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Cities will face increasing challenges due to the impacts of global climate change, particularly in the form of cyclonic events, necessitating a deeper understanding and the establishment of effective response mechanisms at both institutional and citizen levels. In this research, we tested the efficiency of crowdsourcing in fostering participatory resilience and improving urban management. The main aim was to design novel and accurate proactive response strategies and mitigate the adverse effects of cyclonic wind events through volunteerism, citizen science, and urban science. To achieve this goal, as a case study, the municipality of Soledad, Colombia was used. This research employed a two-phase methodological approach: (i) initially evaluating the spatial distribution of emergency response resources, and (ii) developing a geo-referenced survey to map, systematize, and categorize data and outcomes. A total of three hundred and seventy-eight residents across five neighborhoods in Soledad, which have experienced a high frequency of atmospheric wind phenomena over the past two decades, were surveyed. The results indicate that the crowdsourcing mechanism effectively enhanced the empirical understanding of atmospheric wind events in Soledad, facilitating the establishment of a geo-referenced volunteer network for real-time responses. Additionally, this study shed light on previously undocumented challenges, in terms of reducing the number of people affected, and the actions that would lead to improved urban development to reduce the impacts of cyclonic events, emphasizing the significance of citizen science in the social construction of risk and disaster risk reduction (DDR) efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater generation is a major concern, as most of it goes untreated. Industries, urban areas, and agriculture are the major contributors to wastewater. Phytoremediation is an effective method of wastewater treatment. However, the potential of local aquatic species for hyper-accumulation of heavy metals remains elusive. This study focuses on evaluating the native macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes for phytoremediation potential in different source-based water environments: freshwater (FW), industrial (IW), and urban wastewater (UW). Physico-chemical analysis was conducted on water samples (five samples from each source) along with the corresponding E. crassipes plants for assessing physiological, nutritional, and heavy metal parameters. The results showed distinct characteristics among the water sources. The FW had a high pH, and the IW exhibited elevated levels of electrical conductivity (EC: 1746 μS cm−1), total dissolved solids (TDS: 864 mg L−1), chloride (Cl−: 557.83 mg L−1), sulfate (SO4−: 137.27 mg L−1), and calcium (Ca++: 77.83 mg L−1) ions. The UW exhibited high bicarbonate (HCO3−: 123.38 mg L−1), sodium (Na+: 154 mg L−1), and potassium (K+: 37.12 mg L−1) ions. The Cd contamination exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) limits (0.003 mg L−1) in the FW (0.05 mg L−1 in FW-5) and UW (0.05 mg L−1 in UW-3); Cr contamination was higher than the permissible limits of the WHO, National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), and the European Union (EU) (0.05 mg L−1) in FW, IW, and UW; arsenic (As) in IW exceeded the WHO, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and EU limits of 10 μg L−1, and Pb in UW exceeded the WHO (0.01 mg L−1), NEQS (0.05 mg L−1), and EU (0.01 mg L−1) limits. E. crassipes displayed different traits depending on the water sources. FW-grown plants had a higher biomass and chlorophyll-b content, while UW-grown plants had higher photosynthesis rates and chlorophyll-a content. Shoots accumulated more Na+, K+, and Ca++ ions than roots. Metal translocation from roots to shoots followed specific patterns for each source: the TFs of Zn = 3.62 in FW > Cd = 2.34 in UW > Cr = 1.61 and Pb = 1.29 in IW and BCFs were found in ascending order: Zn > Ni > Cd > As > Pb in FW, Cd > Zn > Ni > Cr > Pb > As in IW, and Cd > Ni > Pb > Cr > Zn > As in UW. The bioconcentration factor was higher in the roots than in the shoots. These findings suggest that E. crassipes shows promise as a phytoremediation option for heavy metal-contaminated wastewater due to its ability to thrive in harsh wastewater conditions with a higher TF > 1 and BCF > 1. Therefore, the utilization of these macrophytes holds potential for wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refined investigation of new trends in urban analysis assuming a sustainable design of Areas of Public Space and Meeting (APSM) is a fundamental response to the challenges of inclusive and efficient cities. Even though the APSM are districts regarded as urban structuring systems, there is a lack of territorial planning instruments and conceptual models aimed at explaining their long-term dynamics. Based on these premises, we developed a conceptual model that articulates relevant variables of interest for the planning and management of APSM. The construction of the model includes the review and analysis of the literature and the validation process based on a consultation with a panel of experts on the subject. Our findings demonstrate that the existing research does not address the APSM issue adequately, and the methodologies proposed so far do not lead to accurate and comprehensive analyses of urban complexity in light of sustainability targets. There are only isolated, disjointed, and partial approaches to variables of interest, making it difficult to carry out holistic studies. Our technical and scientific proposal offers a framework for an exhaustive evaluation of these areas. The model has been structured according to the assumptions of urban sustainability and can be applied to diverse urban environments in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coastal strip of the western peri-urban area of Barranquilla in the Atlántico Department (Colombia) is experiencing changes in human-environment interactions through infrastructure, residential, and tourism projects in a vulnerable landscape. In the hilly area, fragments of biodiverse tropical dry forest still exist in various states of conservation and degradation. To understand the interrelated social, economic, and ecological transformations in the area, we analyzed land use change on the local scale including the local community's perception, because the local community is a key actor for sustainable land use. For the analysis of the interrelated social, economic, and ecological processes, we combined visual interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery, on-site field land use mapping, and a spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of land use classes with in-depth interviews and a participatory GIS workshop, thus benefitting from the complementary methodological strengths of these approaches. The case study is the rural community of El Morro, which exhibits the typical social, economic, and ecological changes of the coastal strip of the western peri-urban area of Barranquilla. The local community perceives a continuous loss of forest area, but observations from on-site field mapping cannot confirm this linear trend. We observed a gradual replacement of traditional land uses such as smallholder agriculture, charcoal production, and cattle breeding by services for tourism, gated community projects for urban dwellers, and infrastructure projects; these spatial developments have several characteristics of rural gentrification. We conclude that the drivers of environmental degradation have changed and the degradation increased. The development projects of external companies have been rejected by the local community and have induced environmental consciousness among community members. Thus, the local community has become an advocate for sustainable land use in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]