERA5 reanalysis for 1993–2022, we first analyze winter persistence of SST and key atmospheric drivers and identify East Korea Bay and the Subpolar Front as hotspots of long-lived SST anomalies. A rank-reduced multivariate maximum covariance analysis then extracts the leading coupled mode between SST and a set of atmospheric fields under positive and negative AO phases; in both phases the coupled mode is front-anchored, but its amplitude and spatial focus differ. Finally, to quantify the mixed-layer memory, we construct Ornstein–Uhlenbeck-like time-integrated responses of the atmospheric principal components. The effective integration timescales, determined by maximizing zero-lag correlations with the SST mode, cluster at approximately 2–3 weeks for wind-stress curl and near-surface variables and 4–7 weeks for sea-level pressure and meridional wind, with longer timescales during negative AO. The time-integrated atmospheric responses exhibit SST-like persistence, confirming the mixed layer’s role as a stochastic integrator. These AO-conditioned memory windows define practical lead times over which integrated atmospheric indices can act as predictors of winter marine heatwaves and cold-surge-impacted SST anomalies. Full article

The increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves due to climate change pose significant challenges to sturgeon aquaculture. This study investigated the effects of gradual heat stress (1 °C every 8 h) on two reciprocal hybrid sturgeon strains (Acipenser baerii ♀ × A. schrenckii ♂, (BS hybrid); A. schrenckii ♀ × A. baerii ♂, (SB hybrid)), focusing on their antioxidant defense mechanisms, heat shock protein (HSP) expression, and liver and gill tissue histology. When water temperature raised to 34.3 °C (about 104 h), LOE (loss of equilibrium) individuals appeared. Twenty-four hours after sampling, fifteen BS hybrid sturgeon remained alive, whereas no SB hybrid sturgeon survived. In this study, the slow heat stress significantly elevated the expression of HSP-related genes (hsc70, hsp70, hsp90) in both the liver of BS hybrid sturgeon and the gills of SB hybrid sturgeon. However, in the gills of BS hybrid sturgeon and the liver of SB hybrid sturgeon, the expression of hsp family genes in the experimental groups was either lower than or comparable to the control group. Significant liver damage, including cellular vacuolization and necrosis, was observed in BS hybrids, while SB hybrid sturgeon exhibited more pronounced gill tissue damage. Among the four antioxidant enzymes—superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), catalase (CAT) glutathione peroxidase (GPx)—only LDH activity was elevated in the hepatic tissue of BS hybrid sturgeon, corresponding to increased serum lactate levels, while gill LDH activity was higher in SB hybrid sturgeon. In both hybrids, LDH activity exhibited an increasing trend in the kidney. However, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) remained unchanged across all three tissues. Both plasma cortisol and lactate were substantially affected by thermal stress. MDA remained at a relatively stable level after heat stress and recovery. These results demonstrate differential tissue-specific responses to heat stress in the reciprocal hybrids. More importantly, the BS hybrid sturgeon exhibited significantly higher thermal tolerance and post-stress survival compared to the SB hybrid sturgeon. These findings reveal that the choice of maternal parent is a critical factor influencing heat resistance in these hybrids, providing a key basis for selective breeding programs and optimizing aquaculture management. Full article

Urban heat islands intensify heat stress and degrade air quality in densely built areas, yet the physical processes governing near-surface thermal variability remain poorly quantified. This study applies the coupled MOLOCH and PALM model system 6.0 (PALM-4U) over Bologna (Italy) during a summer 2023 heatwave to resolve meter-scale atmospheric dynamics within the Urban Canopy Layer and Roughness Sublayer at 2 m horizontal resolution. The coupled configuration was validated against in situ meteorological observations and Landsat-8 LST data, showing improved agreement in air temperature and wind speed compared to standalone mesoscale simulations. Results reveal pronounced diurnal and vertical variability of wind speed, turbulent kinetic energy, and friction velocity, with maxima between two/three times the median building height (h_c). Distinct surface-dependent contrasts emerge: asphalt and roofs act as strong daytime heat sources (Bowen ratio β_asphalt ≈ 4.8) and nocturnal heat reservoirs at pedestrian level (z ≈ 0.07 h_c), while vegetation sustains daytime latent heat fluxes (β_vegetation ≈ 0.6÷0.8) and cooler surface and near-surface air (Temperature anomaly of surface ΔT_s ≈ −9 °C and air ΔT_air ≈ −0.3 °C). Thermal anomalies decay with height, vanishing above z ≈ 2.5 h_c due to turbulent mixing. These findings provide insight into fine-scale energy exchanges driving intra-urban thermal heterogeneity and support climate-resilient urban design. Full article

