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Green bonds serve as an imperative financial tool for mitigating climate change risk and environmental sustainability. It has received significant attention in the current literature, with increased worldwide efforts to fight against global climate change. Yet, the direction of green bonds' literature is currently unclear. Therefore, this paper aims to deliver a comprehensive vision of the literary landscape of green bond research, in consideration of policymakers, major market players, and investors. To achieve this, bibliometric analysis is performed on 342 filtered articles found in the Scopus database, through VOSviewer and Biblioshiny package. A detailed and descriptive evaluation of scholarly data demonstrates the significance of green bonds in accomplishing the objective of sustainable finance and mitigation of climate change. This study broadens our understanding of the literature and conceptual growth of scholarly discussion of green bonds, which gives insight into developing a strong conceptual foundation and future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide fight against climate change and its impacts finds support in the realm of green financing. The realization of the United Nations' sustainable objectives hinges upon it. Considering that green financing is hailed as the future of banking and investment, it demands a thorough comprehension. The purpose of this study is to delve into the cutting-edge trends within the domain of green financing research. Employing a mixed-methods approach involving bibliometric and qualitative analysis, this research aims to provide insights into this vital field. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study employs a bibliometric analysis, qualitative assessment, and content analysis to delve into the realm of green financing. Over a thousand interconnected papers are quantitatively analyzed, with validation from reputable sources such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The study's findings reveal a clear trajectory. China leads in the implementation of green finance within business operations, with the USA following suit. These results underscore crucial applications of green financing within specific research domains. This study unveils significant applications of green financing across various research domains. Furthermore, it highlights methods to harness the potential benefits of green financing, thus promoting research and development advancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the study which explored the learning and teaching of the topics of climate change, sustainability and disaster risk reduction in secondary-level teacher education programs in England and Japan. Through interviewing teacher educators, the study particularly probed how teacher education programs used local knowledge and collaboration in discussing the above topics. Geography tends to be the main subject area for these global agendas, but its crammed curriculum is "an ongoing challenge" for teacher education. Some researchers demonstrate that university-based initial teacher education has "ignored" training teachers on how to implement environmental and sustainability education at schools. Besides, the inquiries into how initial teacher education equips geography teachers for the learning and teaching of disaster risk reduction are still scarce. This paper aims to fill this gap by bringing together the fields of geography education, climate change and sustainability education, disaster risk reduction education and initial teacher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper will explore the significance of the role cities play in transnational institutional bypass of nation-States. The authors provide examples of cities playing the role of a transnational institutional bypass of nation-States and indicate the circumstances that may compel cities to act as such a bypass and fulfil the nation-State functions. The aim of the paper is to show that cities may successfully bypass nation-States in specific circumstances, including some cases of nation-States being unwilling to act in order to achieve a greater good that is in the interests of people living in a given nation-State or, even on a broader scale, in the interests of mankind. To best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first attempt to introduce the concept of an institutional bypass to cities and to construe conditions applicable in such a case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper emphasizes the importance of NATO's adaptation to non-traditional threats in maintaining stability and security in the changing security environment. It highlights the need for NATO allies to prioritize the development of strategies and action plans that address emerging issues such as new technologies, energy security, climate change, hybrid threats, and cyber threats. The paper suggests that in order to effectively counter these non-traditional threats, NATO must remain current with the latest technological advancements. As such, the paper recommends that NATO allies develop new strategies and action plans without delay to counter these threats and ensure security. The relevance of NATO can only be ensured through its transformation and adaptation, which in turn makes its existence self-justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the level of credit risk (from the perspective of default risk) among Polish households associated with the physical risks of climate change. In order to determine the potential impact of the physical risk of climate change on household credit risk, we conducted CAWI interviews with 1,006 borrowers residing in different Polish voivodeships (to account for heterogeneity of credit exposures to extreme weather events). According to these respondents, wildfires and storms in Poland are the greatest source of physical risk of climate change. In the event of a wildfire or storm, approximately 13% of borrowers would not be able to repay their loans while not being insured, which potentially increases banks' credit risk and exposes banks to losses. However, we find that households underestimate the credit risk that could arise from a drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressing climate change is often reflected in changing biometeorological conditions. The Sudetes Mountains, located in the Polish–Czech border area, are concerned by this phenomenon. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the influence of atmospheric circulation on multiannual changes in biothermal conditions using the UTCI index. In the analysis, data for 1991–2020, from both Polish and Czech meteorological stations, was considered, while the circulation factor was evaluated using the Lityński classification. The research indicated a positive tendency of UTCI values for the majority of circulation types, which consequently contributed to a decrease in the frequency of cold stress categories. In the summits, a decline in the number of days with extreme cold stress was the most characteristic feature, especially under anticyclonic and northern circulation. Tendencies of heat stress occurrence were in most cases statistically insignificant, except for cyclonic and transitional circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One Health is a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environments. The main goal of this paper is to highlight the significance of the One Health concept in relation to the large group of diseases that transmits through arthropods and their worldwide distribution, with a closer look at the zoonoses. The importance of knowledge increases as the globalization and climate changes increases the likelihood of transmission, as both cause favourable conditions for transmission of bacteria and viruses. The increase in reservoir abundance, climate change, changing habitat structure, socio-political changes, and import of animals for welfare reasons, trade and traveling are considered to be potential factors for the pathogen and vector introductions to new areas. This article highlights the selected agents of bacterial zoonoses