Assessment of deep recurrent neural network-based strategies for short-term building energy predictions - Fan, Cheng; Wang, Jiayuan; Gang, Wenjie; Li, Shenghan (Applied Energy, 2019)
Accurate and reliable building energy predictions can bring significant benefits for energy conservations. With the development in smart buildings, massive amounts of building operational data are being collected and available for analysis. It is desired to develop big data-driven methods to fully realize the potential of building operational data in energy predictions. This paper investigates the usefulness of advanced recurrent neural network-based strategies for building energy predictions. Each strategy presents unique characteristics at two levels. At the high level, three inference approaches are used for generating short-term predictions, including the recursive approach, the direct approach and the multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) approach. At the low level, the state-of-the-art techniques are utilized for recurrent model development, such as the use of one-dimensional convolutional operations, bidirectional operations, and different types of recurrent units. The performance of different strategies has been assessed from different perspectives based on real building operational data. The research results help to bridge the knowledge gap between building professionals and advanced big data analytics. The insights obtained can be used as guidelines and references for developing advanced deep recurrent models for short-term building energy predictions.
Keywords: Building energy predictions; Deep learning; Multi-step ahead predictions; Recurrent neural networks; Sequence-to-sequence learning; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; _z:no_pdf; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T11052 Electricity Price and Load Forecasting Methods; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

What Does Autonomous Adaptation to Climate Change Have to Teach Public Policy and Planning About Avoiding the Risks of Maladaptation in Bangladesh? - Rahman, H. M. Tuihedur; Hickey, Gordon M. (Frontiers in Environmental Science, 2019)
Climate vulnerability represents a highly complex public policy challenge for government due to its interaction with diverse social, political, economic and ecological factors across scale. The policy challenge is further exacerbated when rural livelihood opportunities depend on multiple land use practices within shared social-ecological systems and adaptation actions related to one practice affects the others. In such cases, it becomes likely that national and regional-level adaptation plans will result in maladaptive trajectories if local context and properties are not carefully considered. This review highlights the importance of this issue to public policy using the case of climate change adaptation planning in Bangladesh to highlight how national and regional-level planned adaptation processes could benefit from paying closer attention to the autonomous adaptation processes occurring at local levels. Focussing on the northeastern floodplain region, an area dominated by wetland ecosystems, high climate vulnerability and diverse and complex land use practices, we examine some of the community-level adaptation actions that are being undertaken in response to climate change and contrast these with national-level adaptation planning strategies and actions. We then analyze how the planned adaptation actions taken by government may actually end up being maladaptive, either by shifting or rebounding vulnerability. We conclude that government adaptation planning would benefit from a greater focus on learning and scrutinizing the autonomous adaptation of communities to climate stress before making significant resource allocation decisions.
Keywords: C:Bangladesh; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T10930 Global Flood Risk Assessment and Management; oa:topic:T12656 Impact of Climate Change on Human Migration; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Energy-Efficient Thermal Comfort Control in Smart Buildings via Deep Reinforcement Learning - Gao, Guanyu; Li, Jie; Wen, Yonggang (arXiv, 2019)
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is extremely energy-consuming, accounting for 40% of total building energy consumption. Therefore, it is crucial to design some energy-efficient building thermal control policies which can reduce the energy consumption of HVAC while maintaining the comfort of the occupants. However, implementing such a policy is challenging, because it involves various influencing factors in a building environment, which are usually hard to model and may be different from case to case. To address this challenge, we propose a deep reinforcement learning based framework for energy optimization and thermal comfort control in smart buildings. We formulate the building thermal control as a cost-minimization problem which jointly considers the energy consumption of HVAC and the thermal comfort of the occupants. To solve the problem, we first adopt a deep neural network based approach for predicting the occupants' thermal comfort, and then adopt Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients (DDPG) for learning the thermal control policy. To evaluate the performance, we implement a building thermal control simulation system and evaluate the performance under various settings. The experiment results show that our method can improve the thermal comfort prediction accuracy, and reduce the energy consumption of HVAC while improving the occupants' thermal comfort.
Keywords: Computer Science - Artificial Intelligence; Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Systems and Control; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Can local knowledge make the difference? Rethinking universities' community engagement and prospect for sustainable community development - Mbah, Marcellus (The Journal of Environmental Education, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:community engagement; oa:topic:T11806 Impact of Service-Learning in Higher Education; oa:topic:T11835 Sustainability Education in Higher Education Institutions; oa:topic:T14207 Students and Staff as Partners in Higher Education; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

The Role of State Broadcasting Media and Education in Addressing Climate Change in Bangladesh - Afroz, Afifa; Khan, Safayet; Mahmud, Ishrat Binte; Chowdhury, Mohammad Nazmul (2019)
Media and education undoubtedly play an important role in alerting and preparing people from many kinds of natural calamities and disasters. This is especially true for disasters that are caused by climate change. Through media and education people not only become more aware of the changes happening in nature, but are also empowered to minimise the risks associated with it. This chapter discusses several strategies in the domain of media and education to effectively tackle climate change impacts. It includes approaches taken by multiple stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Government and different non-government organisations. The Bangladesh Government’s preferred invisibilist approach of knowledge dissemination versus different community organisations’ supported visibilist approach of local knowledge integration has been discussed. Different forms of public media and, most importantly, state broadcast media are currently engaged in this process. Educational interventions coordinated by government and non-government organisations are also addressing the issue. This chapter provides examples of different forms of communication interventions that can assist in creating and raising public awareness to combat the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. However, the combined roles of media and education in addressing climate change and community wellbeing need to be investigated further in future impact evaluation studies.
Keywords: C:Bangladesh; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:addressing climate change; oa:keyword:state broadcasting media; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T12656 Impact of Climate Change on Human Migration; openalex:import; openalex:yes

The Role of State Broadcasting Media and Education in Addressing Climate Change in Bangladesh - Afroz, Afifa; Khan, Safayet; Mahmud, Ishrat Binte; Chowdhury, Mohammad Nazmul (2019)
Media and education undoubtedly play an important role in alerting and preparing people from many kinds of natural calamities and disasters. This is especially true for disasters that are caused by climate change. Through media and education people not only become more aware of the changes happening in nature, but are also empowered to minimise the risks associated with it. This chapter discusses several strategies in the domain of media and education to effectively tackle climate change impacts. It includes approaches taken by multiple stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Government and different non-government organisations. The Bangladesh Government’s preferred invisibilist approach of knowledge dissemination versus different community organisations’ supported visibilist approach of local knowledge integration has been discussed. Different forms of public media and, most importantly, state broadcast media are currently engaged in this process. Educational interventions coordinated by government and non-government organisations are also addressing the issue. This chapter provides examples of different forms of communication interventions that can assist in creating and raising public awareness to combat the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. However, the combined roles of media and education in addressing climate change and community wellbeing need to be investigated further in future impact evaluation studies.
Keywords: C:Bangladesh; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:addressing climate change; oa:keyword:state broadcasting media; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T12656 Impact of Climate Change on Human Migration; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Climate Variability and Change in The Caribbean and The South Pacific: Learning from Farmers’ Perceptions and Responses in Antigua and Efate - Blair, Adelle Anelta Camelita; Momtaz, Salim (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; openalex:import; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Climate Variability and Change in The Caribbean and The South Pacific: Learning from Farmers’ Perceptions and Responses in Antigua and Efate - Blair, Adelle Anelta Camelita; Momtaz, Salim (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; openalex:import; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Evaluation of New Zealand's absolute environmental sustainability performance : development and application of a method to assess the climate change performance of New Zealand's economic sectors : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science in Environmental Life Cycle Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand - Chandrakumar, Chanjief (2019)
Keywords: C:New Zealand; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:absolute environmental sustainability performance; oa:keyword:climate change performance; oa:keyword:environmental sustainability; oa:sdg:2 Zero hunger; oa:topic:T10471 Economic Implications of Climate Change Policies; oa:topic:T12013 Measurement and Evaluation of Sustainable Development; oa:topic:T14231 Economic and Environmental Dynamics of New Zealand; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Evaluation of New Zealand's absolute environmental sustainability performance : development and application of a method to assess the climate change performance of New Zealand's economic sectors : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science in Environmental Life Cycle Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand - Chandrakumar, Chanjief (2019)
Keywords: C:New Zealand; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:absolute environmental sustainability performance; oa:keyword:climate change performance; oa:keyword:environmental sustainability; oa:sdg:2 Zero hunger; oa:topic:T10471 Economic Implications of Climate Change Policies; oa:topic:T12013 Measurement and Evaluation of Sustainable Development; oa:topic:T14231 Economic and Environmental Dynamics of New Zealand; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Evaluation of New Zealand's absolute environmental sustainability performance : development and application of a method to assess the climate change performance of New Zealand's economic sectors : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science in Environmental Life Cycle Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand - Chandrakumar, Chanjief (2019)
Keywords: C:New Zealand; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:absolute environmental sustainability performance; oa:keyword:climate change performance; oa:keyword:environmental sustainability; oa:sdg:2 Zero hunger; oa:topic:T10471 Economic Implications of Climate Change Policies; oa:topic:T12013 Measurement and Evaluation of Sustainable Development; oa:topic:T14231 Economic and Environmental Dynamics of New Zealand; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Addressing Climate Change at a Much Younger Age Than just at the Decision-Making Level: Perceptions from Primary School Teachers in Fiji - Havea, Peni Hausia; Tamani, Apenisa Tagivetaua; Takinana, Anuantaeka; N’Yeurt, Antoine De Ramon; Hemstock, Sarah L.; Combes, Hélène (2019)
This study uses an explanatory design to investigate the role of primary education in addressing climate change in primary schools in Fiji. A self-administered questionnaire (N = 30) was conducted with primary school teachers from 14 primary schools in Fiji. Using frequency analysis, all teachers perceived that addressing climate change at a much younger age is more effective than just addressing it at the decision-making level. Furthermore, a Kendall tau-b was performed, and identified a significant correlation between the primary school teachers’ location and recommendations for further training on climate change (τb = .59, p < .001) and work relevance and climate evaluation (τb = .6, p < .001). The same factors (e.g. work relevancy, helping primary education adapt to climate change, etc.) were explored qualitatively using desktop review, literature search and found addressing climate change at a much younger age to be significant. These results are expected to perfect not only the role of primary education but to contribute significantly to the achievements of a climate-resilient Fiji by 2030 and beyond.
Keywords: C:Fiji; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T12503 Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Innovation; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Learning with Idea Station: What Can Children on One Canadian Playground Teach Us About Climate Change? - Hennessy, Sarah (2019)
Idea Station, the student portion of a research project to revitalize one urban Canadian school’s outdated playground helps to re-envision new approaches to education, environment and climate change, shifting the education ‘of children’ in favour of learning ‘with children’—a shift that mirrors the language of a common world pedagogies. There is benefit from learning with non-human others. There is an organic and interdisciplinary way of thinking with the world. As adults and educators we need to value and foster more of this thinking with climate change. To ignore this approach of thinking with children we run the risk of losing their valuable insights. Idea Station reveals that children already think with natureculture and non-human others and can teach adults. Experiences from Idea Station have a number of practical applications and can model partnerships for future thinking with education and climate change. Idea Station presents opportunities for shifts in the ways we think about children and nature. The core learnings can all be refined down to a single shift to a more inclusive way of thinking for adults. Idea Station teaches us that the inclusive shift includes making room for (1) informal, out-of-curriculum learning; (2) the values in a child-to-adult model of learning; (3) a Common worlds pedagogy that includes a lens of natureculture, and; (4) the inclusion of technology. In thinking with Idea Station we can learn to think with bats, rats, coons, trees, roots, backstops, vines, plants, birds, bugs, technology and humans.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:canadian playground; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T12997 Experiential Education and Adventure Therapy; oa:topic:T14007 Place-Based Education in Rural Communities; openalex:import; openalex:yes

