Orals: Tue, 29 Apr | Room 2.24
Drought is among the most complex and impactful natural hazards, with profound consequences for ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and human livelihoods. Addressing drought resilience requires a shift beyond simply predicting the occurrence and location of droughts toward understanding and managing associated risks, mitigating cascading effects such as wildfires and food insecurity, and strengthening adaptive capacity.
Digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and Digital Twins, offer transformative opportunities in this context. These tools enable the processing of extensive datasets, scenario simulation, and the generation of actionable insights to enhance early warning systems. Impact-based forecasting, supported by these innovations, facilitates proactive decision-making across sectors such as water management, agriculture, and disaster mitigation. Case studies from arid regions, including the Mediterranean, demonstrate the potential of these approaches to support timely and targeted interventions.
Despite the potential of digital technologies, significant challenges remain. Issues such as data governance, the establishment of global standards, ethical considerations, and equitable access to advanced tools are critical to ensuring effective and inclusive solutions. Addressing these challenges requires an integrated approach that aligns technological innovation with policy frameworks, governance structures, and societal priorities.
The integration of multi-hazard frameworks, exemplified by systems such as MedEWSa (www.medewsa.eu), highlights the importance of advanced forecasting tools in managing drought risks and their cascading effects. This approach contributes to building resilience in arid regions and supports global efforts to adapt to a changing climate.
How to cite: Xoplaki, E., Kuglitsch, M., and Luterbacher, J.: Leveraging digital innovation for drought resilience: Impact-based forecasting and early warning systems, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17819, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17819, 2025.
The water demands in thermal power plants are only going to increase due to Environmental Control Technologies (ECTs) such as Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) and Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). These ECTs are necessary to adhere to the regional environmental regulations or to commit to the global climate pledges. This work focuses on thermal power generation in Rajasthan viz. arid and highly water-stressed region of India. The main objective of this work is to do a comprehensive assessment of water demands for ECT-equipped thermal power plants and their satiety in the face of climate change, intra-annually. Two climate change scenarios namely, SSP2-RCP 4.5 and SSP5-RCP 8.5 are considered. The Integrated Environmental Control Model (IECM v11.5) was used to quantify the monthly water withdrawals and the region's water availability was estimated using the extended Budyko framework. The results showed that after dry/ wet FGD addition, the plant operation water withdrawals rose by 200 to 400 l/MWh compared to the base plant. In the case of CCS implementations, the increments were found to be 2000-4000 l/MWh intra-annually with summer months being more water-intensive for both climate change scenarios. Further, the overall water availability decreased by 20% in the SSP2-RCP4.5 and 30% in the SSP5-RCP8.5 scenario, respectively. Consequently, November to June months were found to be water-deficient months for thermal power generation in both climate change scenarios. These results entail careful planning of water management and corresponding adaptation measures. The upgradation of the boiler from sub-critical to supercritical and ultra-supercritical and the replacement of cooling technology from wet tower to hybrid or air-cooled condenser can lead to substantial water savings of 500 – 3000 l/MWh for the regional climatology. However, it comes with certain trade-offs such as an increase in CO2 emissions and a reduction in efficiency. The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is also an important factor in the decision-making. While shifting to water-efficient adaptation measures there is only a marginal increase in the LCOE; the decision-making becomes more crucial when ECT additions are considered as they increase the LCOE considerably. Therefore, policy instruments like the government’s subsidy intervention can play a successful role in adopting such measures.
How to cite: Shinde, R., Shastri, Y., and Rao, A. B.: Assessing the impacts of climate change on thermal power plants equipped with Environmental Control Technologies (ECTs): Challenges and adaptation measures, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-668, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-668, 2025.
This paper identifies the procedural justice and outcome justice of the energy transition by analyzing the differences within sample groups and exploring how the digital economy guides the cross-production-stage and cross-regional allocation of factors, influencing the energy justice transition. The research finds that the development of the digital economy significantly promotes energy justice transition. Digital economy drives the cross-border allocation of factors, fostering environment-biased technological progress, especially energy-saving biased technological progress, in energy-lagging cities, which reduces clean energy development and operation costs, thus facilitating energy justice transition. Higher public environmental concerns and cleaner energy levels amplify the positive impact of the digital economy on energy justice transition, while higher urban economic burdens exert a significant inhibitory effect. Further analysis reveals that accelerating the low-carbon energy transition in energy-lagging cities through the digital economy negatively affect urban unemployment and wage levels, with the transitions in low-carbon energy structure having a more pronounced impact. However, the procedural justice of energy transition significantly narrows the economic development gap between resource-based cities and other cities.
How to cite: Yukihara, T. and Sun, Q.: The role of digital economy in promoting energy justice----Evidence from procedural justice and outcome justice, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2375, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2375, 2025.
Flooding, exacerbated by climate change, remains a significant threat to socio-economic stability and environmental sustainability, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Bayelsa State in Nigeria.
This research evaluates the current state of community awareness and engagement in flood risk management in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. It investigates how different socio-economic and demographic factors influence community participation and preparedness in both countries
Thus, in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, this study underscores the critical importance of proactive and community-centered approaches to flood disaster risk reduction (DRR), emphasizing the need for pre-flood preparation to mitigate risks during and after flood events.
This research adopts a mixed-methods approach, incorporating semi-structured interviews with 60 participants—including flood-affected residents, volunteer groups, and government officials in Bayelsa—and archival research on advanced flood risk management practices in the United Kingdom. By using mixed-methods research, including surveys, interviews, and case studies, the chapter identifies critical gaps in awareness and engagement and proposes targeted strategies to enhance community involvement in flood risk reduction.
The findings reveal significant systemic vulnerabilities in Bayelsa’s flood management framework, including fragmented coordination, limited government support, and inadequate integration of local knowledge into institutional strategies. A striking 90% of participants reported no prior involvement in flood drills, while 69% lacked access to critical flood risk information. These challenges are compounded by socio-economic constraints such as financial limitations, low literacy levels, and limited infrastructure, all of which hinder effective community engagement.
