Wind and solar energy in Small Island Developing States for mitigating global climate change.

Despite contributing less than 1% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have the potential to drive global mitigation actions by advocating for ambitious emission reduction targets, promoting renewable energy solutions, and advancing sustainable development practices. The adoption of onshore-offshore wind and solar energy in 39 SIDS, which are currently experiencing the adverse effects of climate change, presents a significant opportunity. By harnessing renewable energy sources, these countries can effectively mitigate GHG emissions, enhance energy security, and build resilience.

Heavy rainfalls in Poland and their hyetographs.

In the light of observed variability in precipitation patterns, there is a growing need for comprehensive data mining of regularly updated rainfall recording databases. Therefore, an analysis of heavy rainfall and hyetographs was conducted using a 30-year high-resolution dataset from 100 rain gauges across Poland, covering 31 646 rainfall events. Distributions of rainfall depths, durations, and intensities were explored, and maxima were compared to global records.

Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: Mortality impacts in Poland versus European Union.

With COVID-19 moving toward an endemic phase, it is worthwhile to identify lessons from the pandemic that can promote the effective strengthening of national health systems. We look at a single country, Poland, and compare it with the European Union (EU) to contrast approaches and outcomes. Among possible relevant indices, we examine characteristics of COVID-19-related mortality and excess all-cause mortality from March 2020 to February 2022.

Model-based assessment of flood generation mechanisms over Poland: The roles of precipitation, snowmelt, and soil moisture excess.

Hydrometeorological variability, such as changes in extreme precipitation, snowmelt, or soil moisture excess, in Poland can lead to fluvial flooding. In this study we employed the dataset covering components of the water balance with a daily time step at the sub-basin level over the country for 1952-2020. The data set was derived from the previously calibrated and validated Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for over 4000 sub-basins.

Covid-19, and the climate change and biodiversity emergencies.

This paper addresses the question, can lessons be learnt by studying the responses to COVID-19 and the human-induced climate change and loss of biodiversity emergencies? It is well recognized that to successfully address each of these issues requires sound scientific knowledge based on strong national and international research programs, cooperation between the research community and policy makers, national, regional and global evidence-based policies and coordinated actions, an informed and receptive public, and political will. A key question is how research and innovation can most effectively inform decision-making leading to cost-effective and socially acceptable action on pandemics, climate change and loss of biodiversity. This paper first describes how the COVID-19 pandemic has been addressed compared to the loss of biodiversity, and climate change, and then considers the use of scientific knowledge for policy-making and communication with the public.

Floods and the COVID-19 pandemic-A new double hazard problem.

The coincidence of floods and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a genuine multihazard problem. Since the beginning of 2020, many regions around the World have been experiencing this double hazard of serious flooding and the pandemic. There have been 70 countries with flood events occurring after detection of the country's first COVID-19 case and hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated.

Variability of global mean annual temperature is significantly influenced by the rhythm of ocean-atmosphere oscillations.

While global warming has been evolving over several decades, in particular years there have been considerable deviations of global temperature from the underlying trend. These could be explained by climate variability patterns and, in particular, by the major interplays of atmospheric and oceanic processes that generate variations in the global climatic system. Here we show, in a simple and straightforward way, that a rhythm of the major ocean-atmosphere oscillations, such as the ENSO and IPO in the Pacific as well as the AMO in the Atlantic, is indeed meaningfully influencing the global mean annual temperature.

Distribution pattern of Tugai forests species diversity and their relationship to environmental factors in an arid area of China.

Ecological restoration of degraded riparian Tugai forests is a key driver to combat desertification in arid regions. Previous studies have focused mainly on changes in groundwater as the underlying mechanisms of Tugai forest's decline. We evaluated species composition and diversity of Tugai forest and their relationship to groundwater, soil salinity, and soil nutrient.

Tens of thousands additional deaths annually in cities of China between 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming.

The increase in surface air temperature in China has been faster than the global rate, and more high temperature spells are expected to occur in future. Here we assess the annual heat-related mortality in densely populated cities of China at 1.5 °C and 2.

Impacts of 1.5 °C and 2 °C global warming on winter snow depth in Central Asia.

Snow depth plays an essential role in the water and energy balance of the land surface. It is of special importance in arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia. Owing to the limited availability of field observations, the spatial and temporal variations of snow depth are still poorly known.

Drought losses in China might double between the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming.

We project drought losses in China under global temperature increase of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C, based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a cluster analysis method, and "intensity-loss rate" function.

Projections of actual evapotranspiration under the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming scenarios in sandy areas in northern China.

Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is an essential component of Earth's global energy balance and water cycle. The Paris Agreement aspires to limit global mean surface warming to <2 °C and no >1.5 °C relative to preindustrial levels.

Comprehensive approach to the reduction of river flood risk: Case study of the Upper Vistula Basin.

The paper examines options for river flood risk reduction in the Upper Vistula Basin located partly in the Carpathian Mountains in Poland. Projections of high-flow indices for the periods 2021-2050 and 2071-2100 generally indicate small future increases, although the projected flow changes vary highly both across the study basin as well as among climate models. An overview of twentieth-century catchment and channel changes indicates that some of them decreased and others increased the rapidity of runoff but they largely reduced availability of sediment for fluvial transport, hence inducing bed incision and bank erosion that create risk to roads and bridges.