The integration of climate change in the Namibian senior secondary Physical Science syllabus through environmental education - Iipinge, Wilhelmine Ndapewa (2019)
Keywords: C:Namibia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

The integration of climate change in the Namibian senior secondary Physical Science syllabus through environmental education - Iipinge, Wilhelmine Ndapewa (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Module 2. Analyze Climate Vulnerability and Risks to Ecosystems and People - Training on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) - GEF LDCF II Project: Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Rural Resilience in Tanzania - Ilieva, Lili; Liwenga, Emma T.; Masao, Catherine Aloyce; Lyimo, James; Majule, Amos (2019)
The second module of the training is focused on Analyzing Climate Vulnerability and Risks to Ecosystems and People, which is divided into two following sections: A. Understand the socio-ecological context; B. Analyze climate vulnerability and risk
Keywords: C:Tanzania; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:analyze climate vulnerability; oa:keyword:rural resilience; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T11886 Risk Management and Vulnerability in Agriculture; oa:topic:T12896 Evaluation of Environmental Impact in Agriculture; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Module 2. Analyze Climate Vulnerability and Risks to Ecosystems and People - Training on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) - GEF LDCF II Project: Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Rural Resilience in Tanzania - Ilieva, Lili; Liwenga, Emma T.; Masao, Catherine Aloyce; Lyimo, James; Majule, Amos (2019)
The second module of the training is focused on Analyzing Climate Vulnerability and Risks to Ecosystems and People, which is divided into two following sections: A. Understand the socio-ecological context; B. Analyze climate vulnerability and risk
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:analyze climate vulnerability; oa:keyword:rural resilience; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T11886 Risk Management and Vulnerability in Agriculture; oa:topic:T12896 Evaluation of Environmental Impact in Agriculture; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Actimetry for Estimating Occupant Activity Levels in Buildings: A Step Toward Optimal and Energy-Efficient Indoor Conditioning - Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kosonen, Risto (IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine, 2019)
This article presents an improved approach for assessing occupant thermal comfort and, in turn, more efficient indoor conditioning. The occupant activity level is an important determinant of required comfort conditions and thus building energy use. For nine volunteers, the activity pattern during typical office days was monitored. Detailed profiles of the occupant activity levels were obtained and, using clustering analysis, divided into "Sedentary" and "Active" groups. Although occupants were in their respective Sedentary cluster for 80% or more of the time, the Sedentary cluster was not limited by the currently used metabolic level for estimating sitting at a desk and working. Overall, just 30.7% of the recorded activity levels were less than or equal to the desk-work activity levels. These findings point to the need for revising typical activity rates used in designing indoor conditioning systems and defining control set-points for thermal comfort in offices.

Built Environment, flooding regime change, and its effect on adaptation to climate change in the cities of developing countries: Learning a lesson from Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia - Moges, Semu Ayalew; Gebrie, Geremew Sahilu; Habtamu, Getahun; Raschid-Sally, Liqa (2019)
Abstract This study presents the challenges of rapid flooding regime change due to the expansion of built environment across the cities of developing countries based on Addis Ababa as a case study. A hydrological study of the city was conducted using three different land use maps of Addis Ababa digitized from the city map of 1984, 1986, and 2002. The study indicated that the average runoff coefficient of the city increased from 28% in 1984 to 45% in 2002. This indicates that the annual generated runoff volume increased by more than 60% in 2002 than that in 1984. The flood peaks increased from insignificant (inner city) to more than 100% (in all directions away from the inner city). Therefore, the change of runoff volume and runoff transformation potential resulted from the expansion of built environment can explain the recurring floods in Addis Ababa city. Given the recent increased history of flooding in Dar es Salaam that occurred almost annually since 2011 and the recurring flood occurrence in Accra, it is evident that expansion of the built environment exasperated the flooding disaster across many cities in Africa. Unlike cities in the developed world where climate change impacts are common concerns, cities of developing countries are confronted with compound impacts of expanding built environment and the impacts of climate change. Effective adaptation to the impacts of built environment, through integrated city best management practices, is a necessary condition and a pathway to climate change adaptation in the future.
Keywords: C:Ethiopia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:addis ababa city; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:ethiopia; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T10930 Global Flood Risk Assessment and Management; oa:topic:T11119 Urban Stormwater Management and Sustainable Drainage Systems; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Built Environment, flooding regime change, and its effect on adaptation to climate change in the cities of developing countries: Learning a lesson from Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia - Moges, Semu Ayalew; Gebrie, Geremew Sahilu; Habtamu, Getahun; Raschid-Sally, Liqa (2019)
Abstract This study presents the challenges of rapid flooding regime change due to the expansion of built environment across the cities of developing countries based on Addis Ababa as a case study. A hydrological study of the city was conducted using three different land use maps of Addis Ababa digitized from the city map of 1984, 1986, and 2002. The study indicated that the average runoff coefficient of the city increased from 28% in 1984 to 45% in 2002. This indicates that the annual generated runoff volume increased by more than 60% in 2002 than that in 1984. The flood peaks increased from insignificant (inner city) to more than 100% (in all directions away from the inner city). Therefore, the change of runoff volume and runoff transformation potential resulted from the expansion of built environment can explain the recurring floods in Addis Ababa city. Given the recent increased history of flooding in Dar es Salaam that occurred almost annually since 2011 and the recurring flood occurrence in Accra, it is evident that expansion of the built environment exasperated the flooding disaster across many cities in Africa. Unlike cities in the developed world where climate change impacts are common concerns, cities of developing countries are confronted with compound impacts of expanding built environment and the impacts of climate change. Effective adaptation to the impacts of built environment, through integrated city best management practices, is a necessary condition and a pathway to climate change adaptation in the future.
Keywords: C:Ethiopia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:addis ababa city; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:ethiopia; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T10930 Global Flood Risk Assessment and Management; oa:topic:T11119 Urban Stormwater Management and Sustainable Drainage Systems; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Innovative approach to trainings on climate change for Mali - Safety, Nuclear (2019)
Keywords: C:Mali; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

A proposed climate change education programme for Sinazongwe district of Southern Zambia - Syabwanta, Simpilo (2019)
Keywords: C:Zambia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education programme; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Perception, Attitude and Practices Regarding Climate Change among College Students in Coastal South India - Thapar, Rekha; Unnikrishnan, Bhaskaran; Kumar, Nithin; Mithra, Prasanna; Kulkarni, Vaman; Holla, Ramesh; Bhagawan, Darshan (Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development, 2019)
Introduction:From developing innovative practicesto reduce the effects of changing climate, and to the implementation of legislations the young people can contribute immensely. Materials and Method: In this cross-sectional survey 375 college students from Mangaluru city were assessed regarding their perception, and attitude towards climate change and their practices towards mitigating it. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained prior to commencement of the study. Results: The mean age of the student was 21.6 ± 2.6 years. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on impacts of changing climate such as Changes in population of certain species, rising sea levels, increase in diseases and increase in flooding. (p<0.05). Reducing the use of electricity, and water, walking or cycling to work were the most commonly followed practices Conclusion: The study highlights the pressing need for changes in curricula in schools and colleges. Traditional diversion of students into science and non-science fields should be overcome by including climate change topics in junior school as part of subjects dealing with science and environment.Introduction:From developing innovative practicesto reduce the effects of changing climate, and to the implementation of legislations the young people can contribute immensely. Materials and Method: In this cross-sectional survey 375 college students from Mangaluru city were assessed regarding their perception, and attitude towards climate change and their practices towards mitigating it. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained prior to commencement of the study. Results: The mean age of the student was 21.6 ± 2.6 years. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on impacts of changing climate such as Changes in population of certain species, rising sea levels, increase in diseases and increase in flooding. (p<0.05). Reducing the use of electricity, and water, walking or cycling to work were the most commonly followed practices Conclusion: The study highlights the pressing need for changes in curricula in schools and colleges. Traditional diversion of students into science and non-science fields should be overcome by including climate change topics in junior school as part of subjects dealing with science and environment.
Keywords: C:India; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Chapter 4 - Indoor Environmental Quality - Toyinbo, Oluyemi (Sustainable Construction Technologies, 2019)
Many factors exist in the internal environment of building. These factors could be biological, physical, or chemical, and they determine the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of any given building. Indoor environmental quality and indoor air quality (IAQ) are used interchangeably in certain literatures; however, there is a fundamental difference between the two. While IEQ refers to the entire internal environment of a building, IAQ refers to the condition of air present within the building. All the factors that exist within a building contribute to the comfort of the occupants of the building and may affect occupants’ health and well-being. Sustainable construction aims at ensuring that buildings are energy efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainably built. It is also important that occupants are comfortable in their indoor environment. The factors that exist within the building, which may affect the occupants, must be considered during the building phase so that comfort is achieved.
Keywords: Indoor environmental quality; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; indoor air quality; indoor thermal comfort