Conversely, the UK demonstrates effective flood management practices aligned with the Sendai Framework's priorities, including robust early warning systems, participatory governance, and sustained investment in resilience-building initiatives. By leveraging interdisciplinary collaboration, the UK offers practical models for integrating socio-economic and physical risk components into comprehensive DRR strategies.
This study proposes transformative, context-specific strategies for Bayelsa State, including the development of localized flood awareness platforms, enhanced early warning systems that combine modern technologies (e.g., mobile alerts) with traditional communication methods, and regular community-led flood simulations. These strategies directly address the Sendai Framework’s goals to substantially reduce disaster-related mortality, economic losses, and the disruption of critical infrastructure by fostering inclusive and participatory processes.
Furthermore, the research emphasizes the seamless integration of citizen knowledge with institutional expertise, a core principle of the Sendai Framework, to enhance risk-informed decision-making and adaptive capacity. The findings advocate for a shift towards proactive, pre-flood preparation measures that empower communities with the knowledge, tools, and organizational capacity needed to minimize the cascading impacts of flood disasters and accelerate recovery.
By anchoring its recommendations within the Sendai Framework’s focus on understanding disaster risk, strengthening governance, and investing in DRR for resilience, this study contributes to global efforts to mitigate the effects of climate-induced hazards. It reinforces the critical role of local communities as central stakeholders in DRR, advocating for scalable and replicable strategies that bridge policy and practice. This research not only provides actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners but highlights the broader relevance of pre-flood preparation in advancing sustainable, inclusive flood disaster risk management worldwide.
How to cite: Bomabebe, F. and Rivas-casado, M.: Evaluating Challenges in Community Awareness and Engagement Practices for Proactive Flood Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): A Comparative Study between Nigeria and the United Kingdom to Enhance Flood Resilience in Nigeria , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3299, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3299, 2025.
Water has consistently been one of the globe’s most vital strategic resources, serving as both a catalyst for peace and a potential source of strife. Amidst growing environmental catastrophes and pervasive droughts, water has become a pivotal factor in geopolitical maneuvers. The Middle East countries especially Iran, confronted with a critical water shortage, is grappling with internal resource management issues while simultaneously experiencing escalating tensions with neighboring nations over shared water supplies. This dilemma is particularly evident in the transboundary river basin with nations such as Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Iraq, and it has the potential to worsen regional tensions and conflicts.
This study examines the impacts of agricultural development and climate change over the past four decades on six major water basins in Iran, aiming to identify key water-related conflict zones and explore the intersection of water issues with political, economic and social divisions. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was used to assess the severity of drought in these basins throughout the period of 1980-2020. Statistical analysis of groundwater resources and dam data reveals the negative effects of human activities on water availability. Despite being situated in a semi-arid region, Iran has built more than 400 dams in the past four decades across various basins, primarily to expand irrigated agriculture and generate hydroelectric power. The results of this study show that drought conditions in Iran began to intensify in the late 1990s. During particularly severe drought years, such as 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, and 2010, the abstraction of groundwater resources especially deep and semi-deep wells increased dramatically.
Concurrently, neighboring countries in transboundary basins such as Euphrates-Tigris River Basin, located in the west of Iran and Hirmand (Helmand) River Basin, located in the east of Iran have expanded their own irrigated areas, which has heightened tensions between Iran and its neighbors. The worsening water crisis is likely to exacerbate both internal and regional conflicts, with potential consequences for Iran’s national security and foreign policy.
Regional and international collaboration, along with the development of sustainable agricultural practices and integrated water resource management systems, will be critical to ensuring sustainable environmental development in the Middle East, especially for Iran. Addressing these challenges in a cooperative manner can mitigate future conflicts and promote long-term stability in the region. Enhancing water conservation and efficiency in agriculture, strengthening water governance and policy reforms, fostering climate adaptation and resilience, promoting transboundary water cooperation, and advancing innovative water treatment technologies are all crucial components for ensuring sustainable development in the region.
How to cite: Talebi, R. and Aydin, Y.: The Water Crisis and Geopolitical Dynamics in Iran: Regional Strains and Transnational Consequences, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10352, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10352, 2025.
This paper aims to advance our scientific understanding of optimizing flood productivity in climate-impacted regions through integrated interventions at strategic and operational levels. In arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, short-duration floods cover about 50 million cultivable hectares and support some 100 million farming families. Such flood-dependent systems have long been overlooked due to concerns over unreliable water supply. However, with increasing climate change impacts and water scarcity, there is growing recognition of the potential for sustainable growth that short-duration floods can offer.
This paper is based on a study conducted as part of a three-year USAID-supported initiative (2022–2024) focused on promoting economic growth and peace in the Gash Agricultural Scheme (GAS) in the water-stressed eastern region of Sudan. GAS, the largest flood-dependent scheme in the country, covers 100,800 hectares and could support the water and food security needs of over a quarter of a million agro-pastoralists. It relies on the ephemeral Gash River, which originates from the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands and flows sporadically between July and October. Over the past two decades, climate-induced changes have led to fluctuations in the river's flow, affecting its timing, frequency, and volume, which has ranged between 650 million and 1.2 billion m³ annually.
The study conducted water balance analyses using a 16-year dataset of Gash River flow, irrigated area, and the evapotranspiration demand of the major sorghum crop. Data collection included field measurements, surveys, remote sensing, and CropWat modelling. The analysis revealed that the current three-year rotation-based irrigation system, capping cultivated land at 33,000 hectares annually, is excessively risk-averse. While this strategy reduced conflicts by consistently delivering promised land, it increased GAS's vulnerability to flood damage. The floodwater use efficiency over the past decade was around 26%, leaving significant amounts of floodwater untapped, which caused damage to infrastructure and agricultural land.