as sources of human and animal diseases and shows the number of cases of Lyme disease, which is the most common bacterial tick-borne disease in humans in Slovakia and Norway, and the trend in incidence over the past twelve years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse the participation of a local product in the tourism value chain, from the supply perspective. Based on a qualitative case study, interviews were carried out with hazelnut producers from Brunyola, in Girona, north-eastern Catalonia. The results showed the influences of internal and external factors, such as climate change, on the present and future conditions of the value chain in the context of food tourism management and marketing. Stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders would help the producers face the challenges of the transforming hazelnuts, and the region, into a tourist attraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of implementation of the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) of the non-Annexe I Parties registered in the NAMA Registry of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a worrying situation in the sense that it is limiting the contributions these NAMA projects would have made towards mitigating global climate change. There is however little research on the reasons behind the lack of implementation of these NAMAs projects and this is the knowledge gap that this paper seeks to fill based on a critical overview of the NAMAs of Ethiopia, Indonesia and Georgia. The source of data for this paper is mainly from the focal persons for the NAMAs of the countries under study, which was obtained via telephone and Skype interviews with the respondents. Our findings show that lack of funding, complicated financial mechanisms, lack of technical expertise, fringe conditions to donor support and policy issues according to the findings of this study are the main hindrances to the implementation of NAMAs. International organisations, donor partners, developed countries and local governments alike are therefore encouraged to channel some of the funds meant for fighting global climate change into sponsoring the NAMAs of poorer countries, as this will see to the successful implementations of these NAMAs and their subsequent impacts on mitigating global climate change. The paper is also timely considering the scarcity of literature on NAMAs related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ability to prepare, recover and adapt to frequent climatic variation is called "Climate resilience." climate change now places additional pressure on the cattle industry, particularly in developing nations, which threatens the livelihood of small farmers. In 2013 "Food and Agriculture Organization" reported that the livestock sector accounts for nearly one-third of agricultural gross production value globally. There are higher possibilities of the effective implications of sustainable intensification in the livestock production systems to determine production pathways that are more sustainable and productive with a minimum negative impact on the environment. The paper discusses the systematic review mingled with qualitative text analysis to explore the interrelation between sustainable intensification and resilient climate practices, specifically towards the livestock production system. The data for systematic review was taken from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases from 1995 till 2020, with total screened 94 articles in the final selection. The study's results revealed that all approaches involving environment-friendly practices with higher production efficiency, resource use efficiency and reachable to every farmer were considered sustainable intensification. The relevance of this sustainability analysis to climate resilience is illustrated by considering different types of livestock systems with concerned practices. So, the inclusion of appropriate technology in an appropriate system will open the door for sustainable intensification in the face of a Climate-Resilient livestock production system and finally lead the farming community towards sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents non-native (NN) coniferous and deciduous tree species growth and vitality assessment on experimental research plots established in 1980, 1982 and 1985 in the Danube Lowland over an extended time period. For NN coniferous tree species, Douglas fir, grand fir and eastern white pine reached significantly higher values of diameter at breast height (dbh) and height (H) than Austrian pine. For NN deciduous tree species markedly higher values of H and dbh for black walnut compared to sweet chestnut and red oak were recorded. Damage observed in larger extent on examined NN tree species stands included illegal removal of top of stem for grand fir and presence of necrosis on trunks of sweet chestnut. Comparison of NN coniferous and deciduous tree species growth with native reference tree species showed that NN Douglas fir, grand fir, eastern white pine, red oak and black walnut were capable to achieve similar or even higher values of assessed parameters than native reference tree species. The results suggest, that cultivation of NN coniferous, including Douglas fir, eastern white pine, as well as NN deciduous tree species, including red oak and black walnut in Danube Lowland could contribute to diversification and stabilisation of wood production potential of local forest formations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the impact of interdisciplinary instruction on the perception, awareness, and knowledge about climate change of 102 Spanish pre-service primary teachers using a pre- and post-test design. Our findings demonstrate that pre- to post-test scores significantly increased in all the studied categorizations and that students' academic background influences score improvement. Data also reveal that there is a positive and significant correlation between teaching capability perception and knowledge, suggesting that knowledge instruction is crucial for teachers' confidence in climate change education. The study also confirms the opportunity to explore sustainable teacher education from an interdisciplinary perspective, carrying out congruent teaching from different approaches on a complex phenomenon to understand it in a holistic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plateau is characterized by low oxygen, low pressure, strong radiation, cold and dryness, among which low oxygen is the main factor that affects the normal life activities of human body. Altitude hypoxia leads to significant changes in the metabolic characteristics of drugs in vivo, which in turn affects the efficacy and adverse actions of drugs. This paper summarizes the present situation of rational drug use in plateau area and pinpoints the existing problems. Meanwhile, we posit the strategies and measures for realizing rational and precise pharmacotherapy of plateau residents. First, we need to acquire a panoramic view of differential and relative pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in between plateau area and plain area by carrying out comparative studies on drug metabolisms and on comprehensive drug efficacies and mechanisms. Second, we must apply the findings from basic research to clinical practice and formulate guidelines and recommendations of drug use for plateau habitants. Finally, we should eventually achieve precise and individualized drug use for plateau habitants based on their characteristic etiology and pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overview of research papers of International conference of Environmental and Climate Technologies (CONECT 2019) illustrates the wide range of topics covered in the issue. All overviewed articles are published in the Special Issue (Part I and Part II) of the Journal of Environmental and Climate Technologies. Scientific articles are divided into 5 thematic clusters: renewable energy resources, energy efficiency, policy and policy tools, waste management and bioeconomy that charts energy, bioeconomy, climate change and environment nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to