Designing houses in Gujarat fit to live in - Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Building resilience in education to the impact of climate change’, Brookings Education Plus Development - Anderson, A. (2019)

How does gendered vulnerability shape the adoption and impact of sustainable livelihood interventions in an era of global climate change? - Call, M.; Sellers, S. (Environmental Research Letters, 2019)

Global landscape of climate finance 2019. Climate Policy Initiative - Clark, A.; Falconer, A.; Buchner, B.; Meattle, C.; Wetherbee, C.; Macquarie, R.; Tolentino, R. (2019)

Gender quotas increase the equality and effectiveness of climate policy interventions - Cook, N.; J. (Nature Climate Change, 2019)

Effects of Climate Change for Thermal Comfort and Energy Performance of Residential Buildings in a Sub-Saharan African Climate - Dodoo, Ambrose; Ayarkwa, Joshua (Buildings, 2019)

A Manifesto for Climate Responsive Design - Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (2019)
Keywords: evidence_review

CARE rapid gender analysis - Haneef, C.; Tembe, M. (Cyclone Idai Response: Sofala Province, Mozambique April 2019 CARE International Secretariat, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Does Pollution Drive Achievement? The Effect of Traffic Pollution on Academic Performance - Heissel, J. (2019)

Outdoor thermal comfort and adaptive behaviors in a university campus in China's hot summer-cold winter climate region - Huang, Zefeng; Cheng, Bin; Gou, Zhonghua; Zhang, Fan (Building and environment, 2019)
Keywords: BE:RELEVANT; C:China; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:outdoor thermal comfort; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10692 Impact of Urban Green Space on Public Health; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Water as destiny – The long-term impacts of drought in sub-Saharan Africa - Hyland, M.; Russ, J. (World Development, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

An evaluation of classroom-illumination: a critical requirement for effective designing and construction of naturally-illuminated schools in Nigeria - Ibhadode, Osagie; Ajayi, Oluseyi Olarenwaju; Abioye, Abiodun Ayodeji; Ismaila, Joseph; Adekunle, Adebayo Abidemi (Progress in Industrial Ecology, an International Journal, 2019)
Abstract: Indoor lighting-levels (illuminances) of 180 classrooms in 60 public [primary and secondary] schools located in all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, were experimentally investigated 12 times under three different sky-conditions [‘clear’, ‘partly-clear’ and ‘overcast’] using the Hagner digital lux-meter. The analysed empirical-data were: ‘Mean indoor illuminance for tasks on desks’ tops near windows exposed to direct sunlight and/or higher () illumination( )’ DSL d L ranging from 1,243 lux–4,486 lux, ‘Mean indoor illuminance for tasks on desks’ tops near windows exposed to indirect sunlight and/or lower () illumination( )’ ISL d L ranging from 674 lux–2,987 lux, ‘Mean indoor illuminance for tasks on desks’ tops at Center of () Classroom( )’ CrC d L ranging from 101 lux–449 lux and ‘Mean indoor illuminance for tasks on boards(Lb)’ ranging from 110 lux–494 lux. Three globally recommended standards’ [‘CIE-ISO’, ‘IESNA’, and ‘EN’], values [of minimal/optimal lighting-levels for classroom-activities like ‘reading on the blackboard’ ( sb L 500 lux) and ‘writing, drawing and reading on desks’ ( sd L = 300 lux)]; and the follow-up statistical-analyses reveal ‘excessive solar irradiation’ and/or ‘inadequate illumination’ in the classrooms.
Keywords: BE:Annotated; BE:RELEVANT; BE:light; C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review; openalex:n:0; openalex:n:2; openalex:yes; ❓ Multiple DOI

Climate Change: Focus on girls and young women. Plan International Position Paper - International, Plan (2019)

Climate Change: Focus on girls & young women. Plan International Position Paper - International, Plan (2019)

Thermal comfort and energy-saving potential in university classrooms during the heating season - Jing, Shenglan; Lei, Yonggang; Wang, Hongjian; Song, Chongfang; Yan, Xufeng (Energy and Buildings, 2019)
Keywords: BE:RELEVANT; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:energy-saving energy-saving; oa:keyword:heating season; oa:keyword:thermal comfort; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T10990 Airborne Transmission of Respiratory Viruses; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Understanding gender dimensions of climate-smart agriculture adoption in disaster-prone smallholder farming communities in Malawi and Zambia - Khoza, S. (Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Thermal comfort recommendation guide education - Kingspan (Kingspan: low energy - low carbon buildings, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Design of an Arduino based digital psychrometric device - Kizil, Ünal; Aksu, Sefa (2019)
Keywords: ⛔ No DOI found

How violence against women and girls undermines resilience to climate risks in Chad - Le Masson, V. (Disasters, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Learning Environments and Pupils’ Participation in Primary Education in Nairobi Urban Slums: Implications for Sustainable Development - Limboro, Charity Mukiri (MSINGI JOURNAL of the Department of Educational Foundations, 2019)
In order to achieve economic sustainability, every country must invest significantly in quality education for boys and girls from the basic levels. Key inputs of quality education include teachers, physical facilities and resources; and gendersensitive environments that are healthy, safe, and protective. Quality education is an empowering tool through which individuals gain sufficient academic qualifications that can lead to gainful employment or self- employment at a later stage. Such education augments people’s understanding of themselves and the world improves the quality of their lives and leads to wide-ranging social benefits to individuals and society. While learning can take place anywhere, positive learning outcomes commonly pursued by educational systems happen in quality learning environments. In this paper, learning environments are contextualised in terms of physical and psychosocial essentials. The paper examines how learning environments facilitate or obstruct children’s learning thereby contributing to their empowerment or marginalisation. The paper is based on qualitative case studies of four selected primary schools in Nairobi urban slums. A sample of 220 informants including 189 children and 31 adults were interviewed individually or in groups. The study utilised observations, interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and mapping methods to collect data. The findings revealed that only two schools had physical elements conducive for girls and boys to learn. Child abuse was rife in the schools; some of the school premises were not only insecure but a health hazard to the boys and girls. The paper also discusses how the home and community contexts were a threat to girls learning. The study concludes that learning environments, to a large extent, were an obstacle to girls’ access, retention and achievement of good learning outcomes that are critical for improving their life chances. The study recommends inclusion of gender responsive pedagogy in teacher coaching and alternative methods of instilling discipline.
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:primary education; oa:sdg:10 Reduced inequalities; oa:topic:T10692 Impact of Urban Green Space on Public Health; oa:topic:T12950 Learning Environments in Education; oa:topic:T13412 Impact of Interactive Whiteboards in Education; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Learning Environments and Pupils’ Participation in Primary Education in Nairobi Urban Slums: Implications for Sustainable Development - Limboro, Charity Mukiri (MSINGI JOURNAL of the Department of Educational Foundations, 2019)
In order to achieve economic sustainability, every country must invest significantly in quality education for boys and girls from the basic levels. Key inputs of quality education include teachers, physical facilities and resources; and gendersensitive environments that are healthy, safe, and protective. Quality education is an empowering tool through which individuals gain sufficient academic qualifications that can lead to gainful employment or self- employment at a later stage. Such education augments people’s understanding of themselves and the world improves the quality of their lives and leads to wide-ranging social benefits to individuals and society. While learning can take place anywhere, positive learning outcomes commonly pursued by educational systems happen in quality learning environments. In this paper, learning environments are contextualised in terms of physical and psychosocial essentials. The paper examines how learning environments facilitate or obstruct children’s learning thereby contributing to their empowerment or marginalisation. The paper is based on qualitative case studies of four selected primary schools in Nairobi urban slums. A sample of 220 informants including 189 children and 31 adults were interviewed individually or in groups. The study utilised observations, interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and mapping methods to collect data. The findings revealed that only two schools had physical elements conducive for girls and boys to learn. Child abuse was rife in the schools; some of the school premises were not only insecure but a health hazard to the boys and girls. The paper also discusses how the home and community contexts were a threat to girls learning. The study concludes that learning environments, to a large extent, were an obstacle to girls’ access, retention and achievement of good learning outcomes that are critical for improving their life chances. The study recommends inclusion of gender responsive pedagogy in teacher coaching and alternative methods of instilling discipline.
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:primary education; oa:sdg:10 Reduced inequalities; oa:topic:T10692 Impact of Urban Green Space on Public Health; oa:topic:T12950 Learning Environments in Education; oa:topic:T13412 Impact of Interactive Whiteboards in Education; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Does women's political empowerment matter for improving the environment? A heterogeneous dynamic panel analysis - Lv, Z.; Deng, C. (Sustainable Development, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Does women’s political empowerment matter for improving the environment? A heterogeneous dynamic panel analysis - Lv, Z.; Deng, C. (Sustainable Development, 2019)

Systematic review to quantify the impacts of heat on health, and to assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce these impacts - Manyuchi, Albert; Dhana, Ashar; Areal, Ashtyn; Erasmus, Barend; Wright, Caradee; Wang, Chongying; Peter, Devind; Rees, Helen; Harden, Lois; Chersich, Matthew F. (2019)
The review begins with a literature search, identifying eligible articles (by screening of titles, abstract and full text); then with the extraction of data from full text eligible articles (a generic set of data from all articles and specialised set of data from articles on specific review questions); and concludes with analysis of extracted data and publication of findings (Table 1). The review has 7 phases (see Table 1), namely: Stage 1. Pilot search and study tools, and finalise protocol Stage 2. Perform search, and upload titles and abstracts onto online software Stage 3. Screen titles and abstracts for eligibility Stage 4. Upload full text of screen positive articles onto online software Stage 5. Screen full text articles and extract generic data from eligible publications, including assessments of study quality Stage 6. Develop specific PICO questions (Populations, Interventions, Comparators and Outcomes) and protocols for these. Extract additional data on these PICO questions, using a subset of the publications Stage 7. Analysis of data and manuscript writing Stages 3, 5 and 6 are done in duplicate using online software, independently by two reviewers. The review process follows the PRISMA flow chart and PRISMA statement (Appendix 1 and http://prisma-statement.org/). PRISMA consists of a checklist of items required for a high-quality systematic review, which we will adhere to. The protocol will be registered with PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero). The software compares the coding of the two reviewers and notes any discrepancies, which can be resolved through discussion between the two reviewers, or by a third party. Appendix 2 describes the review software and related procedures. The roles of the review team and criteria for authorship are described in Appendix 4.
Keywords: BE:RELEVANT; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; ⛔ No DOI found