The three-rotation system also led to inadequate infrastructure maintenance due to infrequent land tillage, allowing the invasive mesquite tree to overtake 70,000 hectares in the past 20 years, reducing the sorghum cropped area and contributing to reduced agricultural productivity. The water balance analysis suggests a shift to a two-year rotation system, cultivating approximately 50,000 hectares annually while maintaining risk aversion. This change could increase annual agricultural production from about 50,000 to 75,000 tons at the current sorghum yield of 1.5 tons/ha without significant infrastructural or farming improvements. Introducing integrated interventions that combine improved canal maintenance, better field water distribution, and effective coordination of farmer organizations could increase the cultivated area of large irrigation plots (ranging from 420 to 756 hectares) from 40% to 70%. These interventions could increase sorghum yield by two-thirds to 2.5 tons/ha and triple water productivity to 0.24 kg/m³.
Keywords: Floodwater Optimization, Climate-induced Changes, Integrated Interventions, Improved and Resilient Crop and Water Productivity
How to cite: Zenebe, M.: Optimizing Climate Resilient and Productivity in Flood Dependent Agricultural Systems, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10950, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10950, 2025.
Climate change challenges our communities to build resilience in the face of natural disasters that do not stop at frontiers. In this context, the European RED ROSES project appear as an initiative of cooperation between France and Italy in the cross border region to strengthen prevention, monitoring and response capabilities of civil society actors in addressing specific natural disasters (floods, landslides and wild fires) in the context of climate crises. Multiple actors are involved on this effort providing essential information and collaboratively creating a data ecosystem where local and national authorities, natural hazard risk experts, humanitarian workers and crisis management operators interact and exchange data to respond to emergencies.
For sharing these data, we designed and implemented the RED ROSES Digital Geospatial Ecosystem (DGE) prototype, in first instance as a tool for quick response of French and Italian Red Crosses. The DGE was built orchestrating multiple geospatial open source software (including the GIS3W suite) and storing data at local and central nodes, which can be remotely administrated by authorized users.
We selected relevant data on this scope: catalogues of past landslides, floods and wildfires, as well as their respective hazard maps. Part of these data were translated and harmonised to facilitate their use on the cross border region. Near real-time data are also available, such as weather from meteorological agencies and satellite images from Copernicus European agency. The platform also include data on exposed elements (such as population distribution, roads, rail maps, etc.) and data collected by volunteers in the field using an orchestrated Kobo Toolbox instance. Additionally, a Decision Support Systems (DSS) devoted to support the Red Cross operative procedures before during and in the aftermath of a natural disaster has been designed and deployed .
We conducted a initial test of the RED ROSES DGE in October 2024 during a joint exercise organized by the Red Cross, incorporating COVALEX and RED ROSES projects, in Bresso (Italy). The exercise featured a simulated emergency triggered by a Medicane (Mediterranean hurricane) impacting the cross border region, and presented to the Red Cross volunteers. The scenario was designed to replicate real-world crisis conditions and evolved dynamically through its phases, requiring participants to analyze risks, anticipate impacts, and respond to complex challenges in real time. The initiative underscored the importance of territorial risk prevention, seamless coordination, and evidence-based decision-making across borders.
The RED ROSES DGE prototype is currently in the engineering phase and will soon be ready for deployment in real-world conditions within the territory for which it was designed (the cross-border area between France and Italy). Furthermore, it can be adapted for implementation in other relevant border or international contexts.
How to cite: Fuenzalida Velasco, A., Marchesini, I., Marçot, N., Mato, C., Reichenbach, P., Sterlacchini, S., Voltolina, D., Melillo, M., Ardot, A., Chaligné, J., Filleau, G., De La Vassière, L., Massucchielli, L., Sangalli, M., Vulpiani, C., and Ritouret, S.: Outcomes of RED ROSES project: A Comprehensive Approach to Cross-Border Natural Disaster Resilience, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11304, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11304, 2025.
In case of natural and / or technological disaster, decision making relies on predictions based on available information, monitoring data and model-based forecasts. Uncertainties are particularly high in emergency situations, with scarce information and strong time constraints [1].
Uncertainty quantification and propagation methods are well established and used in numerous applications such as meteorological forecasting and risk evaluation in various domains (seismic hazard, flooding, environmental consequences of radioactive or chemical releases…). However, there are still challenges in taking these uncertainties into account for decision making, particularly in case of emergency. These challenges are of different natures, shared among different domains and types of risks: (1) how to properly account for all sources of uncertainties, including deep uncertainties that cannot be quantified, inherent to crisis situations? (2) how to fit this uncertainty evaluation within the time constraints of emergency response? (3) how to present and communicate these evaluations in an understandable and practical way for decision makers, accounting for interpretation biases?
We propose a scenario-based approach that combines meta-modelling, to generate many simulations in a short time, with a clustering method that allows to select a few situations or “scenarios”, described by their probability of occurrence and associated impact. This approach is illustrated on two applications: flooding risk [2] and nuclear emergency [3]. This method will be applied in the Natech project within the France 2030 Risks-IRIMA program, to a marine submersion in the Gironde estuary combined with nuclear and industrial accidents. The aims will be (1) to include decision-oriented parameters (such as population or critical infrastructures) in the clustering process, (2) to involve stakeholder panels in the design of evaluation products, (3) to better understand how cognitive biases will affect the decision-making process for different kinds of risks and evaluation products.
[1] P. Bedwell et al., ‘Operationalising an ensemble approach in the description of uncertainty in atmospheric dispersion modelling and an emergency response’, Radioprotection, vol. 55, no. HS1, Art. no. HS1, 2020, doi: 10.1051/radiopro/2020015.
[2] C. Sire, R. Le Riche, D. Rullière, J. Rohmer, L. Pheulpin, and Y. Richet, ‘Quantizing Rare Random Maps: Application to Flooding Visualization’, J. Comput. Graph. Stat., pp. 1–16, Apr. 2023, doi: 10.1080/10618600.2023.2203764.
[3] Y. El-Ouartassy, I. Korsakissok, M. Plu, O. Connan, L. Descamps, and L. Raynaud, ‘Combining short-range dispersion simulations with fine-scale meteorological ensembles: probabilistic indicators and evaluation during a 85Kr field campaign’, EGUsphere, vol. 2022, pp. 1–35, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.5194/egusphere-2022-646.
How to cite: Korsakissok, I., El Ouartassy, Y., Raynaud, L., and Richet, Y.: Clustering methods for decision making: application to flood risks and radiological emergencies, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17145, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17145, 2025.
