Botswana’s semi-arid climate makes it vulnerable to climate change, particularly drought, which threatens agricultural productivity. This study assesses drought impact on Botswana’s agricultural sector using Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) rainfall data and Climate Hazards Center Infrared Temperature with Station (CHIRTS) temperature data (25 km) to compute the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Temperature Condition Index (STCI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at seasonal/annual time scales (1, 3, 6 and 12 months). The indices are used to assess their ability to predict crop yields using national data during Botswana’s rainy season, while employing univariate and multivariate statistical models. Statistical models also linked historical drought patterns to yield variability with the Percentage Area Affected (PAA) by drought, identifying key predictors. A majority of the crops (sunflower, maize, sorghum and pulses) showed variability which was best explained by SPEI 6 more particularly under the PAA multivariate models, with the highest and moderate explanatory power (R2) found in sunflower (0.48) and maize (0.43). However, variability in millet was best explained by SPI-3, although the R2 was low (0.26). Other crops displayed positive coefficients within the models, which may be attributed to the varieties grown being drought tolerant. Nevertheless, the impacts from drought, which resulted in low yields, were shown by the negative coefficients across most crops. For a more holistic approach, the study also employed questionnaire data to capture first-hand local knowledge. The results showed drought to be among the indicators of climate change that were mostly perceived as well as its effects, in which yield decline, crop damage and crop pests and diseases were among the most perceived effects. Overall, this highlighted the sector’s vulnerability to the changes in climate. The study therefore underscores the need for integrated drought early warning systems, adaptive agricultural/water management and insights for policymakers to enhance drought resilience in Botswana, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Global climate change poses increasing challenges to agricultural production and global food security by intensifying temperature and precipitation variability and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events. While several studies have examined farmers’ perceptions of climate change in the United States, limited empirical evidence exists for the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (Delmarva) Peninsula. This study assessed farmers’ perceptions of climate change in the Delmarva region and identified key factors influencing these perceptions, as well as adaptation strategies employed to address climate-related risks. Primary data were collected through a structured survey administered to farmers across the Delmarva Peninsula, while secondary data consisted of historical temperature and precipitation records obtained from meteorological stations in the region. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize farmer perceptions and adaptation practices, and a logit regression model was applied to examine socioeconomic and experiential factors influencing perceptions of climate change. Analysis of climate data revealed notable variability in temperature and rainfall patterns, with the warmest temperatures occurring during June, July, and August and peak rainfall generally observed between May and September. Survey results showed that a large majority of respondents (88.2%) perceived that climate change is occurring. Logit model results indicated that farmers’ age, education level, acceptance of climate change adaptation practices, and observed changes in climate over the past 5–10 years positively influenced perceptions of climate change. Adaptation strategies included selective crop choices, avoiding cultivation in flood-prone areas, adoption of soil conservation practices, and the use of crop insurance.

For the last three summers in Canada (2023–2025), and episodically in Siberia over the previous decade and a half, severe consequences from wildfires represent major ecological and societal impacts: the displacement of inhabitants; destruction of buildings, timber and infrastructure; and far-field air pollution. Wildfire occurrence is increasingly supported every summer by persistent surface warming and widespread atmospheric moisture deficits. The two recent major Canadian fire years in 2023 and 2025 show some contrasts: 2023 was dominated by an early June event with preconditioning, whereas 2025 saw repeated single events spanning June to early August, culminating in a significant late-summer event. Events in both years were associated with North Pacific–North American atmospheric blocking regimes. Over the longer term, 2003–2025, normalized June–September wildfire fraction anomalies in the Canadian sector (45–60° N, 150–60° W) show the post-2023 period as having new, clear, record-breaking fire intensities, highlighting wildfires as emerging dominant Arctic–subarctic extremes. Siberia shows an increase after 2010. Although multiple environmental Arctic–subarctic extremes are ongoing—such as sea-ice loss, storms, and glacial ice loss—the impacts from wildfires represent preeminent, growing societal consequences.