The role of weather on schooling and work of young adults in Madagascar - Marchetta, F.; Sahn, D.E.; Tiberti, L. (American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2019)

Climate change-induced impacts on smallholder farmers in selected districts of Sidama, Southern Ethiopia - Matewos, T. (Climate, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Gender and climate change: Do female parliamentarians make difference? - Mavisakalyan, A.; Tarverdi, Y. (European Journal of Political Economy, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Curating indigenous knowledge and practices for sustainable development: possibilities for a socio-ecologically-minded university - Mbah, Marcellus; Fonchingong, Charles (Sustainability, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:indigenous knowledge; oa:keyword:sustainable development; oa:topic:T12160 Decolonizing Education in African Context; oa:topic:T12786 Frugal Innovation in Emerging Markets; oa:topic:T13934 Ethnopedological Knowledge and Sustainable Agriculture; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Women's participation and the gender perspective in sustainable forestry in Cambodia: local perceptions and the context of forestry research - Nhem, S.; Lee, Y. (Forest Science and Technology, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Global campaigns for girls’ and women’s education, 2000–2017: insights from transnational social movement theory - Peppin Vaughan, R. (Comparative Education, 2019)

Creating temperate indoor environments in the schools, hospitals, and ministry buildings we design - Propst, Daniel (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review_2

Creating temperate indoor environments in the schools, hospitals, and ministry buildings we design - Propst, Daniel (2019)
Keywords: evidence_review

R&D: Radiant Heat and Indoor Environments | EMI - Propst, Daniel (EMI world, 2019)
Creating temperate indoor environments in the schools, hospitals, and ministry buildings we design.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Causal effects of education on sexual and reproductive health in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Psaki, S. (SSM - Population Health, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Prevalence and Determinants of Fatigue among Private High School Students in Bogor Tengah Sub-District, Indonesia, 2016 - Rachmat, Basuki; Susilowati, Andi (Journal of Ecophysiology and Occupational Health, 2019)
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; C:Indonesia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review_2; oa:keyword:fatigue; oa:sdg:4 Quality education; oa:topic:T11373 Effects of Sleep Deprivation and Fatigue on Performance; oa:topic:T13224 Physical Education and Sports Science; oa:topic:T13233 Occupational Health and Safety Management; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change: insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia - Rao, Nitya; Lawson, Elaine T.; Raditloaneng, Wapula N.; Solomon, Divya; Angula, Margaret N. (Climate and Development, 2019)
Emerging and on-going research indicates that vulnerabilities to impacts of climate change are gendered. Still, policy approaches aimed at strengthening local communities’ adaptive capacity largely fail to recognize the gendered nature of everyday realities and experiences. This paper interrogates some of the emerging evidence in selected semi-arid countries of Africa and Asia from a gender perspective, using water scarcity as an illustrative example. It emphasizes the importance of moving beyond the counting of numbers of men and women to unpacking relations of power, of inclusion and exclusion in decision-making, and challenging cultural beliefs that have denied equal opportunities and rights to differently positioned people, especially those at the bottom of economic and social hierarchies. Such an approach would make policy and practice more relevant to people’s differentiated needs and responses.
Keywords: Africa; Gender; India; _z:class:countries; semi-arid regions; vulnerability; water scarcity

Mozambique Cyclone Idai: Post Disaster Needs Assessment - Reconstruction, Post-Cyclone Idai Cabinet (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Improving thermal comfort of earthen dwellings in sub-Saharan Africa with passive design - Rincón, L.; Carrobé, A.; Martorell, I.; Medrano, M. (Journal of Building Engineering, 2019)

Indoor thermal comfort review: The tropics as the next frontier - Rodriguez, C.M.; D'Alessandro, M. (Urban Climate, 2019)

Putting Evidence to Work: A School's Guide to Implementation - Sharples, Jonathan; Albers, Bianca; Fraser, Stephen; Kime, Stuart (2019)
Keywords: evidence_review

New Methodology Shows that 258 Million Children, Adolescents and Youth Are Out of School - Statistics, U.N.E.S.C.O.Institute (2019)

Climate statement 2019 - TMA (2019)
Keywords: evidence_review

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study - Toyinbo, Oluyemi; Phipatanakul, Wanda; Shaughnessy, Richard; Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla (Indoor Air, 2019)
A total of 15 classrooms went through on-site assessments/inspections, including measurements of temperature (T), and concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, the level of surface biocontamination/cleaning effectiveness was assessed by measuring adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels on students' desks. Based on the data, the quality of facilities in the buildings was low. Classroom occupancy exceeded ASHRAE 50 person/100 m2 standard in all cases indicating overcrowding. However, concentrations of CO2 remained below 1000 ppm in most classrooms. On the other hand, indoor T was above the recommended levels for thermal comfort in all classrooms. Maximum indoor CO was 6 ppm. Median ATP concentrations on the desk tops were moderately high in all schools. The use of open incinerators and power generator sets near classrooms, which was suspected to be the main source of CO, should be discouraged. Improved hygiene could be achieved by providing the students access to functioning bathroom facilities and cafeteria, and by effective cleaning of high contact surfaces such as desks. Although ventilation seems adequate based on CO2 concentrations, thermal comfort was not attained especially in the afternoon during extreme sunlight. Therefore, installing passive and/or mechanical cooling systems should be considered in this regard.
Keywords: C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; cleaning; educational buildings; evidence_review; indoor environmental quality; natural ventilation; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; school classrooms; thermal acceptability

Predicting historical indoor temperatures from available local weather data - Varela, Jeanette J.; Anderson‐Cook, Christine M.; Weaver, Brian P.; Ticknor, Lawrence O.; Skidmore, Cary B. (Statistical Analysis and Data Mining: The ASA Data Science Journal, 2019)
In this article, a simple approach to modeling heat transfer between the outside environment to a location inside a building is used to precisely predict indoor temperatures for a large range of historical dates. The data collection, statistical modeling and prediction of inside temperature based on available weather data obtained outside the building of interest are presented. An initial simple linear regression model estimates the heat transfer mechanism between outside and inside which is used to predict historical indoor temperatures. The results of the model show that the inside temperature moderates but follows the outside temperatures with a seasonal pattern. In addition, uncertainty ranges for the estimates and predictions were constructed by calculating empirical confidence intervals for the average daily inside temperature and obtaining the range of observed temperatures within each day (within‐day variability). For the example of predicting the inside temperature of a Los Alamos National Laboratory storage bunker, the modeling approach provides excellent prediction over multiple years.
Keywords: _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:historical indoor temperatures; oa:sdg:11 Sustainable cities and communities; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T11594 Causes and Impacts of Climate Change Over Millennia; oa:topic:T12981 Impact of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage Conservation; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Measurement of the black globe temperature to estimate the MRT and WBGT indices using a smaller diameter globe than a standardized one: Experimental analysis - Vargas-Salgado, Carlos; Chiñas-Palacios, Cristian; Aguila-León, Jesús; Alfonso-Solar, David (5th CARPE CONFERENCE, 2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:black globe temperature; oa:keyword:smaller diameter globe; oa:topic:T11109 Physiological Responses to Heat Stress in Humans; oa:topic:T11244 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health; oa:topic:T12019 Radiometric Calibration and Performance Monitoring; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

The relationship between classroom temperature and children’s performance in school - Wargocki, P.; Porras-Salazar, J.A.; Contreras-Espinoza, S. (Building and Environment, 2019)
Keywords: evidence_review_2

Policy brief: Gender and age inequality of disaster risk - Women, U.N.; U.N.I.C.E.F. (2019)

Policy brief: Gender and age inequality of disaster risk. UN Women and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF - Women, U.N.; U.N.I.C.E.F. (2019)

Finding the optimum window locations of a single zone: to maximize the wind-driven natural ventilation potential - Yoon, Nari; Han, Jung Min; Malkawi, Ali (2019)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; ⛔ No DOI found

Thermal Comfort Modeling for Smart Buildings: A Fine-Grained Deep Learning Approach - Zhang, Wei; Hu, Weizheng; Wen, Yonggang (IEEE Internet of Things Journal, 2019)
The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology enables smart building management and operation to improve building energy efﬁciency and occupant thermal comfort. In this paper, we perform data analysis using the IoT generated building data to derive accurate thermal comfort model for smart building control. Deep neural network (DNN) is used to model the relationship between the controllable building operations and thermal comfort. As thermal comfort is determined by multiple comfort factors, a ﬁne-grained architecture is proposed, where an exclusive model is trained for each factor and accordingly the corresponding thermal comfort can be evaluated. The experimental results show that the proposed ﬁne-grained DNN outperforms its coarse-grained counterpart by 3.5× and is 1.7×, 2.5×, 2.4×, and 1.9× more accurate compared to four popular machine learning algorithms. Besides, DNN’s performance promotes with deeper network topology and more neurons, and a simple topology with the same number of neurons per network hidden layer is sufﬁcient to achieve high modeling accuracy. Finally, the derived thermal comfort model reveals a linear relationship between comfort and air conditioning setpoint. The linear property helps quickly and accurately search for the optimal controllable setpoint with the desired comfort.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:smart buildings; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Integration of Climate Change intothe Namibian School Geography Curriculum - Tshiningayamwe, Sirkka (Alternation: Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa, 2018)
Keywords: C:Namibia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:namibian school geography curriculum; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T12343 Geography Education and Spatial Thinking; oa:topic:T14482 Innovations in Education Technology and Pedagogy; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Using Open Door/Windows To Ventilate Bedrooms And The Consequent Effect On Sleep Quality - Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Mishra, Asit (2018)
For the article, please use the following link: https://sciencetrends.com/using-open-door-windows-to-ventilate-bedrooms-and-the-consequent-effect-on-sleep-quality/