One of the key issues of this century is climate change and its adverse effects. As the incidence hydrometeorological hazards rise more and more communities are exposed to their risks. It is becoming increasingly evident that existing infrastructure is not enough for providing the necessary levels of protection. The size of pipes in drainage systems, stormwater storage, and reservoirs cannot be increased indefinitely to reduce the impact of these events. An alternative that has been becoming more mainstream for risk reduction is NBS. They have proven to be effective over different scales from small urban systems such as green roofs, rain gardens and porous pavements to large-scale measure that include floodplain restoration, retention ponds, and riparian forest buffers.
NBS provide not only the benefit of risk reduction. They can be designed with multifunctionality in mind to provide co-benefits of increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, pollution reduction and more. Their performance is strongly rooted in the design choices. With the predicted changes in the risk landscape, integrating flexibility and robustness in its design becomes increasingly important.
The principle of robust design has been used in engineering and manufacturing for a long time. Taguchi (1986) pioneered the concept of robust parameter design, an approach for designing long lasting and durable systems. The concept of robust design was further developed to include robust control (Saleh et al. 2003, Spiller et al. 2015) as a means of controlling how a system reacts to a disturbance, by active control. Mens et al. (2011) defined robustness as a system’s ability to function over a large range of magnitude of disturbance. Robust design approaches may be adopted in the design of NBS to ensure that the system remains fail-safe, to ensure that the exceedance of design conditions do not have devastating consequences. These concepts have been applied in the design of climate adaptation actions, but there is limited research in its application in the design of large-scale NBS.
This research advances our knowledge in robust design, by using robust parameter to design to design fail-safe NBS, by defining criteria for measuring robustness and using hydrodynamic modelling and GIS multicriteria analysis to measure the effectiveness of robust design using the RECONECT case study area Tamnava basin. This is an ongoing study.
How to cite: Mubeen, A., Ruangpan, L., Vojinovic, Z., and Plavšić, J.: Towards robust design of nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19316, 2025.
Posters on site: Mon, 28 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | Hall X3
Agricultural production is highly dependent on rainfall dynamics (onset, cessation, length of rainy season) in the West African region, whose livelihood and economy are highly dependent on rainfed agriculture. The impact of global warming has been shown to lead to reduction and variability in rainfall over the region. However, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection has been proposed as one of the potential strategies to cool down and limit future global warming to 1.5ºC by injecting aerosol into the stratosphere. Nevertheless, how this strategy may affect rainfall onset and cessation and drought response to SAI, notably across the agroecological zone of West Africa, remains unclear. The present study examines the impact of global warming and Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI) rainfall onset, cessation and drought regimes over West Africa. In the study we examined the potential impact of climate change and SAI on the onset and cessation of rainfall and drought regimes over West Africa using TAMSAT observation dataset and ARISE dataset for SSP2-45 with and without aerosol injection. Our result showed that climate intervention may lead to an early onset and cessation over the coastal area of West Africa compared to TAMSAT but delayed (early) onset (cessation) in the savannah and Sahel zones. The results implied a shift in the rainfall duration may be expected over the coastal area, while a decrease in rainfall duration may be expected over the Savannah and Sahel zones. For the drought regime, our result revealed an increase in extremely wet periods may be expected relative to the observation across the three zones. On the other hand, a decrease in extremely dry periods may be expected over the coastal and savannah zones but an increase in the Sahel zone. This study will enhance our understanding of the impact of climate geoengineering on rainfall dynamics in West Africa and its effect on agricultural production and food security in the region.
How to cite: Egbebiyi, T. S., Ogunjo, S. T., Ajayi, V. O., Quagraine, K. A., Arowolo, V. A., and Lennard, C.: Projected Impact of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection on Rainfall dynamics over West Africa using ARISE Dataset., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1032, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1032, 2025.
The estimation of the land-sea interface, or waterline, variability due to high energetic events - i.e. potentially inducing extreme coastal level and erosion- constitutes an important component for the comprehensive risk assessment of the global coastal zone. The large spatial scales and the requirement for real-time coastal risk assessment pose the need for timely forecasts of the key driving processes, in conjunction with the human stakes, exposed population, infrastructures and properties, at risk. Moreover, the interplay between the involved physical processes necessitates the inclusion of a large number of plausible scenarios, useful for the involved decision makers. We present a flexible and low computational-cost framework for the real-time estimation of the global waterline change and associated coastal risk. This framework utilizes satellite-derived probabilistic water level data for the global ocean, combined with state of the art wave and hydrological numerical data and up-to-date satellite observations of the waterline. This information is integrated with high spatial resolution exposure data, providing in real-time the assessment of the imminent risk at the global coastal zone. The outcome of the proposed approach may serve as an additional forecast tool for a first-pass risk assessment, facilitating both short-term and long-term risk mitigation studies.
How to cite: Saillour, T., Voukouvalas, E., Arias, A., Almar, R., Regard, V., and Salamon, P.: GLOBCOASTS_JRC: A Flexible Framework for Real-Time Coastal Risk Assessment Based on Waterline Changes, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16728, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16728, 2025.
Climate change, compounding with non-climatic stressors, threatens the human habitability of Earth’s environments. The complex interplay of multiple drivers increases uncertainty, challenging stakeholders to make long-term decisions. Enhancing decision-makers' knowledge and awareness is key to navigating this uncertainty and developing effective adaptive strategies. While habitability has been recently recognised as an important condition in adaptation studies, its definition and conceptualisation are still under discussion. Moreover, traditional studies dealing with habitability mostly apply a top-down approach and focus on its material aspects, such as housing, food, and water, while overlooking local knowledge and needs of the affected communities, who better know what makes their place acceptable to live in.
The Vosges Massif, located in north-eastern France, is a mountainous region with moderate peaks, encompassing diverse ecosystems, such as alpine meadows, temperate forests, wetlands, agricultural land, and water bodies, all of which are sensitive to climate change impacts. Climate shifts, such as warmer winters, affect key industries in the area, like tourism, agriculture, and forestry. The region’s small rural communities are particularly vulnerable to these changes, highlighting the need for insights into effective adaptation strategies and economic resilience to ensure their long-term habitability and sustainability.