monitory the dry matter biomass production and carbon stocks of above-and below-ground biomass in five types of grasslands in Slovakia: i) lowland oversowed pasture ii) lowland hay meadows, iii) mesophilous pasture, iv) mountain hay meadows, v) abandoned grassland. Averaged over two cropping seasons the total above-and below-ground biomass differed significantly across the monitored grasslands. It ranged respectively from 2.18 to 7.86 t/ha and from 9.64 to 22.67 t/ha dry matter depending on the pedoclimatic condition and the botanical composition of each grassland type. Consequently, this resulted also in the carbon stocks in above-and below-ground biomass. Generally, the mean carbon stocks were 1.56 t/ha for above-ground biomass (24%) and 4.83 t/ha for below-ground biomass (76%). The botanical composition for all the grassland types was also described. The highest number of plant species (55) was observed in lowland hay meadow located in Slovak Karst, the lowest one (23) for the oversowed grassland located in Eastern Slovak Upland. This monitoring paper showed that semi-natural grassland habitats and improved grasslands as well are an important carbon sink, and they can play a key role in global climate change mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work of researchers from various areas is focused on problematics of urban heat islands. Its importance is rising with the global climate change. The difference of the air temperatures within the area can be also caused by the measurement error. Usual error is not the accuracy of the sensor, but the radiation shield or location of the weather station. In this case, averaged difference can be up to 80 %. Difference of temperatures between the weather stations within the analyzed area can vary from 0.2 up to 6 °C. Difference depends usual on the size of the city and the location influenced by the surrounding geomorphology. In this paper three different radiation shields are compared which influenced the measurement and analyzed are also the results from four different weather stations, two of them are within the University of Zilina campus. One of them is placed on the roof, which is a usual location for the solar radiation measurement; the second one is placed on the grass land at the end of the campus. Other two stations belong to the national weather institute. Comparison is made for two very hot days of August 2020. Averaged difference was 0.3 °C for the whole month and 0.5 °C for selected days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling the climate change crisis. Focusing on the need for education, the authors discuss a model of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that supports the development of competencies, coalition building and the capacity to support and maintain positive action. Drawing upon principles highlighted by the United Nations, the paper outlines the breadth and depth of knowledge required to support transformative ESD. Firstly enhancing comprehensive knowledge that develops cognitive, affective and axiological dimensions and proficiency. This enhances critical engagement with information and enables individuals to act responsibly and align with others in coalition building. The second element refers to collaborative partnership that is crucial for changes to be effective. This has been one of the most challenging barriers preventing positive action on the catastrophe pf climate change. Finally, the paper emphasizes the need to develop the competencies for supporting collective action, which will enable sustained action across transnational, transdisciplinary and transnational boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the most influential factors in shaping the climate change competitiveness of the EU regions. We conducted multiple linear regression, geographically weighted regression and polynomial best subset regression analysis to explore the variability in regional competitiveness by economic, environmental, social, innovative and technological factors. The results of the study provide rigorously tested and evidence-based insights into the most instrumental factors shaping climate change competitiveness of the EU regions. The findings revealed that the most affected factors were the number of cooling and heating days, CO emissions, e-banking, digital skills, urbanisation levels and access to technology. On the contrary, the levels of migration and of international scientific publications turned out to be minor. The authors believe that this article highlights several interesting findings and new incentives for further research and discussion regarding regional competitiveness in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates an influence of the anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission trend on climate talks aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The influence of commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, undertaken by the largest emitter countries within the framework of international treaties (the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement), on the fossil energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the combustion of various types of fuel by these countries has been analyzed. Emissions from the European Union (EU), as well as consumption of renewable and alternative energy sources by countries are beyond the subject of this paper. The paper focuses on the obligations that the largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions are ready to undertake in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The impact of the country's choice of the base year on its ambitious climate action to reduce emissions has been evaluated. Challenges that the countries may face in the implementation of the Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, developed by the International Energy Agency (IEA), have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The currently-observed increase in human activity in the Arctic accelerates the negative impact on the environment as well as increases the risk of threats to mankind itself. This paper reviews and summarises a selection of studies on the interaction between humans and the environment in the Arctic coastal zone, which is impacted by a warming climate and associated geohazards. The paper presents a general description of human presence in the Arctic, identifies and describes the processes that are threatening the infrastructure, and the anthropogenic processes that have a negative impact on the Arctic. It considers the possible future economic opportunities, and presents the sustainable requirements for modern human activity in the Arctic. The paper demonstrates the urgent need to develop a common, Arctic-wide strategy based on sustainable development. The time has come to change human perception of the Arctic because, in the near future, it may be considered as a refuge for climate change refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study focused on the projected changes in extreme precipitation during the 21st century in Central Serbia. The changes are investigated on the basis of historical and modelled data sets of daily precipitation. The historical observation data were recorded at 18 synoptic weather stations in Central Serbia and modelled data were extracted from the regional climate model EBU-POM (Eta Belgrade University-Princeton Ocean Model) under the A1B scenario. The average number of days in a year with precipition ≥ 20, 30, 40 and 50 mm (R20, R30, R40 and R50), the share of daily precipitation above the 20, 30, 40 and 50 mm (P20, P30, P40, P50) in the total annual precipitation and the monthly distribution of these heavy daily precipitation are used as indices of changes in extreme precipitation. These indices, for the three periods 2011–2040, 2041–2070 and 2071–2100, are determined and compared with those obtained for the historical reference period 1961–1990. The results have shown that the main changes in extreme precipitation in Central Serbia will be in their spatial distribution, and the uncertainty of the occurrence of extreme events will decrease. In the future the increase will