The year 2024 has been recorded as the warmest year on record, with global temperatures temporarily exceeding the 1.5 °C threshold owing to rising anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This has intensified global attention on heatwaves, which are a major public health threat linked to increased morbidity and mortality rates. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 901 Web of Science-indexed journal articles (2004–2024) using the term “heat wave health.” The findings revealed a significant increase in global temperatures, with an increasing frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme heat events. Heatwaves have been linked to higher rates of injuries, mental health disorders, and mortality, particularly in urban areas, due to ozone pollution, atmospheric contaminants, and the urban heat island effect, leading to increased emergency hospitalisation. Rural populations, especially outdoor labourers, face occupational heat stress and a higher risk of fatality. Adaptation measures, including early warning systems, heat indices, air conditioning, white and green roofs, and urban cooling strategies, offer some mitigation but are inadequate in the long term. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding regional vulnerabilities, adaptation effectiveness, and socio-economic disparities, underscoring the urgent need for interdisciplinary research to inform heat-resilient public health policies and climate adaptation strategies. This study highlights the urgent need for further interdisciplinary research and targeted policy interventions to enhance heatwave resilience, particularly in under-researched and highly vulnerable regions of the world. Full article

An overview of seasonal variations in glycaemic patterns in children and young adults with type 1 diabetes has been addressed in a previous work, which paved the way for an in-depth study involving not only traditional Multiple Dose Injection (MDI) therapy, but also a comparative analysis with the use of Advanced Hybrid Closed-Loop (AHCL) insulin pumps. The widespread use of Flash Glucose Monitoring (FGM) and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) systems, as well as dedicated platforms for synchronizing and storing CGM reports, has facilitated an efficient approach to analyzing glycaemic patterns. The effect of environmental parameters on glycemic trends undoubtedly has a clinical relevance, which however can be appropriately managed by knowing the responses in patients treated with different therapeutic approaches. In this sense, it is possible to evaluate how the glycemic trend in diabetic patients, in relation to external temperatures, responds differently to therapies. In this work, the response, in terms of glucose level, in diabetic patients was analyzed, according to the different therapeutic approaches and in relation to variations in external temperature. For the same period of the previous work (one year: Autumn 2022–Summer 2023), seasonal variations in CGM metrics (i.e., Time In Range—TIR, Time Above Range—TAR, Time Below Range—TBR and Coefficient of Variation—CV) were analyzed. The results show a better metabolic control, linked to the effect of the algorithm on the trend of glycaemia. However, the analysis focused on the heatwave of July 2023 highlights the role of extreme temperatures as a stress factor in the insulin pumps performance. A further focus was carried out on the comparison of glycaemic patterns during the school and non-school period for all patients until 21 years old. Results suggest that during the school period, glycaemic patterns, in patients treated with MDI, show a greater onset of hyperglycaemia. From all that has emerged, it appears clear that structured education on diabetes self-management for patients and their families is fundamental and must take into account multiple factors (type of therapy, daily activities, atmospheric temperature) in order to keep their effects under control. Full article

Urban densification in post-socialist cities has drastically reduced open and green spaces in high-rise housing areas (HRHAs), intensifying heat stress and degrading outdoor thermal comfort (OTC). These neighborhoods—shaped by socialist-era planning and, later, market-led infill—combine high built density, low greenery, and limited ventilation, making them critical testbeds for climate-adaptive regeneration. This study presents the first empirically validated ENVI-met assessment of blue–green infrastructure (BGI) performance in a post-socialist HRHA, using a representative courtyard in Niš, Serbia, during the 14 August 2024 heatwave. A 24 h field campaign (air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and mean radiant temperature) validated the model with high accuracy (R² = 0.92, RMSE = 1.1 °C for air temperature; R² = 0.88, RMSE = 3.5 K for Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). Four retrofit scenarios were simulated: S0 (existing), S1 (grass), S2 (grass + trees), and S3 (S2 + shallow pool). Across all scenarios, daytime PET indicated strong–extreme heat stress, peaking at 61.9 °C (16:00 h). The best configuration (S3) reduced PET by 2.68 °C (10:00 h) but <1 °C at peak hours, with acceptable comfort limited to 04:00–07:00 h. The results confirm that small-scale surface-level greening provides negligible thermal relief under a dense HRHA morphology. Urban morphological reform—optimizing height, spacing, ventilation, and integrated greening—is more effective for heat mitigation. Future work should include multi-seasonal field monitoring and human thermal-perception surveys to link microclimate improvement with exposure and health risk. Full article

As global warming intensifies, extreme weather phenomena such as heatwaves, flash droughts, torrential floods, cold waves, and blizzards are becoming increasingly frequent. Against this backdrop, traditional static food security assessment methods fail to capture the dynamic transmission patterns of agricultural productivity risks and their regional heterogeneity. Therefore, it is imperative to reconstruct a resilience analysis paradigm for food production systems, dynamically investigate the mechanisms through which climate change affects China’s agricultural productivity and discern the interactive effects between technological evolution and climate constraints. This will provide theoretical foundations for building a climate-resilient food security system. Accordingly, this study establishes a multidimensional resilience measurement index system for China’s grain productivity by integrating agricultural factor elasticity analysis with disaster impact response modeling. Through production function decomposition and hybrid forecasting models, we reveal the evolutionary patterns of China’s grain productivity under climate risk shocks and trace the transmission pathways of risk fluctuations. Key findings indicate the following: (1) Extreme climate events exhibit significant negative correlations with grain production, with drought and flood impacts demonstrating pronounced regional heterogeneity. (2) A dynamic game relationship exists between agricultural technological progress and climate risk constraints, where the marginal contribution of resource efficiency improvements to productivity growth shows diminishing returns. (3) Climate-sensitive factors vary substantially across agricultural zones: Northeast China faces dominant cold damage, North China experiences drought stress, while South China contends with humid-heat disasters as primary regional risks. Consequently, strengthening foundational agricultural infrastructure and optimizing regionally differentiated risk mitigation strategies constitute critical pathways for enhancing food security resilience. (4) Future research should leverage higher-resolution, county-level data and incorporate a wider range of socio-economic variables to enhance granular understanding and predictive accuracy. Full article