An Analysis Of Occupant Responses To Transitions Across Indoor Thermal Zones - Mishra, Asit (2018)
For full text, please follow the following link: https://sciencetrends.com/an-analysis-of-occupant-responses-to-transitions-across-indoor-thermal-zones/

Construction of a Compact Low-Cost Radiation Shield for Air-Temperature Sensors in Ecological Field Studies - Terando, Adam J.; Prado, Sara G.; Youngsteadt, Elsa (JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments), 2018)
Low cost temperature sensors are increasingly used by ecologists to assess climatic variation and change on ecologically relevant scales. Although cost-effective, if not deployed with proper solar radiation shielding, the observations recorded from these sensors will be biased and inaccurate. Manufactured radiation shields are effective at minimizing this bias, but are expensive compared to the cost of these sensors. Here, we provide a detailed methodology for constructing a compact version of a previously described custom fabricated radiation shield, which is more accurate than other published shielding methods that attempt to minimize shield size or construction costs. The method requires very little material: corrugated plastic sheets, aluminum foil duct tape, and cable ties. One 15 cm and two 10 cm squares of corrugated plastic are used for each shield. After cutting, scoring, taping and stapling of the sheets, the 10 cm squares form the bottom two layers of the solar radiation shield, while the 15 cm square forms the top layer. The three sheets are held together with cable ties. This compact solar radiation shield can be suspended, or placed against any flat surface. Care must be taken to ensure that the shield is completely parallel to the ground to prevent direct solar radiation from reaching the sensor, possibly causing increased warm biases in sun-exposed sites in the morning and afternoon relative to the original, larger design. Even so, differences in recorded temperatures between the smaller, compact shield design and the original design were small (mean daytime bias = 0.06 °C). Construction costs are less than half of the original shield design, and the new design results in a less conspicuous instrument that may be advantageous in many field ecology settings.
Keywords: _important; oa:sdg:15 Life on land; oa:topic:T10029 Climate Change and Variability Research; oa:topic:T10895 Species Distribution Modeling and Climate Change Impacts; oa:topic:T11056 Metabolic Theory of Ecology and Climate Change Impacts; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Construction of a Compact Low-Cost Radiation Shield for Air-Temperature Sensors in Ecological Field Studies - Terando, Adam J.; Prado, Sara G.; Youngsteadt, Elsa (JoVE (Journal of Visualized Experiments), 2018)
Low cost temperature sensors are increasingly used by ecologists to assess climatic variation and change on ecologically relevant scales. Although cost-effective, if not deployed with proper solar radiation shielding, the observations recorded from these sensors will be biased and inaccurate. Manufactured radiation shields are effective at minimizing this bias, but are expensive compared to the cost of these sensors. Here, we provide a detailed methodology for constructing a compact version of a previously described custom fabricated radiation shield, which is more accurate than other published shielding methods that attempt to minimize shield size or construction costs. The method requires very little material: corrugated plastic sheets, aluminum foil duct tape, and cable ties. One 15 cm and two 10 cm squares of corrugated plastic are used for each shield. After cutting, scoring, taping and stapling of the sheets, the 10 cm squares form the bottom two layers of the solar radiation shield, while the 15 cm square forms the top layer. The three sheets are held together with cable ties. This compact solar radiation shield can be suspended, or placed against any flat surface. Care must be taken to ensure that the shield is completely parallel to the ground to prevent direct solar radiation from reaching the sensor, possibly causing increased warm biases in sun-exposed sites in the morning and afternoon relative to the original, larger design. Even so, differences in recorded temperatures between the smaller, compact shield design and the original design were small (mean daytime bias = 0.06 °C). Construction costs are less than half of the original shield design, and the new design results in a less conspicuous instrument that may be advantageous in many field ecology settings.
Keywords: oa:sdg:15 Life on land; oa:topic:T10029 Climate Change and Variability Research; oa:topic:T10895 Species Distribution Modeling and Climate Change Impacts; oa:topic:T11056 Metabolic Theory of Ecology and Climate Change Impacts; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Collaborative Student and Community Design in a Time of Climate Change Planning a Flood Resilient Waterfront in New Zealand - Wang, Xinxin; Bradbury, Matthew; Melchiors, Lucia; Byrd, Hugh (2018)
The environmental effects of climate change pose numerous issues to urban development located along coastal areas. New Zealand, an island nation surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, is facing great challenges caused by sea-level rise and more frequent extreme storm events. Therefore, planning resilient waterfronts that adapt to the changing climate is vital to the creation of sustainable urban development in New Zealand coastal cities. Although research on rising sea levels has led to several national guidelines and policies, plans and actions have not been adequately developed at the local government and community levels. To deliver a climate adaptation plan that could motivate the local communities requires innovative design solutions and close engagement with community members to ensure their real needs are met. This article presents a case study in Whangarei, New Zealand that demonstrates how student-community engagement can shape a sustainable urban waterfront adapted to the changing climate. The Hīhīaua Peninsula project was initiated by Momentum North (MN), a community group founded in 2016 based on Northland Region, in collaboration with the Hīhīaua Community and Unitec Institute of Technology. Hīhīaua Peninsula was chosen as the first project because of its central location, its waterfront features, as its consistency with plans from the Whangarei District Council.
Keywords: C:New Zealand; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:flood resilient waterfront; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T12414 Importance of Marine Spatial Planning in Ecosystem Management; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Rainfall shocks and agricultural productivity: Implication for rural household consumption - Amare, Mulubrhan; Jensen, Nathaniel D.; Shiferaw, Bekele; Cissé, Jennifer Denno (Agricultural Systems, 2018)
The paper investigates the impact of rainfall shocks on agricultural productivity and crop-specific agricultural land productivity. The paper also examines the impact of negative rainfall shocks on household consumption as well as its distributional impact by initial wealth and geographical zones. We use nationally representative panel datasets from Nigeria merged with georeferenced rainfall information. Negative rainfall shocks have heterogeneous effects on crop-specific agricultural productivity and based on geographical zones. We use an instrumental variables regression approach, where agricultural land productivity is instrumented with negative rainfall shocks. A negative rainfall shock decreases agricultural productivity and hence decreases household consumption by 37%. We also show considerable differential impacts of rainfall shocks on household consumption by initial values of wealth and geographical zones. Rainfall shocks have a negative, significant impact for asset-poor and nonpoor households, but has a higher impact on household consumption for asset-poor households. Similarly, it has higher impact for land-poor households and households in northern Nigeria.
Keywords: openalex:cites; openalex:import

HEAlthy Low Energy Redesigns for Schools in Delhi - Vervoort, Jill; Boerstra, Atze; Virta, Maija; Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Hensen, Jan (2018)
Indoor air quality and thermal comfort of existing naturally ventilated classrooms in the Indian capital territory, Delhi, is substandard. This should be improved while trying to prevent the increase in energy demand. The research question focused on solution options to answer these contradictory requirements.
Keywords: evidence_review_2

Correlation of ambient air temperature and cognitive performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Yeganeh, Armin Jeddi; Reichard, Georg; McCoy, Andrew P.; Bulbul, Tanyel; Jazizadeh, Farrokh (Building and Environment, 2018)
Despite their impact on work performance, cognitive responses to thermal variations in buildings have not been accurately quantified. Practical limitations in individual laboratory experiments with limited participants often cause low statistical power and restrict generalizability. Thus, inconsistencies in individual studies motivate summary reviews and meta-analyses. The objective of this study is to estimate the correlation between ambient air temperature and cognitive performance through a systematic literature review. We identified laboratory experiment reports published between 1980 and 2018, out of which 45 passed the targeted inclusion and exclusion criteria set forward by the scope of this study. To obtain summary effect statistics, 28 reports were included in a single analysis conducted by the use of the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Under laboratory conditions with fixed clothing values, studies with the weighted mean of 4.34 °C, 10.04 °C, and 26.68 °C increase in the control air temperature show about % 0.40, % 5.37, and % 7.97 reductions in cognitive performance, respectively. Heat stress causes the most significant decline in the most attention-demanding tasks. The results show an overall decline in both speed and accuracy measures due to changes in ambient air temperature. Accuracy measures and longer exposures are associated with relatively more decline in heat and cold. The estimated temperature-performance correlation follows a bell-shaped curve centered around the average control temperature. The results help inform policy and design decisions concerned with thermal comfort and upper limits for occupational exposure to cold and heat.
Keywords: Cold; Comfort; Heat; Indoor; Productivity; Work; evidence_review

Correlation of ambient air temperature and cognitive performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Yeganeh, Armin Jeddi; Reichard, Georg; McCoy, Andrew P.; Bulbul, Tanyel; Jazizadeh, Farrokh (Building and Environment, 2018)
Despite their impact on work performance, cognitive responses to thermal variations in buildings have not been accurately quantified. Practical limitations in individual laboratory experiments with limited participants often cause low statistical power and restrict generalizability. Thus, inconsistencies in individual studies motivate summary reviews and meta-analyses. The objective of this study is to estimate the correlation between ambient air temperature and cognitive performance through a systematic literature review. We identified laboratory experiment reports published between 1980 and 2018, out of which 45 passed the targeted inclusion and exclusion criteria set forward by the scope of this study. To obtain summary effect statistics, 28 reports were included in a single analysis conducted by the use of the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Under laboratory conditions with fixed clothing values, studies with the weighted mean of 4.34 °C, 10.04 °C, and 26.68 °C increase in the control air temperature show about % 0.40, % 5.37, and % 7.97 reductions in cognitive performance, respectively. Heat stress causes the most significant decline in the most attention-demanding tasks. The results show an overall decline in both speed and accuracy measures due to changes in ambient air temperature. Accuracy measures and longer exposures are associated with relatively more decline in heat and cold. The estimated temperature-performance correlation follows a bell-shaped curve centered around the average control temperature. The results help inform policy and design decisions concerned with thermal comfort and upper limits for occupational exposure to cold and heat.
Keywords: Cold; Comfort; Heat; Indoor; Productivity; Work; _z:class:countries

