scholarly journals A Regional Geography Approach to Understanding the Environmental Changes as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Highly Populated Spanish Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2912
Author(s):  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino ◽  
José María Senciales-González
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Economic Point

Spain has been highly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reflected at different scales. From an economic point of view, lockdowns and the reduction of activities have damaged the country (e.g., complete lockdown from March 13 to June 21, 2020). However, it is not clear if the associated environmental impacts could be observed in 2020. Currently, studies on the effects of the lockdown (e.g., decrease in economic activities, transport and social communication) on specific parameters related to climate change, such as air temperature or air pollution, due to a drastic decrease in human activities are rare. They are focused on specific cities and short periods of time. Therefore, the main goal of our research will be to assess the records of air temperature and air quality during the whole of 2020 compared to references from previous years (30 years for air temperature and 10 for air quality). We paid attention to the possible effects of the reduction of activities (e.g., tourism and transport) in March, April and May and the different restrictions of each lockdown in Spain. To achieve this goal, five urban climate stations with long-term time series within the most populated cities of Spain were analyzed (Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, Sevilla and Valencia). We conclude that it is possible to affirm that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the atmospheric conditions in 2020 are not clear and not strictly focused on the lockdown or reduction of activities in these urban areas. No evidence of a reduction in the annual air temperature was found, and only a minimum reduction of rates of pollutants was registered in the highly populated cities of Spain. Therefore, it is worth confirming that these changes could be affected by other factors, but on a global scale and not directly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering recent studies on the relationships between air pollutants, temperature and the spreadability of COVID-19, green policies must be further imposed in urban cities, since temperatures do not stop increasing year by year.

scholarly journals Modelling the impact of megacities on local, regional and global tropospheric ozone and the deposition of nitrogen species

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 12215-12231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. S. Stock ◽  
M. R. Russo ◽  
T. M. Butler ◽  
A. T. Archibald ◽  
M. G. Lawrence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Surface Ozone ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Chemical Environment ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. We examine the effects of ozone precursor emissions from megacities on present-day air quality using the global chemistry–climate model UM-UKCA (UK Met Office Unified Model coupled to the UK Chemistry and Aerosols model). The sensitivity of megacity and regional ozone to local emissions, both from within the megacity and from surrounding regions, is important for determining air quality across many scales, which in turn is key for reducing human exposure to high levels of pollutants. We use two methods, perturbation and tagging, to quantify the impact of megacity emissions on global ozone. We also completely redistribute the anthropogenic emissions from megacities, to compare changes in local air quality going from centralised, densely populated megacities to decentralised, lower density urban areas. Focus is placed not only on how changes to megacity emissions affect regional and global NOx and O3, but also on changes to NOy deposition and to local chemical environments which are perturbed by the emission changes. The perturbation and tagging methods show broadly similar megacity impacts on total ozone, with the perturbation method underestimating the contribution partially because it perturbs the background chemical environment. The total redistribution of megacity emissions locally shifts the chemical environment towards more NOx-limited conditions in the megacities, which is more conducive to ozone production, and monthly mean surface ozone is found to increase up to 30% in megacities, depending on latitude and season. However, the displacement of emissions has little effect on the global annual ozone burden (0.12% change). Globally, megacity emissions are shown to contribute ~3% of total NOy deposition. The changes in O3, NOx and NOy deposition described here are useful for quantifying megacity impacts and for understanding the sensitivity of megacity regions to local emissions. The small global effects of the 100% redistribution carried out in this study suggest that the distribution of emissions on the local scale is unlikely to have large implications for chemistry–climate processes on the global scale.

scholarly journals PARAMETERS OF INTEREST FOR THE DESIGN OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

2019 ◽  
pp. 92-101
Author(s):  
Marija Šperac ◽  
Dino Obradović
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Land Surfaces ◽  
Selection Of

The urbanization process significantly reduced the permeability of land surfaces, which affected the changes of runoff characteristics and the relations in the hydrological cycle. In urban environments, the relationships within the hydrological cycle have changed in quantity, in particular: precipitation, air temperature, evaporation, and infiltration. By applying the green infrastructure (GI) to urban environments is beneficial for the water resources and the social community. GI has an effect on the improvement of ecological, economic, and social conditions. Using GI into urban areas increases the permeability of land surfaces, whereby decreasing surface runoff, and thus the frequency of urban floods. It also has a significant influence on the regulation of air quality, water purification, climate change impact, and the changes in the appearance of the urban environment. When planning and designing the GI, it is necessary to identify the type of GI and determine the size and location of the selected GI. Since each urban environment has its own characteristics, it is necessary to analyze them before deciding on the GI. The paper analyzed meteorological parameters (precipitation, air temperature, insolation, air humidity) affecting the selection of GI types, using the specific example of an urban environment – the City of Osijek, Croatia. Significant parameters when designing GI are operation and maintenance These parameters directly affect the efficiency of GI. The proper selection of GI and its location results in maximum gains: the reduction of land surface drainage - drainage of the sewage system, purification and retention of precipitation at the place of production, the improvement of air quality, and the improvement of living conditions in urban environments