be more pronounced than the decrease of these indices. We strongly emphasize the benefit of this paper for both the prevention of natural disasters in the study area and for the improvement of the regional climate model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Albanian agriculture sector is deeply affected by climate change. To cope with climate change, it is necessary to understand its consequences. The views of agriculture extension service experts are crucial in improving farmers' understanding and resilience, especially when farming practices are poorly adapted to the changing climate. This paper analyses the risks from climate change and the adaptive capacity of farmers based on an expert evaluation survey. The respondents identified prolongation of drought durations, rising temperatures, above-average occurrences of floods, pre-seasonal rainfall and frost as primary risks during recent years. Extension experts view a high (negative) impact from climate change through processes such as increased plant diseases occurrence, increased exposure to rodents, harmful insects and pests for plants and livestock, as well as forest and pasture degradation. The paper also provides experts' opinions on the policy implications, such as considerations about adaptation strategies towards climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has received significant attention lately as it has adverse environmental impacts. Among them, rising water levels in the reservoirs are of key concern for infrastructures such as dams. Dam officials are compelled to reconsider dam safety with the increment in catastrophic floods and accelerated dam failure issues. Relatedly, there are numerous earthen dams in the US that may not be up to the current design standards as these dams are aging. They possess a higher risk of failure due to various factors such as defects in design geometry, geologic materials, and hydrologic deficiency due to extreme storms associated with changing climate. Hence, this study focuses on evaluating the impacts of climate change on earthen dams and spillways by conducting a post-failure analysis of the two cascading dams, Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam, located in Michigan, USA, that failed in series in May 2020. The study aims to accomplish three main objectives: 1) to identify the role of climate change on recent dam failures of Edenville and Sanford, 2) to perform a Windows Dam Analysis Modules (WinDAM) C simulation for the failure analysis of the two dams, and 3) to perform Hydrologic Engineering Center - River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) simulation for the failure analysis of both dams by observing downstream propagation of flood with the detailed evaluation of depth and velocity. The overall results show that extreme storms and flooding are associated with the increase in temperature and precipitation rates, impacting overall dam safety. Careful precautions should be undertaken before any of these catastrophic dam events occur. The analysis is useful for the dam agencies as they reconsider their guidelines and policies for future updates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts wildfire events as well as water availability. Exposure of water resources to wildfire can reduce water quality supplied to humans and resulting health problems. On the other hand, water resources such as rivers and ponds are essential in wildfire firefighting. This paper intended to assess spatially the exposure of water resources to wildfire. A case study in Johor, Malaysia is utilised to asses and determine locations of water bodies in an area which are vulnerable to wildfire. Post wildfire runoff water can contaminate water resources. Fire data collected by MODIS from 2000–2020 are used to create a hotspot map. Water resources and waterbody data originated from Department of Surveying and Mapping Malaysia used to identify the stream and dams that are exposed to wildfire. 5 class exposure level has been set to show the degree of closeness of water resources to wildfire hotspot area. Using the spatial analysis method, low to high level of potential wildfire-water exposures were able to be locate. Analysis shows, 7% of Johor's water sources is exposed to medium levels of wildfire, while just 1% is exposed to the highest levels. The majority of the streams have very low levels of exposure. In addition, the wildfire-water exposure map aids in first respondent preparedness and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of climate change on forest ecosystems may manifest itself by a shift in forest vegetation zones in the landscape northward and into higher elevations. Studies of climate change-induced vegetation zone shifts in forest ecosystems have been relatively rare in the context of European temperate zone (apart from Alpine regions). The presented paper outlines the results of a biogeographic model of climatic conditions in forest vegetation zones applied in the Central European landscape. The objective of the study is a prediction of future silvicultural conditions for the Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.), which is one of the principal tree species within European forests. The model is based on a general environmental dependence of forest vegetation zones on the long-term effect of altitudinal and exposure climates defined by the mean and extreme air temperatures and the amount and distribution of atmospheric precipitation. The climatological data for the model were provided by a validated regional climate database for 2010 – 2090 according to the SRES A1B scenario, bound to specific geo-referenced points in the landscape. The geobiocoenological data in the model were provided by the Biogeography Register database which contains ecological data on the landscape bound to individual cadastres of the entire Czech Republic. The biogeographic model applies special programs (the FORTRAN programming language) in the environment of geographic information systems. The model outputs can be clearly graphically visualized as scenarios of predicted future climatic conditions of landscape vegetation zones. Modelling of the regional scenario of changes in the climatic conditions of forest vegetation zones reveals that in the prediction period of 2070 and beyond, good and very good climatic conditions for the cultivation of forests with dominant Norway spruce will be found only in some parts of its today's native range in forest vegetation zones 5 – 8. Based on the results provided by the regional scenario, the authors of this paper recommend fundamental reassessment of the national strategy of sustainable forest management in the Czech Republic, stipulating that the current practice of spruce cultivation be reduced only to areas specifically defined by the biogeographic model. The paper shows that biogeographic models based on the concept of vegetation zoning can be applied not only in regional scenarios of climate change in the landscape but also as support tools for the creation of strategies of sustainable forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to compare the results of two data evaluation procedures used for presenting the data from the orientation cage field tests. Both procedures accept multimodality of the data and multimodality of the headings of an individual bird as well as migrating population. The goal is to reach acceptable level of migration patterns presentation in biological sense, taking under consideration a flexibility of the real movements, depending on specific weather and landscape parameters. Such knowledge is absolutely necessary for estimating migration bottle-necks and the long-term studies on influence of the climate changes on migration patterns. The material used for the comparison of the procedures was collected in years 2001-2007 by the team of the Bulgarian Ringing Station Kalimok (44°00'N, 26°26'E) within the frame of the SEEN (SE European Bird Migration Network) activity and kindly shared for evaluation. The data were obtained using the standard SEEN methods, with the standard Busse's cage working procedure of the field tests. The material contains data on four