Nexus approaches to global sustainable development - Liu, Jianguo; Hull, Vanessa; Godfray, H. Charles J.; Tilman, David; Gleick, Peter H.; Hoff, Holger; Pahl‐Wostl, Claudia; Xu, Zhenci; Chung, Min Gon; Sun, Jing; Li, Shuxin (Nature Sustainability, 2018)
Many global challenges, though interconnected, have been addressed singly, at times reducing one problem while exacerbating others. Nexus approaches simultaneously examine interactions among multiple sectors. Recent quantitative studies have revealed that nexus approaches can uncover synergies and detect trade-offs among sectors. If well implemented, nexus approaches have the potential to reduce negative surprises and promote integrated planning, management and governance. However, application and implementation of nexus approaches are in their infancy. No studies have explicitly quantified the contributions of nexus approaches to progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals. To further implement nexus approaches and realize their potential, we propose a systematic procedure and provide perspectives on future directions. These include expanding nexus frameworks that consider interactions among more sectors, across scales, between adjacent and distant places, and linkages with Sustainable Development Goals; incorporating overlooked drivers and regions; diversifying nexus toolboxes; and making these strategies central in policy-making and governance for integrated Sustainable Development Goal implementation. Sustainability challenges, such as feeding people with fewer resources, involve challenges at the nexus of multiple issues, such as food, water and energy. This Review explores such nexus approaches, surveying their use towards sustainable development challenges, discussing examples, and proposing a systematic procedure and future directions.
Keywords: openalex:import; openalex:related

Artificial neural network models using thermal sensations and occupants’ behavior for predicting thermal comfort - Deng, Zhipeng; Chen, Qingyan (Energy and Buildings, 2018)
It is important to create comfortable indoor environments for building occupants. This study developed artificial neural network (ANN) models for predicting thermal comfort in indoor environments by using thermal sensations and occupants’ behavior. The models were trained by data on air temperature, relative humidity, clothing insulation, metabolic rate, thermal sensations, and occupants’ behavior collected in ten offices and ten houses/apartments. The models were able to predict similar acceptable air temperature ranges in offices, from 20.6 °C (69℉) to 25 °C (77℉) in winter and from 20.6 °C (69℉) to 25.6 °C (78℉) in summer. The occupants’ behavior in multi-occupant offices was more complex, which would lead to a slightly different prediction of thermal comfort. Since the occupants of the houses/apartments were responsible for paying their energy bills, the comfortable air temperature in these residences was 1.7 °C (3.0℉) lower than that in the offices in winter, and 1.7 °C (3.0℉) higher in summer. The comfort zone obtained by the ANN model using thermal sensations in the ten offices was narrower than the comfort zone in ASHRAE Standard 55, but that obtained by the ANN model using behaviors was wider than the ASHRAE comfort zone. This investigation demonstrates alternative approaches to the prediction of thermal comfort.
Keywords: Air temperature; Clothing level; Data collection; Indoor environment; Metabolic rate; Model training; Relative humidity; _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:thermal comfort; oa:keyword:thermal sensations; oa:sdg:11 Sustainable cities and communities; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T10990 Airborne Transmission of Respiratory Viruses; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Examining rural Sahelian out-migration in the context of climate change: An analysis of the linkages between rainfall and out-migration in two Malian villages from 1981 to 2009 - Grace, Kathryn; Hertrich, Véronique; Singare, Djeneba; Husak, G. J. (World Development, 2018)
Subsistence farmers in Sahelian Africa are highly vulnerable to the rainfall effects associated with climate change. Permanent or temporary out-migration can provide an individual or family the opportunity to mitigate against these effects. One major challenge to quantifying the impact of climate change on out-migration is lack of appropriate spatial and temporal data. Out-migration data must be adequately detailed to include both long- and short-term departures. The climate data must provide fine scale, community-specific detail. To examine the climate variability as a factor of out-migration we examine individual- and community-level responses using highly detailed, full migration histories of 3150 individuals with fine-scale rainfall data. Using this multi-method approach we examine the probability of out-migration as well as out-migration duration and destination as they relate to locally measured rainfall. The results suggest that out-migration behavior does not generally change because of failures or variation in the rainy season.
Keywords: openalex:cites; openalex:import

Perception of thermal comfort and prediction of heat stress (PHS) due to heat gain in tropical university classrooms - Biswas, B. K.; Hamada, Y. (Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2018)
Comfortable indoor climate is anticipated in hot-humid tropical condition. University classrooms are such kind of space which quality can improve the occupant’s performance directly. Due to lack of their adaptation ability, like the fixed schedule of activities and clothing causes extra heat gain from the environment and make hazardous situation. In this research, we focused to find out the comfortable condition of university classrooms in Bangladesh. The field monitoring was conducted at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) during the hottest months in the country (April-July). The measurements included the basic thermal environmental parameters like air temperature (AT), relative humidity (RH), indoor air velocity (V), and indoor Light (L) during regular class time 9:00 to 17:00. Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) has been calculated using obtained data with a known metabolic rate and clothing. It is found that the skin temperature crosses 34°C frequently in PHS scale and creates health risk.
Keywords: C:Bangladesh; _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:heat stress; oa:keyword:thermal comfort; oa:keyword:tropical university classrooms; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T11244 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Occupant response to transitions across indoor thermal environments in two different workspaces - Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Mishra, Asit; Derks, Manon; Kraakman, J.J.; Kort, Helianthe (Building and Environment, 2018)
To understand how transition across different thermal zones in a building impacts the thermal perception of occupants, the current work examines occupant feedback in two work environments — nursing staff in hospital wards and the workers in an office. Both studies used a mix of subjective surveys and objective measurements. A total of 96 responses were collected from the hospital wards while 142 were collected from the office. The thermal environment in the hospital wards was perceived as slightly warm on the ASHRAE thermal sensation scale (mean TSV = 1.2), while the office workers rated their environment on the cool side (mean TSV = −0.15). The results also show that when the transitions were across temperature differences within ±2 °C, the thermal perception was not impacted by the magnitude of the temperature difference — as reflected in occupant thermal sensation and thermal comfort/thermal acceptability vote. This would imply that the effect of temperature steps on thermal perception, if any, within these boundaries, was extremely short lived. These findings go towards establishing the feasibility of heterogeneous indoor thermal environments and thermal zoning of workspaces for human comfort.

Using machine learning to advance synthesis and use of conservation and environmental evidence - Cheng, Samantha H.; Augustin, Caitlin; Bethel, Alison; Gill, David; Anzaroot, Sam; Brun, J; DeWilde, B.; Minnich, R. C.; Garside, Ruth; Masuda, Yuta J.; Miller, Daniel C.; Wilkie, David; et al. (Conservation Biology, 2018)
Article impact statement : Machine learning optimizes processes of systematic evidence synthesis and improves its utility for evidence‐based conservation.
Keywords: openalex:cites; openalex:import; selected_for:effects of climate ch...on learning...LMICs 2024; tagged

Grass Biomass Estimation on Zambian Pastures for Future Climate Change Effects Mitigation and Adaptation Using Satellite Imagery and Neural Network Technique - Clementini, Chiara; Frate, Fabio Del; Pomente, Andrea; Salvucci, Guido D.; Teillard, Félix; Kanamaru, Hideki; Fujisawa, Mariko; Mottet, Anne; Heureux, Ana (2018)
Livestock productivity is likely to be adversely affected by climate change mainly in terms of feed supply variations. Principal livestock food resources in Zambia and Malawi are grass areas, but very few data are available for supply management and amount estimation. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the procedure adopted for preliminary estimations of grassland biomass retrieval and grass growth cycle identification over a wide area between the Lukulu District and the Mongu District, West Zambia, for the period 1996–2016. The procedure takes advantage of remote sensing observations from multiple sensors and neural networks. The preliminary results obtained are in accordance with the expectations and the seasonal variation is clearly visible in the growth cycles.
Keywords: C:Malawi; C:Zambia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:zambian pastures; oa:topic:T10111 Remote Sensing in Vegetation Monitoring and Phenology; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T12467 Rangeland Degradation and Pastoral Livelihoods

Climate Change Education Trends in Canadian Post-secondary Educational Institutions (PSIs) - Martínez, Ana María; Alsop, Steve (2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education trends; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11835 Sustainability Education in Higher Education Institutions; oa:topic:T14007 Place-Based Education in Rural Communities; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Individual difference in thermal comfort: A literature review - Wang, Zhe; de Dear, Richard; Luo, Maohui; Lin, Borong; He, Yingdong; Ghahramani, Ali; Zhu, Yingxin (Building and Environment, 2018)
Human individual differences widely and markedly affect thermal comfort and should be carefully considered in the design and operation of the built environment. This paper aims to list and examine the magnitude and significance of individual difference in the preferred/neutral/comfort temperature through reviewing previous climate chamber and field studies. Causal factors for individual differences are investigated, including sex, age and etc. There is no clear and consistent conclusions as to the significance and size of inter-group differences in thermal comfort (between females and males, or the young and the old). To address the issue of individual difference, a paradigm shift from centralized to personalized air condition is on the way with the following three steps: first, collecting individual physiological and psychological response; second, predict individual comfort with machine learning algorithms; and third, accommodating individual difference with Personalized Comfort Systems.
Keywords: Comfort temperature; Individual comfort model; Individual difference; Personal comfort systems; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:thermal comfort; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T10990 Airborne Transmission of Respiratory Viruses; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Shrimp Farmers’ Competence and Training Needs on Climate Change Adaptation: A Case Study from Southwest Coastal Bangladesh - Ahsan, Md. Shamim; Akber, Md. Ali; Islam, Md. Atikul; Rahman, Md. Munsur; Rahman, Mohammad Rezaur (International conference on climate change, 2018)
Sustainability of shrimp farming is important for both environmental and economic benefits of Bangladesh. The Department of Fisheries provides training to the shrimp farmers; however, techniques on adaptation to climate change are not adequately addressed in the training. This study assessed the competence and training needs of shrimp farmers on climate change adaptation. Two groups of shrimp farmers (each group consisting of 50 individuals) were surveyed and 20 key informants were interviewed from Kaikhali and Ramjannagar unions of Shyamnagar subdistrict under Satkhira district in southwest Bangladesh. Group A included shrimp farmers who had recently participated in training, and group B (control group) included shrimp farmers who had never attended a similar training and had no contact with the shrimp farmers of Group A. Borich Needs Assessment Model was used to assess the training needs of the shrimp farmers. Both of the groups imposed high importance on the skills for adaptation to climate change, but Group A had high competence and Group B had moderate competence. The top three training needs for both of the groups were: a) controlling fluctuation of salinity, b) management for heavy rainfall, and c) management for drought. Shrimp farmers of southwest coastal Bangladesh need more training support for adaptation to climate change.
Keywords: C:Bangladesh; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change adaptation; oa:topic:T10367 Agricultural Innovation and Livelihood Diversification; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Measured and Perceived Conditions of Indoor Environmental Qualities (IEQ) of University Learning Environments in Semi-arid Tropics: a Field Study in Kano-Nigeria - Ali, Sani Muhammad (University of Portsmouth, 2018)
This study investigates the conditions and the levels of satisfaction with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in naturally ventilated (NV) learning environments in Bayero University, Kano and compares the results to international comfort standards’ thresholds. It examines the thermal and visual comfort, acoustic quality as well as the indoor air quality of six learning environments in the University consisting of four lecture theatres and two laboratories. Researches in IEQ have shown that good quality indoor environment enhances occupants’ comfort, wellbeing, raises their productivity, and most importantly for this research, it raises students’ performances, reduces absenteeism, and reduces stress and fatigue among teachers. IEQ researches are mostly being undertaken in the four most advanced continents that are situated in the temperate regions of the world, but not in subSaharan Africa. Using both measurement and survey methods, internal and external physical parameters (air and radiant temperatures, air velocity, relative humidity, background noise, sound pressure level, horizontal and vertical illumination level, carbon dioxide concentration and particulate matter) were evaluated. The assessments were undertaken three times covering ten months, August 2016 to May 2017, which coincided with the three distinct seasons (warm and wet; cool and dry & hot and dry) in Kano. PMV model, as always, failed to predict the thermal conditions of the learning environments. Similarly some of the measured and calculated IEQ parameters, have not met the thresholds specified by the adaptive components of ASHRAE-55, but were in agreement with EN 15251, the respondents expressed their acceptance of their learning environments, subjectively. This is not surprising as these standards were often based on experiments implemented in developed countries, where the severity of the climatic conditions and the culture are dissimilar to sub Saharan Africa. The outcome of the research is hoped to raise awareness of IEQ potentialities among the academia, building industry professionals, building owners, university managers and other education policy makers in the region.
Keywords: C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review_2; openalex:n:0; ⛔ No DOI found