For these reasons, the Habi(Li)ter project, funded by Lorraine Université d'Excellence and supported by Eurac Research, addresses the challenge of understanding and enhancing human habitability in the face of multiple climatic risks in the Vosges Massif area. During the project, we will develop a comprehensive conceptual framework to analyse current and future habitability, focusing on the interactions between climate drivers (e.g., changes in snow and water precipitation, variations of temperature regime), and socio-economic vulnerability, (e.g., demographic shifts, tourism pressure, dependence on climate-sensitive economic sectors), and the resulting impacts on multiple sectors (e.g., tourism, energy, forestry). In particular, we will implement the Impact Chains conceptual models to identify and represent the causal pathways affecting human habitability. The Impact Chains will be informed by different data sources, including interviews with academic experts in relevant domains, risk storylines developed in participatory workshops with non-academic actors, insights from literature and newspapers, and statistical and spatial data analyses. Adopting a transdisciplinary approach, we will engage with both local academic and non-academic actors to co-define key dimensions and indicators of local habitability, integrating expert input, stakeholder engagement, and outputs from a survey conducted across the region. Furthermore, reference Representative Concentration Pathways and Shared Socio-economic Pathways will be downscaled to develop plausible future local narratives, including potential adaptation trajectories and their implications for habitability. The framework will be then updated to reflect future spatial and temporal dynamics, providing a flexible tool for assessing both present and future habitability.
Overall, the project aims to develop a comprehensive framework for context-specific, community-driven adaptation strategies in the Vosges Massif. Habitability is the key to ensure adaptation options which are centred on local needs, vulnerabilities, and socio-economic aspirations. This methodology can be applied to similar regions, like Alto Adige in Italy, offering insights for broader adaptation in mountainous and peri-mountainous areas across Europe.
How to cite: De Angeli, S., Terzi, S., Zebisch, M., Drogue, G., and Devin, S.: Co-designing Impact Chains to assess people’s habitability in the Vosges Massif (France) and adapt to multiple climatic risks , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3291, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3291, 2025.
As global changes and human activities intensify, extreme drought events are becoming increasingly frequent. The entire process of drought disasters typically involves multiple stages, such as the risk assessment of drought occurrence, along with the response measures and influencing factors at various stages-before, during, and after the occurrence of drought disasters. However, existing assessments often focus on a single process of drought, and the definition of drought resilience remains unclear. Drought resilience is the result of the interplay between climatic, socio-economic, and hydraulic engineering factors, enabling a multi-process evaluation of drought conditions. This paper defined drought resilience based on the three components of resilience: "defensive capacity, recovery capacity, and adaptive capacity," and developed a comprehensive assessment framework for drought resilience from the perspective of the entire drought process, termed the "Climate-Drought Response" framework. This assessment framework employs the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to characterize regional climate features and assesses regional drought response capacity using a combination weighting method based on both subjective and objective factors through game theory. It integrates the characteristics of disaster-prone climates with drought response capacity to evaluate regional drought resilience comprehensively, analyzing the ability to defensive, recovery, and adaptive to drought disasters, as well as its alignment with regional climate features. This framework addresses the limitations of previous quantitative drought assessments that primarily focused on risk identification or mitigation measures, often neglecting the flexibility of the system to recover from drought to a normal state. It is applied to evaluate the drought resilience of three cities in the Jiaodong Peninsula of East China, aiming to provide insights for the development of economically viable drought management strategies. The results indicate a declining trend in the SPEI across the Jiaodong Peninsula, suggesting that future climate conditions may become increasingly arid. Most regions exhibit moderate to fairly strong drought resilience, effectively responding to slight drought events. However, their resilience is insufficient to cope with moderate to extreme droughts or prolonged drought events, particularly in Qingdao and Weihai. Although the overall capacities of "defensive capacity, recovery capacity, and adaptive capacity" show an upward trend, the resilience values are declining, indicating that the increases in some drought response components are insufficient to offset the negative effects of increasingly arid climate conditions. To effectively enhance drought resilience in the Jiaodong Peninsula, the primary task is to strengthen the supplementation of local conventional water sources with water transfers and unconventional water sources, while Qingdao and Weihai must further improve its water supply capacity to ensure water security during drought periods.
How to cite: Wang, Y.: Assessment of Regional Drought based on Resilience Concept - A Case Study of Jiaodong Peninsula, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6711, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6711, 2025.
As climate change intensifies, urban landscapes face unprecedented challenges, including desertification and its ecological and economic impacts. In response, the City of Boulder, Colorado, has initiated a project aimed at identifying vulnerabilities within Boulder County's landscapes and developing a user-friendly web-based tool for non-technical audiences. This tool will serve as a crucial resource for public and private land managers, community leaders, and policymakers to inform effective land management strategies and increase resilience to extreme drying. The project's core objectives include: (i) mapping significant risks and vulnerabilities to raise awareness and target conservation efforts, (ii) quantifying potential ecological and economic costs associated with desertification alongside the benefits of regenerative land management practices, and (iii) establishing key indicators and methodologies to evaluate landscape resilience. By harnessing existing data from ground-based measurements and remote sensing technologies, the initiative aims to produce a comprehensive assessment of land parcel risks and resilience dynamics. A strong emphasis on user-centered design ensured that the resulting tool is accessible and engaging while effectively communicating complex scientific data. The approach incorporates iterative development, informed by feedback from stakeholders, to create a resource that aligns with the diverse needs of the Boulder community.
How to cite: Aggett, G.: Enhancing Climate Resilience in Boulder County: A Comprehensive Approach to Desertification Risk Analysis, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12828, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12828, 2025.
Background: Coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change on food production. In Bangladesh, with over 170 million people, food insecurity due to climate change shocks and extreme events is a growing concern. This study investigates climate change perceptions, agricultural technology use, socio-economic conditions, and household food security among farmer households in coastal Bangladesh.