Epidemiology issues in problem of antibiotic resistance of clinical pathogens

2021 ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
N. I. Gabrielyan ◽  
S. O. Sharapchenko ◽  
O. V. Kisil ◽  
V. G. Kormilitsina ◽  
I. V. Drabkina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Pathogen Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Medical Facility ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Medical Institutions

The relevance of the work is due to the increase in the number of hospital infections associated with antibiotic-resistant gram-negative pathogens on a global scale. For medical institutions, both from a clinical and economic point of view, the catastrophic situation is that the multidrug-resistant pathogens increasing leads to limited possible treatment options. Analysis of published scientific articles shows that today the strict epidemiological surveillance and the study of the pathogen resistance profile in each medical facility is an effective tool for controlling the growth of multidrug-resistant microorganisms, thus reducing morbidity and mortality.

PALM-4U – A building-resolving microscale model to support future adaptation of cities in a changing urban climate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Hettrich ◽  
Björn Maronga ◽  
Siegfried Raasch
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Scientific Models ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Microscale Model

<p align="justify">In a world with increasing extreme weather events, such as dry or extreme rain periods, due to climate change and an ever growing population specifically in urban areas, a forsighted planning and adaption of cities and their urban surroundings is becoming more and more important. Here, particularly health and comfort of the urban population, such as thermal comfort, air quality, ventilation or UV exposure, but also other aspects like safety and environmental sustainability play an important role. In order to create the cities of tomorrow that meet the real requirements to host healthy and firendly living conditions, city planners are relying on scientific models where they can simulate how changes in the urban environment can effect its climate. The PALM-4U (Parallelised Large-Eddy Simulation Model for Urban Applications) model was specifically developed to be able to simulate a large variety of parameters on short timescales and at the high resolution that is required to resolve single buildings or obstacles like trees within the city.</p><p align="justify">In September 2019, the second phase of the German research project MOSAIK (model-based city planning and application in climate change), a module within the large over-arching project [UC]² (Urban Climate Under Change) that focusses on the further development of the model, has started.</p><p align="justify">In this overview, we will present the PALM-4U‘s current capabilities and outline the planned future development in the coming years like windbreak modelling, coupling with traffic flow models, including biogenic volatile organic compounds in urban air quality modelling. Furthermore, our PALM-4U community model strategy will be explained.</p>

Economical and Environmental Importance of Mulberry: A Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (02) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashmita Ghosh ◽  
Debnirmalya Gangopadhyay ◽  
Tanmay Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Perennial Plant ◽  
Environmental Importance

Mulberry is a very hardy and fast growing perennial plant belonging to the genus Morus of the family Moraceae. The leaf of mulberry is solely used for feeding and rearing of the silkworm, Bombyx mori for the production of silk yarn. It is estimated that mulberry silk contributes around 90 % of the total global raw silk production and it is a very attractive economic activities mostly to the rural people. In addition to the utilization of mulberry leaves as silkworm feed, it is being used for many other purposes also. For example, the mulberry fruit due to its high nutritive value and delicious taste is getting importance as valuable foodstuff. The mulberry bark and wood are also useful for manufacturing of paper and sports goods items. Recently, evaluation of several pharmacological compounds of medicinal importance present in mulberry plant opens up new avenues of research in the medical science. This paper reviews the economical as well as environmental importance of mulberry taking into account several aspects of its role as animal feed, foodstuff, phytomedicine and remediation of polluted soils and atmosphere etc. Finally, an outline of environmental friendly ecological model combining sericulture with animal husbandry recycling the waste resources has been proposed from economic point of view.

Port Placement Theory in Consideration of Geographical Characteristics and Disaster Risks in Case of Ocean Space Utilization

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Takahashi ◽  
Yasuo Kasugai ◽  
Isao Fukuda
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Container Terminals ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Port Placement ◽  
Space Utilization ◽  
The Third ◽  
Geographical Factors ◽  
The World

In case of ocean space utilization, the factors which have to be taken into consideration in order to form an international basic container route are geographical factors which are the position on a global scale, the economic scale of port hinterland, the ocean climatic condition for setting the route etc. as well as factors from the viewpoint of transport such as the volume of container cargo and both size of container ships and container terminals. It is important to consider these geographical factors not only in order to study the port placement from the global point of view but also to devise the port policy. Although there are many studies on factors from the viewpoint of transport, there is almost no study on these geographical factors. Then, the authors made a new simulation model and analyzed these geographical factors of the international container ports in all parts of the world. As a result of analysis, the authors got the conclusion that there were three port placement patterns. The first type is ‘the Continent Base Port Type’, which it is located in the continent and has the large economic hinterland. Typical ports of this type are Antwerp, LA, LB and Shanghai. The second type is ‘the Ocean Base Port Type’, which is located in the ocean space where geographical predominance is high. This type forms route hubs. Typical ports of this type are Singapore, Malta and Kaohsiung. The third type is ‘the Tight Hinterland Port Type’, which is located in an island and has the tight economic hinterland where the economic activities density is very high. This type has characteristics that the distance between the ports is short and there are a lot of numbers of ports, which is unique and special in the world. Japan’s ports are classified in the third type. Furthermore, Japan has a characteristic that there are many large-scale earthquakes and has to consider earthquake measures to reduce disaster risks. The authors will suggest the most suitable port placement theory in consideration of these characteristics in case of ocean space utilization.