Sub-Saharan Africa faces intersecting challenges of water scarcity, climate-induced migration, and gender inequality, all of which have profound implications for health. These overlapping stressors, compounded by fragile socioeconomic conditions, contribute to heightened vulnerability, particularly among women, whose mobility is often restricted by gender norms, increasing their exposure to health risks. Despite the growing recognition of these challenges, the interconnected impacts on physical and psychosocial health remain underexplored. Understanding these overlapping issues supports integrated interventions and aligns with SDGs 3, 5, 6, and 13. The study aims to inform inclusive, context-specific policy responses that address the compounded health vulnerabilities of marginalized populations in Sub-Saharan Africa through climate-resilient and gender-responsive strategies. This study employed a mixed-methods approach combining a narrative review with key informant interviews to examine these linkages. Findings were thematically analyzed using systems thinking and a nexus approach to identify key patterns. It found that water stress, migration, gender inequality, and health outcomes are deeply interconnected in the region, with women disproportionately bearing the impacts. Gender norms amplify risks, leading to adverse physical, nutritional, and psychosocial health outcomes. Addressing these challenges requires integrated, gender-transformative, and cross-sectoral interventions that strengthen resilience, equity, and sustainable development in the region. This study underscores the urgency of adopting nexus-oriented, gender-transformative, and integrated policy and health responses within climate adaptation and development planning.

Since early 2023, severe to exceptional drought has developed in southern coastal Australia, with dam levels falling as stream flows plummet. The wet season, April to September, reflects the most equatorward position of the mid-latitude westerly wind regime that brings rain-bearing systems to southern coastal Australia. Climatologically, an upper-level tropospheric split-jet is present in the Australia–New Zealand region. This is evident in the subtropical jet (STJ) location when the 1965 to 1995 u-component of the 250 hPa wind anomaly, relative to 1991 to 2020, is located above northern tropical Australia, and the weaker polar-front jet (PFJ) branch anomaly spans the mid-latitudes south of Australia. Permutation testing revealed a statistically significant decrease in the 2016 to 2025 wet season mean precipitation across southern Australia. Compared with the 1965 to 1995 u-component wind anomaly at 250 hPa, the 2006 to 2015 decadal anomaly still shows the split jet with the STJ branch over northern tropical Australia and the PFJ in the mid-latitudes of the Australia–New Zealand region. However, there is a dramatic change in position and structure of the STJ branch of the split jet, between the 1965 to 2015 and the 2016 to 2025 anomalies. The split jet structure has shifted approximately 10° poleward, causing rain-producing systems to track south of the Australian continent. The reduced precipitation can generate more frequent and intense droughts, with greatly reduced stream flows and dam levels. Historically, the low precipitation warm season follows from October to March when heatwaves, combined with pre-existing dry conditions, often create catastrophic bushfire conditions.

Watersheds provide fundamental hydrological ecosystem services for human well-being and the environment, such as water provisioning, hydrological cycle regulation, and erosion control; however, these services face increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures. This study assessed individual and combined impacts on the hydrological functionality of the Piuray–Ccorimarca watershed (Cusco, Peru) using a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, analyzing water yield, soil water storage, and sediment transport across 20 scenarios. An ensemble of 10 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models with bias correction was implemented, integrated with land transformation projections contemplating urban expansion associated with airport development and forest recovery through Payment for Ecosystem Services mechanisms. The results reveal climate change as the dominant driver, generating water yield increases and soil water content improvements primarily due to evapotranspiration decoupling that increases the runoff coefficient. In contrast, land use change produces substantially smaller hydrological effects but critically intensifies sediment yield. Spatial vulnerability analysis identified eight persistently critical sub-basins (20.5% of area) where soil water content emerged as the dominant limiting factor. These findings establish a clear management hierarchy prioritizing climate adaptation over land use interventions, with differentiated strategies required for critical zones demanding structural interventions versus non-critical areas amenable to flexible conservation approaches.