Methodology: To explore the connections between food security, climate change shocks, and agricultural technology use, we applied various statistical tests to analyze predictive and explanatory variables. Using binary logistic regression, we examined the causes and dynamics of climate change risk perceptions and agricultural technology adoption. Key indicators included the Food Consumption Score (FCS) and the Household Food Insecurity Assessment Scale (HFIAS), which relate to farmers’ adaptation to climate change, asset management, climate change risks, and socio-demographic factors. Our survey covered 406 farmer households in the Khulna and Bagerhat districts of Bangladesh. We employed cluster and stratified sampling strategies for data collection. Additionally, we analyzed temporal data from 1991 to 2021, focusing on annual average mean and maximum temperatures, and rainfall patterns to assess weather trends.
Results: The binary logistic regression reveals significant differences between food-insecure and food-secure individuals in terms of gender, education, occupation, family size, HFIAS scores, household income, and farmland area, while age, distance to market, and agricultural income show no significant differences. For technology use among farmers, significant differences are found in gender, agricultural income, food security, household income, and farmland area, but not in age, distance to market, family size, or education. Correlation values (R=0.35) and (P=0.0058) indicate a moderate positive correlation between year and temperature, showing a statistically significant warming trend over the past three decades in the Khulna-Bagerhat region. The values (R=0.28) and (P=0.029) indicate a weak positive correlation between year and maximum temperature, suggesting a slight but statistically significant warming trend with year-to-year fluctuations. Annual and maximum precipitation show variability but are not statistically significant over the past decades.
Conclusion: The results show that farmers in Khulna and Bagerhat districts struggling with climate change need support from policymakers to adopt more resilient practices. This study can help design local training programs, raise climate change awareness, and improve sustainable farming techniques, which can be replicated in similar areas.
How to cite: Mamun, M. A. A. and Hao, P.: Household Food Security of Farmers in Coastal Bangladesh: Insights into the Effects of Climate Change Perceptions, Agricultural Technology Use, and Weather Parameter Fluctuations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14062, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14062, 2025.
Land use types have emerged as a key focus in sustainable urban planning, offering a pathway to manage urban runoff and enhance ecological benefits. This study evaluates the performance and trade-offs of various land use types within a multi-objective optimization framework. The primary objectives are to minimize urban runoff, reduce construction and maintenance costs, and maximize ecological benefits such as carbon sequestration and vegetation cover.
The study employs a multi-objective optimization approach using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) to determine the optimal land use types configuration under budget and spatial constraints. By balancing hydrological, ecological, and economic objectives, the optimization framework generates Pareto frontier solutions that can be used as a reference for decision-making.
This study is tailored to the urban context of South Korea, where rapid urbanization has increased flood risk and environmental stress. By adopting a multi-objective optimization approach, this study provides a decision support tool for urban planners and policymakers, highlighting the trade-offs between competing objectives and providing flexible solutions based on local conditions.
In conclusion, this study establishes a replicable sustainable urban runoff management framework that is applicable to Korea and other urban areas around the world. The combination of GIS-based analysis, land use types assessment, and optimization techniques ensures a powerful approach to address urban flooding while advancing ecological and economic objectives. The findings contribute to the development of resilient cities that can mitigate flood risks, improve ecological conditions, and support sustainable urbanization strategies.
How to cite: Zhao, M., Lee, D., and Hwang, H.: Multi-Objective Optimization for Evaluating the Benefits of Land Use Types in Urban Runoff Management, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14203, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14203, 2025.
This study examines the climatological and long-term (1980–2019) variations in summer circulation patterns (June–August) over the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region, utilizing ERA5 global atmospheric reanalysis data. The summer climate of the EMME is influenced by the development of several prominent atmospheric circulation features: (1) a pronounced east-west pressure gradient, resulting from elevated mean sea level pressure over the eastern Mediterranean (EM) and a thermal low over the Arabian Peninsula (AP); (2) significant subsidence spanning the EM, northern Africa, and the AP; and (3) the presence of a warm core over the EM, linked to downward temperature advection. These atmospheric features are closely linked to the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) system. Diabatic heating from ISM rainfall initiates westward-propagating equatorially trapped Rossby waves of the Gill-type, which interact with westerlies to influence the summer circulation over the EMME.
Analysis indicates a notable decline in the intensity of these atmospheric patterns over the study period, signaling an overall reduction in the strength of the summer circulation. Despite this, ISM activity has intensified in recent decades, underscoring a growing mismatch between the remote driver (ISM) and the EMME as a responsive region. Further examination reveals a significant weakening of the subtropical westerly jet and associated westerlies during summer, which appears to have reduced subsidence over the region and contributed to the observed decline in circulation strength. As a result, both Etesian winds over the EM and Shamal winds over the northern AP have experienced marked reductions in frequency. The diminished summer wind systems have led to an unusual rise in human-perceived temperatures and a reduction in dust activity.
How to cite: Gandham, H., Dasari, H. P., Luong, T. M., Attada, R., Ul Hassan, W., Athippatta Gopinathan, P., Saharwardi, M. S., and Hoteit, I.: Long-Term Variations in Summer Circulation Over the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16040, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16040, 2025.
The occurrence of disasters related to natural hazards has increased in recent decades due to the growing exposure of urban population and effects of climate change. This context can increase highly complex risks and create multidimensional vulnerabilities. Technological risks further aggravate these considerations, especially as the distance between inhabited and industrial areas has been decreasing over time and as the number of infrastructures and their interrelationships has been increasing. All those complex systems, which could act in combination - with or without coincidence in time, could impact potentially dependent elements at risk. Indeed, under certain conditions, different combinations of natural and technological hazards are likely to occur, e.g., an earthquake followed by a tsunami, floods impacting facilities, domino effect between industries, cascade effect between infrastructures. When these complexities are not properly accounted for by decision-makers, it can lead to ineffective or even misguided risk management strategies. This situation is visible in South of France (SF), a region prone to natural hazards such as forest fires, torrential floods, marine submersion, etc. Moreover, the analysis of 31 semi-structured interviews with local, departmental, and regional actors involved in risk management across three SF territories has shown that the current risk management approach facilitates an effective transition to a multi-risk strategy. However, the existing tools are insufficient and require improvements to ensure effective multi-risk management. This study seeks, by integrating different approaches (dependability analysis, multi-hazard modeling, geographical representations), to assess the potential consequences of the multi-risk events in and local scale considering the Influence of territorial specificities and stakeholder areas of intervention. We analyze the complex cause-and-effect interrelationships of the critical infrastructures (e.g. transportation networks, energy systems, water supply, and emergency services) exposed to hazardous events and estimate the resulting disruptions to basic services for the population. We use an example of a virtual coastal city typical of the South of France, exposed to phenomena like flood, submersion and technological risk to simulate various scenarios of multi hazards in order to integrate, describe and quantify their cascading impacts
How to cite: Colon Useche, S., Curt, C., DiMaiolo, P., Arnaud, A., and Negri, C.: Integrated Approaches to Assessing the Impacts of Multirisk events initiated by Natural Hazards, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16534, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16534, 2025.