species of nocturnal migrants living in different habitats: the Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus (ACR.ARU), the Sedge Warbler, A. schoenobaenus (ACR.ENO), the Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus (PHY.LUS) and the Whitethroat, Sylvia communis (SYL.COM). There are confirmed earlier conclusions that so called „classic" unimodal procedure is not applicable to the orientation cage data resulted from any field procedure. There are available two evaluation procedures that base on the same general assumptions: multimodality of distributions that reflects combination of several unimodal partial distributions, that can be described both using sophisticated Bayesian „Calculation" method and much simpler „Estimation" procedure. Results of both procedures are enough close to each other that they can be used for describing local and general heading patterns of migration of the nocturnal migratory movements studied using orientation cages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of this paper is to assess the thermal behaviour of Earth-to- Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) under continuous operation mode during the cooling period in warm climatic conditions. An experimental setup was conducted in Biskra University (Algeria) to test the ability to use EAHE as an alternative solution to conventional air conditioning systems. Besides, a transient numerical approach for the flowing air within the EAHE was developed using energy balance equations, discretised by the implicit finite differences method and solved by Thomas method. Furthermore, the transient temperature profile of the soil around the EAHE was investigated in order to determine the adiabatic radius of the soil as a function of the duration of operation. In this context, a transient semi-analytical model was integrated to the air model to estimate the transient EAHE's performance deterioration. This deterioration is produced by the thermal saturation of the soil, which is influenced by the heat released from the air inside the pipe. Results showed that continuous operation for a duration of four days has minimal impact on the outlet air temperatures due to the implementation of night purging. Furthermore, the design and thermal efficiency of the EAHE are impacted by factors such as higher air velocity and reduced soil thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article, meant as the first in a series, tries to answer some questions around the future desired shape of the new Polish electro-energy mix in relation to the one described in the national energy policy document PEP 2040 (Energy Policy of Poland till 2040) and as compared with the targets set up in the newest UE legislative package, 'Fit-for-55'. In this article, I first present the rich overview of literature as well as economic theory behind the analysis of the energy transformation and energy-mix decarbonisation, in order to show how the energy mix should evolve in a way that will guarantee the biggest net gain to the society. Second, some comparable cost calculations on selected electro-energy sources, both LCOE (levelized cost of energy) and external costs are presented; these are modifications of my previous work as a co-author. Finally, the comparison of the 2040 electro-energy mix, as designed in the official governmental programme PEP 2040, with the two alternative scenarios, both of which exclude coal, and one also neglects the possibilities for nuclear energy to be included in the mix are presented. The alternative scenarios built into the paper are based on European Union (EU) plans to decarbonise Europe quickly. Recent geopolitical considerations related to the war in Ukraine, however, make it necessary to consider energy security as an important part of the plan. That would mean that nuclear energy would be a necessary component of the future mix in Poland. Security considerations are left to be analysed in the coming months, after a series of articles on lessons learnt by other developed countries in the process of making their energy-mix transformations and will complete the final recommendations for the future of the Polish energy mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the higher pace of climate change, temperatures are rising each year, resulting in various effects on the thermal status of buildings. This paper takes the opportunity of analysing different scenarios of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using hourly weather data of future projections by implementing EPW weather files on EnergyPlus software dynamic simulations, coupled with architectural science methods of climate analysis, to test the effect of high and medium-high emission scenarios for the 2050s and 2080s future timelines on thermal comfort range, passive zones potential, and heating/cooling periods, as compared to the weather data from 2003–2017. Simulations results have shown a remarkable effect on the scale of daily cooling hours and monthly coverage under the high GHG emission scenario, expanding its range by 60 %, with 6 hours on summer peak days and 3 months/year, as well as an annual decrease in heating period by 33.3 %. Thermal comfort zones of tested periods have also witnessed an alternation, translating the effect on the passive cooling and passive heating zones' way of variating, where the ranges are pushed towards their potential limits. Results have also demonstrated that if future weather data is not included in simulations, a weather-related performance gap is generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard weather station network, belonging to the national weather forecast service, cannot satisfy the requirements of advanced simulation tools because of the network density, time interval of recording, collections of measured values or availability of measured data and its price. Due to the outdoor climate change, urban heat islands and advance in research it is vital to obtain precise data sets for the measured location. Since 2014, also the experimental weather station, which continuously records the wind flow, air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, rain and atmospheric air pressure, is a part of University of Zilina campus. In this paper, measured values of selected climate parameters are analyzed in terms of raw data and also in the case study of two wall types – traditional masonry brick wall and lightweight wooden-frame wall. Behavior of these walls is simulated by the impact of a non-steady state with use of WUFI Pro software. The impact on the hygrothermal regime of walls – water content, simulated under various boundary conditions, is analyzed and the differences between measured years are quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to determine the trend and to estimate the streamflow of the Gökırmak River. The possible trend of the streamflow was forecasted using an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. Time series and trend analyses were performed using monthly streamflow data for the period between 1999 and 2014. Pettitt's change point analysis was employed to detect the time of change for historical streamflow time series. Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho tests were also conducted. The results of the change point analysis determined the change point as 2008. The time series analysis showed that the streamflow of the river had a decreasing trend from the past to the present. Results of the trend analysis forecasted a decreasing trend for the streamflow in the future. The decreasing trend in the streamflow may be related to climate change. This paper provides preliminary knowledge of the streamflow trend for the Gökırmak River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with peculiar features of development of the species Veronica L. in the conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine (central part of the country). Under the action of climatic changes occurring for the last 20 years, the species began to grow 6–14 days earlier and increased the vegetation period by 15–25 days. Under the effect of extreme growing conditions (hot weather and drought) decrease in the area of the leaf blade by almost 2 times was recorded in V. prostrata and V. incana. Length and width of the leaf in V. prostrata and V. incana decreased by 20–30%, but in V. austriaca ssp. teucrium a decrease was observed for the leaf width only while its length increased by 17%. Analysis of correlation of climatic factors (air temperature, precipitation amount) to the morphometric parameters of the leaf during seasonal development showed greater dependence of their value on the air temperature, which was confirmed by the inverse correlation coefficients (r = -0.55–-0.66). In the unfavorable growing conditions, the features of formation of the underground part of species are manifested in the inhibited development of underground shoots (by 80–85%) and stimulation of branching and increase in the length of thin sucking roots (1.5 times). Studied species of the genus Veronica in the climatic conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine go through all stages of phenological development and are marked by rather wide range of phenotypic changes in the vegetative sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the coming decades, our cities will face extreme weather caused by climate change, which they will have to adopt. Adaptation of the urban environment is attracting the growing attention of planners, researchers, and policy makers in Slovakia and around the world. As essential for urban environment, the National Adaptation Strategy identified the adaptation at local level, which represents the participation of municipalities, supports the development of local adaptation strategies and subsequent implementation of actions that provide the cities with stronger sustainability and resilience. Within the last 8 years since the adoption of the national strategy, only 8 out of 141 Slovak cities in total elaborated an adaptation strategy that could be considered for further investigation. Consequently, this paper aims to broaden our knowledge of the two most significant impacts of climate change–heatwaves and floods–on urban structures in Slovak cities and validate the importance of spatial vulnerability analyses as a considerable tool for the expected unified national methodology for developing local adaptation strategies. The study examines analyses of spatial vulnerability to heat-waves in Hlohovec, Košice – Západ, and Trnava, and analyses of spatial vulnerability to floods in Hlohovec and Kežmarok, developed as part of vulnerability assessment within the framework of adaptation strategies of these cities. The analyses selected for comparison allow us to identify vulnerable urban structures and provide a deeper understanding of the causes of vulnerability in Slovakia, which is crucial for the development of adaptation strategies in the future and the building of resilience in Slovak cities. The article provides an exploratory spatial analysis of vulnerability hotspots. Based on the findings, it outlines the principles of spatial planning and urban structures that are resilient to the impacts of heatwaves and floods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan's agricultural economy is reliant on the Indus River's irrigation system, which is fed by the water coming from the great Himalayas-Karakoram Glacier Mountains. Because of hilly terrain areas, the climatic variations have an intense effect on the river flow, especially during the winter and monsoon months. Consequently, significant variations, which are observed annually, result in flooding situations in the monsoon months and reduced flows in the winter season. Thousands of people have lost their lives and massive property destruction has taken place due to disastrous floods that occurred during 2010 and 2016. Past studies have focused on proper water resources and the management of extreme events such as floods and droughts; however, modelling and forecasting based on the various climatic factors and stochastic variations are rare. This paper attempts to forecast Indus River flows using multiple linear regression (MLR), the stochastic time series, the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), and its reduced heteroscedasticity model, i.e., SARIMA-GARCH (generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity) methods at the Kalabagh station. The results show that MLR is best over the short-term; SARIMA is better over the long-term, and SARIMA-GARCH may be superior for a very long-term forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is triggering more frequent and intense hydrological disasters, which significantly impact society and economy. This paper discusses the specific impacts of these changes on hydrological hazards. It analyzes the early warning mechanism, risk assessment, and coping strategies to provide a scientific basis for effective response. This paper aims to explore the impact of climate change on hydrological disasters and develop effective prediction and response strategies. The effects of climate change on the mechanisms of hydrological disasters, risk assessment theory, influencing factors, and early warning mechanisms is studied through a comprehensive analysis method. According to the study, climate change significantly impacts the frequency and intensity of hydrological disasters. In a particular region, there has been a 30% increase in the frequency of floods caused by heavy rainfall over the past 20 years, leading to a 40% increase in economic losses. In addition, climate model-based risk assessment methods effectively predicted the potential impacts of these disasters. The study revealed that enhancing early warning systems and raising public awareness can reduce catastrophe risk. Climate change significantly impacts hydrological hazards, and more systematic and integrated management strategies are needed to reduce their impacts.

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The study of the impact of climate change on the fish fauna and fisheries management is a relatively young field of scientific research which has yielded very few analytical studies in the Central and Eastern European countries. This paper is the first attempt to examine the impact of this change on lake fisheries management, made based on an extensive and representative survey addressed at managers and owners of the entities authorised to use these waters for fishing and angling purposes. The conducted analyses enabled the determination of their opinions on the issues of climate change impact on the fish, selected hydrological and biological lake parameters, the possibility of use of fishing gear and its efficiency, the length of angling season, the amount of individual fish species caught by anglers and fishermen, and positive phenomena relating to climate change. Of all the phenomena arising from this change and perceived by the respondents surveyed, the growing population of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo (L.)), which is exerting increasing pressure on the fishery resources, and conducive to this change, is definitely at the head of the list. As regards the fish species, the pike (Esox lucius L.) is the most vulnerable to this change. The presented results prove that the managers under the study are aware of the ongoing changes and their impact on lake fisheries management, and of the challenges that they will have to face as early as in the coming decades of the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review provides an overview of and describes the current situation of Dutch elm disease (DED), which is one of the most devastating diseases for elms worldwide and in Estonia. It is known that in Estonia DED's agent Ophiostoma ulmi has been damaging elms since the 1930s. Today a new species Ophiostoma novo-ulmi is considered to be an agent of DED. Since 2013 the current epidemic has been recorded in most of the counties of Estonia. The both known DED agents, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi subsp. novo-ulmi and O. novo-ulmi subsp. americana were molecularly detected on Ulmus spp. Additionally, one hybrid pathogen of the subspecies (americana x novo-ulmi) was identified in northern Estonia. Also, the health status of elms and