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have become increasingly frequent and intense, raising concerns about their impacts on fisheries production and economic value. We present a global assessment of MHW-related impacts across 2088 marine fisheries from 1985 to 2022. Using high-resolution satellite data and standardized catch production and catch value, we identified significant reductions in catch and ex-vessel value during years of elevated thermal stress. A total of 322 fisheries (15%) showed statistically significant declines during years with high MHW activity, with regional disparities indicating that the Northeast Atlantic and Southeast Pacific experienced the highest cumulative losses, while country ranking highlighted Norway, China, Japan, and Peru as the most affected. Estimated accumulated global losses since 1985 exceeded 5.6 million tonnes and USD 6.6 billion (2005 USD equivalents), nearly 40% of which occurred during 2013–2022. These findings emphasize the need to incorporate extreme thermal events into fisheries risk assessments and adaptation strategies, especially in highly productive or strategic regions. Full article

Using Shanghai as a case study, this paper develops a multi-source fusion and interpretable machine learning framework. Sentiment indices were extracted from Weibo check-ins with ERNIE 3.0, street-view elements were identified using Mask2Former, and urban indicators like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, floor area ratio, and road network density were integrated. The coupling between residents’ sentiments and streetscape features during heatwaves was analyzed with Extreme Gradient Boosting, SHapley Additive exPlanations, and GeoSHAPLEY. Results show that (1) the average sentiment index is 0.583, indicating a generally positive tendency, with sentiments clustered spatially, and negative patches in central areas, while positive sentiments are concentrated in waterfronts and green zones. (2) SHapley Additive exPlanations analysis identifies NDVI (0.024), visual entropy (0.022), FAR (0.021), road network density (0.020), and aquatic rate (0.020) as key factors. Partial dependence results show that NDVI enhances sentiment at low-to-medium ranges but declines at higher levels; aquatic rate improves sentiment at 0.08–0.10; openness above 0.32 improves sentiment; and both visual entropy and color complexity show a U-shaped relationship. (3) GeoSHAPLEY shows pronounced spatial heterogeneity: waterfronts and the southwestern corridor have positive effects from water–green resources; high FAR and paved surfaces in the urban area exert negative influences; and orderly interfaces in the vitality corridor generate positive impacts. Overall, moderate greenery, visible water, openness, medium-density road networks, and orderly visual patterns mitigate negative sentiments during heatwaves, while excessive density and hard surfaces intensify stress. Based on these findings, this study proposes strategies: reducing density and impervious surfaces in the urban area, enhancing greenery and quality in waterfront and peripheral areas, and optimizing urban–rural interfaces. These insights support heat-adaptive and sustainable street design and spatial governance. Full article

This study examined residents’ perceptions, preferences, and experiences of urban green spaces in four regional units of the Region of Attica—West Athens, Central Athens, South Athens, and Piraeus—demonstrating how demographic diversity, urban morphology, and external stressors—such as extreme heat and the COVID-19 pandemic—shape green space use. The results show that, while green spaces are essential for health, well-being, and social cohesion, their distribution is uneven, which limits their availability (27.3%) and access (21.8%) to residents. Main concerns expressed by residents when visiting green spaces and open green spaces are poor maintenance (50.7%), lack of security (36.7%), and socially irresponsible behaviour (e.g., littering, vandalism) (32.8%). Extreme heat emerged as a major constraint on outdoor activities, particularly affecting women and the elderly. Household-associated outdoor areas (balconies, courtyards, and verandas) were highly valued (59.8%), highlighting the role of private green spaces in dense urban environments. Major metropolitan parks were the most visited and valued by residents for providing contact with nature (23.0%) and benefiting from stress relief (54.0%) while practicing their favourite activity, though their use was limited during heatwaves (30.3% of the residents do not visit). Most activities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic were reported unchanged, though reported increases in walking (34.3%) and park visits (28.3%) demonstrate the importance of green spaces in fostering urban resilience. However, the reported lack of engagement in gardening (48.0%), indoor plant care (41.2%) and bird/wildlife watching (58.3%) suggest missed opportunities for ecological and cultural enrichment. Overall, the study underscores the urgent need for integrated planning strategies to improve accessibility, maintenance, and equity in green space provision. By aligning with the sustainable development goals, the four regional units of the Region of Attica can transform its green infrastructure into an inclusive, resilient system that supports public health, social inclusion, and climate adaptation. Full article