A Dynamic Model for Indoor Temperature Prediction in Buildings - Hietaharju, Petri; Ruusunen, Mika; Leiviskä, Kauko (Energies, 2018)
A novel dynamic model for the temperature inside buildings is presented, aiming to improve energy efficiency by providing predictive information on the heat demand. To analyse the performance and generalizability of the modelling approach, real measurement data was gathered from five different types of buildings. Easily available data from various sources was utilized. The chosen model structure leads to a minimal number of input variables and free parameters. Simulations with real data from five buildings, and applying the identical model structure showed that the average modelling error during the 28-h prediction horizon was constantly below 5%. The results thus demonstrate that the model structure can be standardized and easily applied to predict the indoor temperatures of large buildings. This would finally enable demand side management and the predictive optimization of the heat demand at city level.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; cross-validation; grey-box model; indoor temperature prediction; oa:keyword:indoor temperature prediction; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T11371 Urban Wind Environment and Air Quality Modeling; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; parameter estimation; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024; thermal modeling

A Dynamic Model for Indoor Temperature Prediction in Buildings - Hietaharju, Petri; Ruusunen, Mika; Leiviskä, Kauko (Energies, 2018)
A novel dynamic model for the temperature inside buildings is presented, aiming to improve energy efficiency by providing predictive information on the heat demand. To analyse the performance and generalizability of the modelling approach, real measurement data was gathered from five different types of buildings. Easily available data from various sources was utilized. The chosen model structure leads to a minimal number of input variables and free parameters. Simulations with real data from five buildings, and applying the identical model structure showed that the average modelling error during the 28-h prediction horizon was constantly below 5%. The results thus demonstrate that the model structure can be standardized and easily applied to predict the indoor temperatures of large buildings. This would finally enable demand side management and the predictive optimization of the heat demand at city level.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; cross-validation; grey-box model; indoor temperature prediction; oa:keyword:indoor temperature prediction; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T11371 Urban Wind Environment and Air Quality Modeling; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; parameter estimation; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024; thermal modeling

Planning Opportunities for Climate Resilience in Brisbane, Australia: Learning from the City’s History of Floods - Brage, Tomas; Leardini, Paola (WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, 2018)
South East Queensland, in Eastern Australia, is a region naturally prone to flooding. While this intrinsic hydrologic characteristic of the area was well known to its aboriginal inhabitants, its urbanisation is less than two hundred years old and has proven greatly oblivious to the natural environment. In Brisbane, the capital city of the State of Queensland, the clash between natural processes of the namesake river, its numerous creeks and the sea, and the superimposed layer of the urban fabric has recurrently played out since the foundation of the colony, in 1824, with the last disastrous event occurring in 2011 at a tremendous human and material cost. This paper analyses the nature of this difficult relationship between water as a dynamic force and the city of Brisbane as a static, yet ever expanding, presence, from a historical, geographical and social point of view. The aim is to identify opportunities that lay dormant in this relationship since its prehistory and can be harnessed to make the future city resilient to its geographical and climatic context, by embracing urban planning and management approaches that are sensitive to, and compatible with the deep structure of the city and its territory. Based on findings of this multifaceted analysis the paper recommends the application of long-term, adaptable planning that is framed according to climate cycles and climate change forecasts, a multidisciplinary, integrated way of understanding flooding, and a coordinated and transparent decision-making process that includes all institutions and stakeholders beyond individual interests.
Keywords: C:Australia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate resilience; oa:keyword:floods; oa:topic:T10226 Global Analysis of Ecosystem Services and Land Use; oa:topic:T10632 Consequences of Mortgage Credit Expansion and Housing Market Dynamics; oa:topic:T10930 Global Flood Risk Assessment and Management; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Planning Opportunities for Climate Resilience in Brisbane, Australia: Learning from the City’s History of Floods - Brage, Tomas; Leardini, Paola (WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, 2018)
South East Queensland, in Eastern Australia, is a region naturally prone to flooding. While this intrinsic hydrologic characteristic of the area was well known to its aboriginal inhabitants, its urbanisation is less than two hundred years old and has proven greatly oblivious to the natural environment. In Brisbane, the capital city of the State of Queensland, the clash between natural processes of the namesake river, its numerous creeks and the sea, and the superimposed layer of the urban fabric has recurrently played out since the foundation of the colony, in 1824, with the last disastrous event occurring in 2011 at a tremendous human and material cost. This paper analyses the nature of this difficult relationship between water as a dynamic force and the city of Brisbane as a static, yet ever expanding, presence, from a historical, geographical and social point of view. The aim is to identify opportunities that lay dormant in this relationship since its prehistory and can be harnessed to make the future city resilient to its geographical and climatic context, by embracing urban planning and management approaches that are sensitive to, and compatible with the deep structure of the city and its territory. Based on findings of this multifaceted analysis the paper recommends the application of long-term, adaptable planning that is framed according to climate cycles and climate change forecasts, a multidisciplinary, integrated way of understanding flooding, and a coordinated and transparent decision-making process that includes all institutions and stakeholders beyond individual interests.
Keywords: C:Australia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate resilience; oa:keyword:floods; oa:topic:T10226 Global Analysis of Ecosystem Services and Land Use; oa:topic:T10632 Consequences of Mortgage Credit Expansion and Housing Market Dynamics; oa:topic:T10930 Global Flood Risk Assessment and Management; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Assessment and evaluation of potential climate change impact on monsoon flows using machine learning technique over Wainganga River basin, India - Das, Jew; Umamahesh, N. V. (Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2018)
In this study, classification- and regression-based statistical downscaling is used to project the monthly monsoon streamflow over the Wainganga basin, India, using 40 global climate model (GCM) outputs and four representative concentration pathways (RCP) scenarios. Support vector machine (SVM) and relevance vector machine (RVM) are considered to perform downscaling. The RVM outperforms SVM and is used to simulate future projections of monsoon flows for different periods. In addition, variability in water availability with uncertainty and change point (CP) detection are accomplished by flow–duration curve and Bayesian analysis, respectively. It is observed from the results that the upper extremes of monsoon flows are highly sensitive to increases in temperature and show a continuous decreasing trend. Medium and low flows are increasing in future projections for all the scenarios, and high uncertainty is noticed in the case of low flows. An early CP is detected in the case of high emissions scenarios.
Keywords: C:India; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:monsoon flows; oa:topic:T10029 Climate Change and Variability Research; oa:topic:T10330 Hydrological Modeling and Water Resource Management; oa:topic:T11490 Hydrological Modeling using Machine Learning Methods; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Climate change and vulnerability discourse by students at a South African university - Mugambiwa, Shingirai Stanley; Dzomonda, Obey (Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 2018)
Climate change is expected to pose grave consequences to communities around the world. It is predicted that many people, mostly in the developing world, will experience shortages of water and food as well as numerous health-related effects because of climate change. Therefore, rigorous global action is needed to enable developing countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. Universities play a pivotal role in addressing these issues and their impacts through research and technological innovations. Hence, assessing the extent to which university students understand climate change and its impacts displays the extent of hope in mitigating future changes in climatic conditions. This article assesses the knowledge and understanding of climate change and its impacts by students at an institution of higher learning in South Africa. This study utilised a quantitative approach and a descriptive design. The convenience method was used to obtain participants for the study. Self-administered questionnaires were utilised in a survey to collect data from the participants. A sample of 90 university students participated in the survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and T-tests. Reliability was measured using the Cronbach's alpha. The study discovered that university students have low knowledge and understanding of climate change. As a result, the study concluded that if students could be well-informed about climate change issues, they could positively contribute to the development of their communities by crafting smart climate change mitigation and adaptation skills.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:vulnerability discourse; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Climate change and vulnerability discourse by students at a South African university - Mugambiwa, Shingirai Stanley; Dzomonda, Obey (Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 2018)
Climate change is expected to pose grave consequences to communities around the world. It is predicted that many people, mostly in the developing world, will experience shortages of water and food as well as numerous health-related effects because of climate change. Therefore, rigorous global action is needed to enable developing countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. Universities play a pivotal role in addressing these issues and their impacts through research and technological innovations. Hence, assessing the extent to which university students understand climate change and its impacts displays the extent of hope in mitigating future changes in climatic conditions. This article assesses the knowledge and understanding of climate change and its impacts by students at an institution of higher learning in South Africa. This study utilised a quantitative approach and a descriptive design. The convenience method was used to obtain participants for the study. Self-administered questionnaires were utilised in a survey to collect data from the participants. A sample of 90 university students participated in the survey. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and T-tests. Reliability was measured using the Cronbach's alpha. The study discovered that university students have low knowledge and understanding of climate change. As a result, the study concluded that if students could be well-informed about climate change issues, they could positively contribute to the development of their communities by crafting smart climate change mitigation and adaptation skills.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:vulnerability discourse; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Understanding thermal comfort perception of nurses in a hospital ward work environment - Derks, Manon; Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kort, Helianthe (Building and Environment, 2018)
In indoor comfort research, thermal comfort of care-professionals in hospital environment is a little explored topic. To address this gap, a mixed methods study, with the nursing staff in hospital wards acting as participants, was undertaken. Responses were collected during three weeks in the summer (n = 89), and four weeks in the autumn (n = 43). Analysis of the subjective feedback from nurses and the measured indoor thermal conditions revealed that the existent thermal conditions (varying between 20 and 25 °C) caused a slightly warm thermal sensation on the ASHRAE seven point scale. This led to a slightly unacceptable thermal comfort and a slightly obstructed self-appraised work performance. The results also indicated that the optimal thermal sensation for the nurses — suiting their thermal comfort requirements and work performance — would be closer to ‘slightly cool’ than neutral. Using a design approach of dividing the hospital ward into separate thermal zones, with different set-points for respectively patient and care-professionals’ comfort, would seem to be the ideal solution that contributes positively to the work environment and, at the same time, creates avenues for energy conservation.