scholarly journals Aesthetic medicine cabinets — economic aspect activities

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
Mateusz Tomaszewski
Keyword(s):  
Medical Staff ◽  
Cosmetic Surgery ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Economic Aspects ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Aesthetic Medicine ◽  
Ease Of Access ◽  
The Aesthetic

On the global scale, the market of aesthetic medicine increased in the years 2015–2016 by 8.2% on average, while in Poland by 12–15%. The reasons for the strong development of the Polish market may be related to a systematic increase in the number of affluent Poles [3], ease of access to aesthetic medicine treatments, a change in the way of thinking about this type of treatment, and increased awareness of the appearance and striving to preserve a young and beautiful look. The share of new patients in the cabinets of this industry is a proof of great interest in aesthetic medicine procedures. In 2017, new patients accounted for between 25% and 50% of all patients. From an economic point of view, current economic conditions with forecasts of further growth of the aesthetic medicine market are the premise for undertaking activity in this industry. To take full advantage of the potential of the facial cosmetic surgery, it is worth taking care of all possible aspects of its functioning — high competences of medical staff, as well as economic aspects of running such activities, including identification of possible risks in order to avoid them.

scholarly journals Role of Negotiation in Upstream-Downstream Flood Protection: Demonstration in Role-Played Flooding Game

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Jan Brabec ◽  
Jan Macháč ◽  
Thomas Hartmann
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Large River ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Downstream Effects ◽  
National Boundaries ◽  
Pareto Improving

Large river floods threaten intensively used urban areas across the world. Projections of IPCC expect such risks to increase in the future. To deal with flood risk along rivers water can be retained upstream at places where less damage is caused and more vulnerable land (downstream) can be adapted to the flood risk (resilient cities). This catchment-oriented approach to flood risk management implies that upstream and downstream parties need to agree on where to store and where to adapt to floods. However, this approach implies that many diverse stakeholders (such as mayors, spatial planners, homeowners, etc.) enter the decision-making process, which influences efficiency of the measure selection. Measures in a catchment of a river are often related and influence each other—what happens upstream can have substantial effects downstream. In particular, when rivers cross administrative or national boundaries, these upstream-downstream effects become an issue of hydro-diplomacy. Upstream is usually not motivated to implement measures from which mostly only downstream profits. Therefore, negotiation is necessary to find agreement between upstream and downstream and to implement the most effective and efficient measure. The negotiation becomes more complicated if multiple upstream and downstream parties are involved. In this contribution, a role-played game that tries to better understand the dynamics of negotiations in multiple upstream-downstream relationships is introduced. The game will be played with real stakeholders (mayors and river basin managers) and the dynamics of negotiation will be explored in different scenarios based on the Cultural Theory of Risk. This way, the game allows to compare effectiveness of negotiation in different scenarios. Beside the different institutional settings, the players’ level of flood risk aversion will be tested. The aim is to demonstrate (play) the game during the session focused on games and experiments. The attendees take on roles of mayors and will play one scenario of the game. The game shows how negotiations may (and indeed should from an economic point of view) lead to a Pareto-improving situation, making some players better off without worsening a situation of any other player. The demonstration presents the setup of the game and leads to discussion about results of the negotiations.

scholarly journals CONFORMITY BEHIND THE SOCIAL AND SPATIAL SEGREGATION IN SUB-URBAN AREA A CASE AT GADING SERPONG NEW TOWN, TANGERANG

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 361
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ischak ◽  
Bambang Setioko ◽  
Dedes Nurgandarum
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
New Town ◽  
Social Segregation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Descriptive Method

The phenomenon of urban growth in rural areas created sub-urban areas like Tangerang region. Occupancy of space created by planned settlement against unplanned settlement raises spatial and social segregation. Previous studies have shown more on the negative side of the collision phenomenon with the point of view of the occurrence of physical and social unconformity between the newcomers as residents of planned settlements with the natives. On the other hand, it turns out that unplanned settlements still exist, thus raising the question of research is there conformity in the point of view of unplanned settlement settlers? To get an answer to the question, this research used analytical descriptive method, where data obtained directly from the field through observation and in-depth interviews with unplanned settlement settlers. The result of the analysis showed that although the spatial and social segregation is apparent, the community of unplanned settlers does not feel disturbed and the daily social economic activity of the community keeps going well, even the quality of life improves in some points. Such conditions create a form of internal conformity with parameters formulated by the community, including access to and from unplanned settlements, integrated infrastructures, open access to economic activities, and still guaranteed socio-cultural activities.

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