In the last 30 years the Mediterranean region has increasingly been subjected to prolonged droughts, a phenomenon expected to worsen due to the rising levels of anthropogenic emissions. Although the scientific community has reached an emerging consensus regarding the physical processes driving these extreme events - such as the increased frequency and duration of atmospheric blocking and the expansion of subtropical zones - the broader impacts of water shortages on vegetation and feedback mechanisms within the climate-environment system remain poorly understood. Current evidence suggests that drought may lead to widespread tree mortality, heightened wildfire risks, and a gradual transformation from Mediterranean ecosystems to vegetation types typically associated with semi-arid environments. Apulia region, in Southern Italy has been selected as the study region, as it offers a unique case study to assess the consequences of extensive olive trees die-off after the spread of the pathogen/bacteria Xylella fastidiosa. We will investigate the effect of die-off and of different potential replanting strategies on the regional atmosphere. The study involves three different vegetation scenarios with a total of 12 new high-resolution sensitivity experiments under low and high-emission conditions (RCP2.6 or SSP1-2.6 and RCP8.5 or SSP5 8.5). One scenario will act as a reference with the current vegetation state. A deforestation scenario, accounting for 100% desertification, will represent the worst-case scenario. A regreening scenario will represent the afforestation/rewilding with native Mediterranean vegetation over the whole region. For this work, we will employ the regional version of the Global Environmental Multiscale Model (GEM) over the Euro-Cordex domain and the high-resolution Regional Climate Model (RegCM5, Giorgi et al., 2023) in convection-permitting setup, configured for the Southern Adriatic region over the domain 39.5°N - 42°N, 14.5°E - 18.5°E. The simulations will facilitate an in-depth analysis of the climatic effects of altered vegetation cover, focusing on key variables such as mean and extreme temperatures and precipitation, moisture distribution, and convection. We aim at identifying climate resilient planting strategies (e.g. restoring the historical land use, olive groves, or the native mediterranean vegetation) in Apulia, as a potentially practical approach to counteract or alleviate the effects of future compound extreme events, including severe droughts and heatwaves.
How to cite: Ingrosso, R., Baudena, M., Cozzoli, F., Lembo, V., Lionello, P., Nestola, E., Pausata, F. S. R., Sgrigna, G., Tiwari, S., and D'Agostino, R.: Drought-induced TREE MOrtalities and REwilding in Apulia (TREEMORE), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18218, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18218, 2025.
As global attention to climate change intensifies, industries face unprecedented pressure to transition towards sustainability while maintaining economic competitiveness. Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, which constitutes 22.3% of the global market and contributes 15.27% to Taiwan's GDP, exemplifies this dual challenge. This study investigates the sector's sustainability transformation, emphasizing the interplay between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks, regulatory compliance, and market-driven pressures.
Employing a case study methodology, this research delves into the complex dynamics shaping the sustainability trajectory of the semiconductor industry. Key challenges include compliance with evolving international regulations such as Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from EU and carbon pricing initiatives in Taiwan. These frameworks compel companies to adopt stringent greenhouse gas inventory protocols and transition to low-carbon production models. Concurrently, supply chain demands from global technology leaders, exemplified by Apple’s 2030 carbon neutrality mandate, necessitate a comprehensive decarbonization of production processes and the integration of renewable energy sources. Public awareness of environmental issues further intensifies the need for businesses to align with consumer expectations for sustainability.
The findings underscore the critical role of advanced technological tools and data- driven strategies in facilitating the transition. Enhanced supply chain transparency, the adoption of clean energy solutions, and the cultivation of sustainability-oriented expertise emerge as pivotal enablers. Moreover, addressing the environmental footprint of semiconductor manufacturing—characterized by significant energy and water consumption, as well as emissions of high-global-warming-potential gases—requires
innovative approaches that balance environmental responsibility with operational efficiency.
This study contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable industrial practices by offering a nuanced understanding of the strategic pathways available to high-impact sectors. By situating Taiwan’s semiconductor industry within the broader context of global sustainability efforts, this research provides actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders. The implications extend beyond Taiwan, offering a replicable model for fostering resilience and competitiveness in the face of escalating climate imperatives.
Keywords: Semiconductor Industry, Sustainability Transition, ESG, Decarbonization, Green Supply Chain, Case Study
How to cite: Hu, H., Lin, B., and Sun, S.: Navigating the Path to Sustainability: Case Study Insights from Taiwan’s Semiconductor Sector, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18950, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18950, 2025.
Flood risk management is undergoing a fundamental shift from a purely flood protection-based approach to a more comprehensive risk management strategy. This shift was promoted by the recognition that existing flood protection measures have proven insufficient in mitigating the severe consequences of recent flood events across Europe. Despite this growing awareness of the need for integrated flood risk management, practical implementation faces significant challenges. The complex interplay of local protection measures, downstream effects, potential flood protection failures and inherent uncertainties complicates the assessment of the long-term impact of individual decisions on overall flood risk.