the potential vector agents of the pathogen are discussed and recommendations for disease management are provided. The threat to Ulmus spp. has risen in Estonia, apparently due to the trade of infected elm plants and changing climatic conditions having contributed to the invasion of new pathogens and their vectors. It is known that in Estonia Dutch Elm Disease (DED) has had a devastating impact on elms since the 1930s. Today its agent Ophiostoma ulmi has been replaced by a new, apparently an invasive species Ophiostoma novo-ulmi in most countries of Europe, as well as in Estonia. Since 2013 the health status of elms in Estonia has worsened substantially. The aim of this research was to analyse the current spread of DED until 2020, specify the taxonomy of pathogens, evaluate the health status of host plants, and analyse the control options of the disease. Visual assessment has been provided for the period of 2014 to 2020. Methods and results for the years 2014–2016 are presented in a previous paper (see Jürisoo et al., 2019). More precise monitoring of Dutch elm disease in Estonia started in 2014. A preliminary map of DED was provided on the basis of the assessments of the distribution (records). Thereafter, in the period of 2014–2020 more than 2,200 trees of genus Ulmus, mostly Ulmus glabra were assessed. Also, over 500 samples were collected of which 183 pure cultures of Ophiostoma novo-ulmi were isolated and analysed with different molecular primers (Table 3). In the period of 2018–2020, DED was detected in 14 counties of the total of 15 counties in Estonia. The analyses show that O. novo-ulmi subsp. novo-ulmi is widely spread; however, O. novo-ulmi subsp. americana was detected only in northern Estonia and on Hiiumaa island in western Estonia (Fig. 6). For the first time the hybrid pathogen (americana x novo-ulmi) was detected at a sampling site at Kose in northern Estonia (Figure 6). Our investigation demonstrated that in terms of the use of Ulmus as an amenity tree species Ulmus laevis could be considered more prospective than U. glabra because the health of U. laevis is significantly better and DED is not so devastating to the host. Also, we have to test resistant hybrid elms in our environmental conditions before starting massive planting in our green areas. All the plant material should meet the local standard on Quality Requirements for the Nursery Plants (see EVS 939-2, 2020). We have created several provenance trials in Estonia to qualify tolerant elm species or origins in the future. DED control is complicated because effective universal control methods are not available. Thus, a good sanitation program together with a reliable survey is needed. Symptomatic elms should be felled and completely destroyed; this seems to be the most effective method for DED control. Introduced planting material should be certified and controlled to minimise the invasion of diseases and pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to a changing climate, likely changes to a hydrological regime are one of the primary sources of uncertainty to consider in managing water resources. In Slovakia, a decline in the country's water resources, combined with a change in the seasonality of runoff and an increase in the extremeness of floods and droughts, represents a potential threat. The objective of the paper was to explore trends in the components of the long-term hydrological balance of various river basins to detect the impacts of changing climate conditions along the Western Carpathians. The proposed method is a comparative exploratory analysis of the hydrological balance of the selected river basins. Temporal changes in the catchments' average air temperatures, precipitation, runoff, and their differences (considered as an index of the actual evapotranspiration), were estimated for 49 years of data; two non-overlapping sub-periods (25 and 24 years) in the seven river basins were also compared. This work also aims at evaluating the applicability of gridded inputs from the CarpatClim database for modelling the hydrological balance over an extended period. The results document the impact of the rising air temperature and, in part, local physiographic factors on the changes in runoff and actual catchment evapotranspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shaping the development policy of states, regions and cities, referring to broadly understood issues related to the climate change adaptation process, is connected with the necessity of creating new and constantly updated planning and strategic documents and adjusting their provisions to the current needs, global civilisation processes and challenges as well as regional and local specifics. One of the important elements of the adaptation policy is to take into account the problem of urbanised areas adaptation to climate change and management of the built and natural environment resources. The subject of this paper are the planning and strategic tools used in development policy to adapt urbanised areas to climate change. The aim is to indicate the possibilities and limitations of planning instruments in the context of adaptation to climate change and to indicate their coherence in the context of implementation activities. The research includes the planning and strategic instruments developed in the area of sustainable management of the built and natural environment in recent years in Poland, with particular reference to the example of the Metropolis GZM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-native species can enter new habitats and ecosystems in a variety of ways. Suitable ecological conditions must exist for non-native species to reproduce in newly colonized habitats. Hot springs are suitable habitats for tropical, aquarium, and ornamental fish species. This paper presents the results of research on the distribution of non-native and native species in relation to environmental factors in the Upper Sakarya Basin, where several such springs are present. The fish fauna in the basin includes native (60% – 21 species, 14 of which are endemic) and non-native (40% – 14 species) fish species. Most of the non-native species (seven species) were found only in warm springs (minimum water temperature 16°C). In addition, 75 fish species belonging to 26 families were found throughout the Sakarya Basin. Hot springs were found to play an important role in the establishment of non-native species. The Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) results revealed that the non-native species density was high in the Upper Sakarya Basin where hot springs are common. This confirms that minimum and maximum temperatures are the main drivers of changes in the distribution of non-native fish species. Two aquarium fishes, Bujurguina vittata and Xiphophorus spp., are reported for the first time in the present study for inland waters of Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to analyse the strategies of cognitive estrangement employed by the science fiction writer and literary scholar Kim Stanley Robinson in his New York 2140 (2017). I argue that the novel was written as a call to action to mitigate the effects of climate change, and rather than being merely a description of a particular vision of the future, provides a comment on the current ecological crisis, mechanisms of history, and human agency. Robinson's unusual position at the intersection of the field of literary production and literature studies allowed him to apply the ideas developed for the analysis of the genre of science fiction in his creative work. The three main thematic areas in the novel are ecology, politics, and history. In each of these, allusions to the present, the past, and literary tradition, characterisation, and narrative structure are used as a means to convey the author's message and sensitise the reader to issues connected with ecology and social justice, painting a realistic, yet hopeful vision where human civilisation carries on despite the consequences of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 emissions are considered to be the main contributor to global warming and climate change. One of the ways reducing the emissions to atmosphere