People living in India are experiencing some of the hottest summers on the planet. Conditions are particularly harsh in Indian cities, like Kolkata, where high temperatures are combined with high humidity. Understanding how conditions in Kolkata have evolved could provide an important addition to the growing study of the problems facing megacities in the hot, humid tropics. Yet in Kolkata, this understanding is obscured by different, often incompatible, methods of assessing the intensity of heat stress. This narrative review considers the problems encountered when attempting to develop a clear understanding of past increases or even to quantify current conditions using conventional meteorological or remote sensing data. Rather than trying to arrive at a precise quantification of how much hotter it is now in Kolkata than in the past, we argue for more fine-grained, individual-level understanding of how heat is experienced. An example of this approach is provided by a study that used telemetric devices to continuously monitor the temperature and humidity to which elderly residents of slum areas in Kolkata were exposed during 24h periods as they went about their daily lives. This study indicates that individuals experience a diversity of heat conditions that are inadequately represented by outdoor temperatures. Living in dwellings where indoor temperatures are often hotter than outdoor temperatures, the daily heat stress experienced by this vulnerable group varies between conditions that are stressful but endurable to those that approach the limits of human heat tolerance. Given the likelihood of even hotter environments in the future, urban planners will need access to more comprehensive heat studies, focusing on continual monitoring of heat stress and physiological responses of individuals from different walks of life.

Rapid urbanization and global warming are amplifying heat-related health risks, particularly for vulnerable age groups. This study develops an open-source risk assessment framework that uses big data from remote sensing, land use, and population datasets to evaluate heat-related health risks. The framework integrates indicators of green infrastructure, Land Surface Temperature (LST), and demographic vulnerability to identify areas of increased health risk. Milan (Italy) was used as the case study for the application to test the methodology and validate its capacity to detect spatial correlations between Surface Urban Heat Island (Surface UHI) intensity and concentrations of sensitive population groups (children aged 0–5 and elderly aged 65+). The results highlight distinct spatial inequalities in heat exposure and health vulnerability, confirming the method’s potential to support climate adaptation and public health planning. By relying entirely on open-access data and tools, this approach offers a replicable and scalable model for assessing climate-related health risks and informing evidence-based strategies that can support public administrations to visualize risk, prioritize interventions, and enhance urban resilience.

The increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events that cause severe damage is considered a clear sign of climate change. Therefore, analyzing these events and gaining a better understanding of the circulation patterns that form precipitation regimes and trigger torrential rainfall are crucial for developing adaptation strategies. This study aims to present a comprehensive picture of precipitation regimes in Bulgaria under contemporary climate conditions, investigate the connections between precipitation and atmospheric circulation patterns, and propose a regionalization of torrential rainfall. We used daily precipitation data collected in the period 1991–2020, along with data on hazardous rainfall warnings issued by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology. To identify the circulation patterns associated with both rainy days and hazardous rainfall in Bulgaria, we applied the automated Jenkinson–Collison classification. To identify precipitation patterns, we conducted a principal component analysis in T-mode with varimax rotation and k-means clustering of component scores on both monthly normals and a dataset of 166 selected torrential rainfall days. The results, examined in the context of the existing regionalization of precipitation, highlight the climatic diversity of precipitation regimes in Bulgaria. Our findings indicate that torrential rainfall is associated with low-pressure systems and airflows mainly from the east or northeast, as well as with weak-gradient pressure fields.

Cultural practices such as Catalonia’s correfocs (fire parades) represent a vibrant expression of intangible heritage. Outdoor activities are conditioned by weather and threatened by climate change. This study analyses the long-term evolution of night-time thermal conditions during correfoc festivals performed in six Catalan towns located on the coast and in the pre-coastal region from 1950 to 2023, using reanalysis-based indicators of air temperature, humidity, and perceived heat as a first exploratory step prior to incorporating in situ meteorological records. Specifically, the Heat Index (HI) and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) were computed for the typical event window (21:00–23:00 local time) to assess changes in human thermal comfort. Results reveal a clear and statistically significant warming trend in most pre-coastal locations—particularly Reus, El Vendrell, and Vilafranca—while coastal cities such as Barcelona exhibit weaker or non-significant changes, likely due to maritime moderation. The frequency and intensity of positive temperature anomalies have increased since the 1990s, with a growing proportion of events falling into “caution” or “moderate heat stress” categories under HI and UTCI classifications. These findings demonstrate that correfocs are now celebrated under markedly warmer night-time conditions than in the mid-twentieth century, implying a tangible rise in thermal discomfort and potential safety risks for participants. By integrating climatic and cultural perspectives, this research shows that rising night-time heat can constrain attendance, participation conditions, and event scheduling for correfocs, thereby directly exposing weather-sensitive form of intangible cultural heritage to climate risks. It therefore underscores the need for climate adaptation frameworks and to promote context-specific strategies to sustain these community-based traditions under ongoing Mediterranean warming.