In practice, decisions on flood mitigation measures are often based on local expert judgment, political considerations, or general guidelines, rather than a coordinated, catchment-wide evaluation. This fragmented approach, which focuses on local effectiveness, overlooks the large-scale, interconnected dynamics of flood risk, leading to suboptimal outcomes at larger scales. To address these challenges, we develop a flood risk model capable of identifying globally optimal solutions for flood mitigation strategies. However, the direct application of these optimal solutions to real-world contexts is not straightforward. In countries such as Germany, persistent challenges remain in the context of political, stakeholder, and institutional dynamics. The hierarchical decision-making structures in these countries complicate the integration of global optimization solutions into practice.
In this contribution, we present the current state of our proposed flood risk model as well as a simplified optimization example, providing a foundation for discussions on how to translate these insights into the hierarchical structures of flood risk management practice.
How to cite: Ruf, M. and Straub, D.: Optimizing Flood Risk Mitigation under Uncertainty: Towards Bridging Theory and Practice, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20578, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20578, 2025.
Posters virtual: Fri, 2 May, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot 2
EGU25-13886 | Posters virtual | VPS30
Comprehensive Risk Assessment at the Port of Manzanillo: A Model Based on PMBOK and Fuzzy Logic.Fri, 02 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP2.16
The Port of Manzanillo, Colima, serves as a pivotal infrastructure for Mexico’s international trade network. In response to increasing operational demands and advance modernisation efforts, an ambitious expansion into the Laguna de Cuyutlán has been proposed. This initiative includes the construction of specialised container terminals and supporting infrastructures. However, the area’s vulnerability to geological and hydrometeorological hazards—such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, tsunamis, landslides, and tropical storms—raises critical concerns regarding the durability and sustainability of these developments.
This study introduces a hybrid risk management approach that combines the principles of the PMBOK’s plan risk management methodology with the analytical precision of fuzzy set theory. Comprehensive historical data on natural hazards were systematically gathered from risk atlases, scientific research, and official reports. The model applies fuzzy membership functions to evaluate the likelihood and impact of risks. Additionally, tools like fuzzy Delphi, fuzzy DEMATEL, and fuzzy ANP facilitate the structured analysis and prioritisation of potential threats.
The primary aim is to create a robust system for addressing the uncertainties associated with complex risk environments. By integrating advanced analytical methods with established risk management practices, the model provides a foundation for designing effective mitigation strategies. These measures are essential for maintaining operational reliability, enhancing infrastructure resilience, and minimising socio-economic impacts. This research highlights the value of interdisciplinary methodologies that link scientific advancements with practical solutions, tackling the intricate challenges posed by climatic and geological extremes in dynamic contexts.
How to cite: Cardenas, E., Delgadillo-Partida, J., Mendoza-Rosas, A. T., and Zarate-Ramirez, F.: Comprehensive Risk Assessment at the Port of Manzanillo: A Model Based on PMBOK and Fuzzy Logic., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13886, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13886, 2025.
EGU25-15934 | Posters virtual | VPS30
Silicon seed inoculation improves growth, physiological mechanisms, grain and biological yields in maize hybrids under heat stress at vegetative and tasseling stagesFri, 02 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP2.21
Heat stress, next to drought, is one of the major constraints to maize growth, development and sustainable yield in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Hence, there is a dire need to explore strategies that alleviate adverse effects of heat stress. In this regard, silicon (Si) is an important plant nutrient which may support crop in alleviating heat stress-induced damages by modulating plant defense mechanisms. Si seed inoculation can be an ecofriendly mitigation strategy to ameliorate adverse effects of heat stress in maize. Yet, to date, limited knowledge is available on how Si modulates plant defense mechanisms to induce heat tolerance in maize. Therefore, a consecutive two years field trials were conducted in arid climatic conditions to evaluate the effects of six Si seed inoculation levels (0.00 to 6.00 mM) on the phenological, physiological, growth, antioxidant mechanisms, and yield components of (heat tolerant and heat sensitive) maize hybrids under normal temperature regime and heat stress conditions at the sixth leaf and 50% tasseling growth stages over a period of 8 consecutive days. Previously, the maize hybrids were selected on the basis of traits performance through screening in the glasshouse where hybrids were tested at different heat stress levels at sixth leaf stage-V6. Results showed that when the heat stress was imposed at sixth leaf stage then seed inoculation with 4.5 mM Si produced significant better cob length (15.0 cm, 16.7 cm), grains per cob (480, 500), thousand grains weight (211.6 g, 224.3 g), grain yield (6.58 t ha-1, 7.11 t ha-1) and biological yield (13.1 t ha-1, 14.5 t ha-1), respectively for 2023 and 2024 growing seasons (years) as compared to other Si levels. Whereas, the same Si inoculation also produced the maximum cob length, grains per cob, thousand grains weight, grain yield (6.24 t ha-1, 6.74 t ha-1) and biological yield (13.7 t ha-1, 15.2 t ha-1), respectively for both growing seasons as compared with other Si inoculation when heat stress imposed at 50% tasseling stage. These results owing to increased physiological mechanism, growth, antioxidant activities, and osmolytes accumulation under heat stress conditions. Moreover, the interactive effects of heat stress and hybrids revealed that the maize hybrid DK-6103 (prior defined as heat tolerant) produced more grain yield (6.02 t ha-1, 6.50 t ha-1) and biological yield (11.4 t ha-1, 12.6 t ha-1), respectively during both years when the heat stress was imposed at six leaf stage. While, hybrid SW-1080 produced on an average 13.5% and 14.8% less grain and biological yields, respectively as attained by DK-6103. Therefore, the Si seed inoculation (4.5 mM) may be good strategy to alleviate the adverse effects of the heat stress in maize hybrids. Future studies are also needed to explore the role of Si in alleviating the adverse impacts of combined drought and heat stress under contrasting environmental conditions.
Keywords: Sixth leaf and tasseling phenological stages, physiological mechanism, antioxidants, grain yield, arid and semi-arid climatic regions
How to cite: Habib-Ur-Rahman, M., Hussain, I., Ikram, R. M., Hussain, M. B., Hoffmann, M., and Roetter, R. P.: Silicon seed inoculation improves growth, physiological mechanisms, grain and biological yields in maize hybrids under heat stress at vegetative and tasseling stages, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15934, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15934, 2025.