is a proper capture and further geological storage of the carbon dioxide. In the oil industry, CO2 is used as one of the injection agents to displace oil and enhance its recovery. Due to the low multi-contact miscibility pressure between CO2 and hydrocarbons, fully miscible condition is quickly reached, leading to efficient displacement and high recovery factors. The utilization of the depleted gas fields for CO2 storage, however, is considered as the option that is more expensive compared to oil field, since the enhanced recovery of gas with CO2 is not effective. For this reason, our study considers the potential use of CO2 EOR in depleted gas-condensate fields. This potential is evaluated by performing numerical simulations for the typical-size gascondensate reservoirs with no active aquifer, in order to estimate both the storage efficiency and the additional oil recovery from condensed C5+ hydrocarbon fractions, that otherwise will be never recovered and lost in the reservoir. Obtained results indicate significant potential for CO2 storage and additional condensate recovery from the typical gas-condensate field of Eastern Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We live in the times of climate change when global temperatures are constantly rising. The impacts of climate change will also be felt in agriculture in Slovakia: increased productivity and yields in colder areas, reduced production in warmer areas due to temperature stress, risk of erosion as a result of more extreme weather conditions (stronger winds, more intense precipitation), the occurrence of new pests etc. Hence, we should be prepared for adaptation measures that would help mitigate it. The aim of this paper is to present the impacts of climate change on agriculture and land, and to offer adaptation measures, and show the prognosis of the climate indicator Ts >10 °C from now until 2100. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WITH THE GROWING AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, STATE HIGHWAY AGENCIES ARE TAKING ESSENTIAL STEPS TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE ON A LIFE CYCLE BASIS. While much is known regarding climate change mitigation and adaption strategies during highway operation, very little is understood about how climate change issues should be integrated into highway planning, delivery, and construction processes. This paper presents the current contracting practice for addressing the climate change issues. A Green Performance Contracting (GPC) framework is defined in this paper. Four levels of the GPC strategies are identified and discussed, namely, material related strategies, equipment and energy efficiency related strategies, green life-cycle strategies, and clean energy development strategies. Furthermore, a survey of the GPC practices of U.S. state DOTs is conducted, and strategies addressed by different states aligned with the four levels are also discussed. Finally, a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model is proposed together with the evaluation criteria to assist state highway agencies in better incorporating green and sustainability into their project delivery processes. The evaluation criteria mainly include attributes of GHG reduction efficiency, financial feasibility, technology readiness, risk and uncertainty, and community and industrial acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using our natural resources, we produce much waste that can be recycled as a useful resource, which further contributes to climate change. Kosovo, generally produces a huge amount of waste, particularly Prishtina as the capital its capital city. The study presented in this paper investigated the high-rise buildings in Ulpiana neighbourhood of the city of Prishtina and waste disposals in Kosovo, focusing on the challenges of urban waste management, particularly on the recycling of high-rise urban generated waste. The research methods consist of empirical observation through urban spatial zone. Researched model of high-rise buildings, surveyed the land use, and recycling process of a total generated waste of 778.8 kg daily/per one structure. According to the conceptual and calculated findings strengthened with awareness for sustainable consumption, and proper urban strategy for implementing the recycling waste materials, it is indicated that the waste amount can be decreased and recycled for about 25 % from the total waste generated daily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is five years since Hurricane Sandy heavily damaged the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan region, and the fuller character of the long-term response can be better understood. The long-term response to Hurricane Sandy and the flooding risks it illustrated are set in myriad of individual and collective decisions taken during the time following the event. While the physical vulnerability of this region to storm surge flooding and climate change risks including sea level rise has been well-documented within the scholarly literature, Sandy's impact placed decision-makingpost extreme events into the forefront of public and private discussions about the appropriate response. Some of the most fundamental choices were made by individual homeowners who houses were damaged and in some cases made uninhabitable following the storm. These individuals were forced to make decisions regarding where they would live and whether Sandy's impact would result in their moving. In the disaster recovery and rebuilding context, these early household struggles about whether to leave or stay are often lost in the wider and longer narrative of recovery. To examine this early phase, this paper presents results of a research study that documented the ephemeral evidence of the initial phase of recovery in coastal communities that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Sandy's storm surge and flooding. Hurricane Sandy and the immediate response to the storm created conditions for a potential large-scale transformation with respect to settlement of the coastal zone. In the paper, we examine and analyze survey and interview results of sixty-one residents and two dozen local stakeholders and practitioners to understand the stresses and transitions experienced by flooded households and the implications for the longer term resiliency of the communities in which they are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper includes results of economic calculation until 2020 regarding adaptations of the algorithm model of forecasting supply of spatial economic objects for planning the development of the Latvian high-end industrial market space. Scientific discussion concerns the average temperature increase as a determinant ratio and the definition of spatial economics developed by the authors The research focuses on the changes in climatic conditions, which may have an impact on the country's economic development priorities. The paper also reflects on assessment of regional specialization of the leading entrepreneurial activities in Latvia and the Baltic States. It is mainly based on the empirical study of scientific literature. The authors apply the following methods: decision-making, analysis of primary and secondary sources, the Gini coefficient of Regional Specialization, the Gini coefficient of Geographical Concentration, logical approach and comparisons, systems and dynamic factor analysis, expert analysis, mathematical statistical methods. Main conclusions state that Latvia would continue regional development, maintain division of industrial capacities and decrease of Riga's industrial agglomeration. Agriculture will develop intensively. Increase in high-class industrial property stock is partly conditioned by the high-quality manufacturing needs, as well as logistics and service needs. The calculated level of that stock is 772,300 sq.m until 2020. In fact, Latvia demonstrates low regional specialization rates for agriculture and manufacturing. The authors stress importance of development of the appropriate infrastructure in creating competitive local business environment in the Latvian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]