Effects of ceiling fans on the thermal comfort of students in learning environments of Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria: 18th Windsor Conference - Ali, Sani Muhammad; Martinson, Brett; Al-Maiyah, Sura; Gaterell, Mark (Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings, 2018)
It is well known that thermal comfort is influenced by major physical parameters; air and radiant temperatures, humidity, and air speed in combination with personal attributes; clothing insulation and activity level. Although temperature is conventionally considered in adaptive thermal comfort model, as the most important physical parameter where cooling is involved, moderate air speed can enhance thermal comfort during higher temperatures. Through convective and evaporative cooling, ceiling fans cool people by causing sweat from the occupant’s body to evaporate. The northern part of Nigeria, being in the tropics, is known for higher temperature regimes for most part of the year. The use of air conditioning to achieve thermal comfort is not sustainable, for economic reasons and the lack of stable electrical energy. Therefore, a majority of naturally ventilated spaces could be kept thermally comfortable with the control of ceiling fans and operable windows. As part of a research work on learning environments in a Northern Nigerian university, this study reports on the effects of ceiling fans on the thermal comfort perception of the students in two lecture theatres. Air speed, air and radiant temperatures, relative humidity were measured, concurrently comfort surveys were undertaken inthe spaces, from which activity levels and clothing insulations were obtained. Adaptive thermal comfort standards, ASHRAE 55 and EN 15251, state that thermal comfort can be maintained as air temperature rises with the use of ceiling fans operating at moderate speed. The results show that reductions of 31% and 22% in overheating from the two lecture theatres were realised, as a result of ceiling fans usage, measured by the degree hour’s exceedance indicator. These results were further corroborated by the students’ acceptance of thermal conditions of the lecture theatres at temperatures above Tmax.
Keywords: Africa; Ceiling fans; overheating; thermal comfort; tropics

Disability Inclusion in Climate Change: Impacts and Intersections - Saxton, Marsha; Ghenis, Alex (2018)
The community of people with disabilities is uniquely affected by devastation brought on by climate change. This population is increasingly appearing on lists of “vulnerable” among many other groups in the social justice framework. Public policy has begun to include the voices of persons with disabilities among the planning constituencies. Yet the needs of this constituency are poorly understood regarding which measures could realistically enable survival in environmentally compromised circumstance. This very diverse group comprises approximately 10 to 15% of the global population, and within all other sub-populations, a figure that will likely increase with climate change impact. Discriminatory attitudes and policies tend to simplify this multiply intersectional population to “people with special needs.” This simplification ignores the diverse, complex needs and circumstances of individuals with disabilities, for those with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments, and so on, as well as their various socio-economic cross-constituencies such as gender, ethnicity, age, etc. In this context, focus on climate change and disability is disturbingly rare. This article explores key intersectional issues related to disability and climate change impact, recommending an educational, research and advocacy agenda for both the Climate Change and the Disability Rights movements.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Predicting indoor temperature from smart thermostat and weather forecast data - Yu, Danilo; Abhari, Abdolreza; Fung, Alan S.; Raahemifar, Kaamran; Mohammadi, Farahnaz (2018 Spring Simulation Multi-Conference, 2018)
Analyzing thermostat data together with outdoor weather to predict indoor temperature can help smart thermostats optimize the operation of a residential building's HVAC system and make buildings more comfortable. Using weather forecasts, these smart thermostats can become proactive in responding to actual and future outdoor conditions. Using the ecobee thermostat data from sixteen Canadian and US houses, the prediction accuracy of the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) algorithm and the resilient back propagation neural network (ANN) algorithm were evaluated. Solar radiation was added to the data available from the smart thermostat to account for the effect of passive heating. GRNN proved to be a better predictor with a lower MSE and a maximum of 7.5°C deviation from actual measurements.
Keywords: R; _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; generalized linear neural networks; indoor temperature prediction; non-linear artificial neural networks; oa:keyword:indoor temperature; oa:keyword:smart thermostat; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Change Orientation And Organizational Climate: Experience From Malaysian Primary Schools - Hamzah, Didy Suharti; Ibrahim, Mohammed Sani; Ghavifekr, Simin (Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 2018)
The aim of this study is to find the relationships that exist between change orientation and school organizational climate. This study also seeks to find the level of practice for the aspects in change orientation and school climate. The research samples for this quantitative research were taken from 246 teachers from national primary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The data were collected using the combination of two questionnaires namely Faculty Change Orientation Scale (FCOS) and the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire for Elementary Schools (OCDQ-RE). The data were then analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to test the research hypotheses. Findings indicate that the practice level of all three dimensions (faculty openness to change, principal openness to change and community press for change) in change orientation are high. Meanwhile, the practice level of five dimensions (supportive principal behaviour, directive principal behaviour, restrictive principal behaviour, collegial teacher behaviour and intimate teacher behaviour) in school climate are moderate and the other one dimension, (disengaged teacher behaviour) is low. In addition, the Multiple Linear Regression analysis showed one of the dimensions in change orientation (community press for change) has a significant relationship with school climate. Implication of the study shows that pressure for change from community outside school have direct impact on school climate. However, the aspect of support from school heads and intimate relationship among teachers need to be improvised as these are important dimensions that contribute to positive school climate. Some recommendations from this study are; to establish and maintain positive community relations, increase of school heads’ support for teachers and to have strategic management approach in dealing with educational changes in schools
Keywords: C:Malaysia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:organizational climate; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T12998 Islamic Education and Pedagogy; oa:topic:T14060 Educational Leadership and Management in Schools; oa:topic:T14356 Developing Strategic Thinking Competency in Organizations; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Statistical analysis of data from thermal comfort field studies - Mishra, Asit (2018)
This text was compiled with intention to help researchers beginning on their path towards studying thermal comfort using mixed methods approaches. I hope to receive feedback on the content and modify it based upon reader recommendations for the benefits of future readers as well.

Citizen participation as a key enabler for successful public education policies in climate change mitigation in Singapore - Wi, Andy (International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2018)
A good climate change education policy should focus not only on education but encourage the participation of both the citizens and the government. The author interviewed policy makers, grassroots leaders and the citizens and found that this interaction between the government (top-down) and the citizens (bottom-up) is sorely missing, which results in a disjoint between what the government wants citizens to know and what the citizens actually know. Without this interaction, climate change education policy will not be successful. The proposed Grassroots Approach (GRA) framework that emerged from the qualitative inquiry describes how climate change education policy can be implemented in the context of societies like Singapore through an integration of the top-down and bottom-up approaches. The 6 stages of the GRA enable policy to be formulated, to provide information to the public, to obtain consultation, to encourage involvement, to garner feedback and to seek advisory, with regards to climate change. The findings not only show an update in its current policy but also an indication of the adoption of GRA in implementing new campaigns and initiatives.
Keywords: C:Singapore; C:United States; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:successful public education policies; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11998 Positive Youth Development in the United States; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Long-term monitoring of the thermal environment in office buildings - Koi, Lotte; Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Pennings, Linda; Hensen, Jan (Rehva Journal, 2018)
Existing guidelines on monitoring of Indoor Climate Quality (ICQ) do not adequately address long term monitoring. A better understanding of the collection and analysis of monitored data, extending over a longtime period is required. This study aimed at addressing the aforementioned research gaps. The study took place in two office buildings, during two periods each: February & May (case I) and April & June (case II). Thermal environment data was obtained across several locations in the room. Results showed that measurement of temperature was most critical in the openplan office floors. Local heat sources had a significant influence on the measured temperatures. To collect representative data with the help of building management system (BMS) sensors, existence and fluctuation of local heat sources should be considered at the start of the ICQ assessment. Based on this information, the minimal distance between BMS sensor and workplace location can be determined. In the design process, the field study protocol can be used as a tool to predict the number of sensors and distance from occupants.

How natural disasters undermine schooling’, Brookings Education Plus Development - Chuang, E.; Pinchoff, J.; Psaki, S. (2018)

Smart Building: Use of the ANN Approach for Indoor Temperature Forecasting - Attoue, Nivine; Shahrour, Isam; Younes, Rafic (ENGINEERING, 2018)
Smart buildings concept aims at the use of the smart technology to reduce energy consumption as well as improvement of the comfort conditions and users’ satisfaction. It is based on the use of smart sensors to follow both outdoor and indoor conditions as well as software for the control of comfort and security devices. The optimal control of the energy devices requires software for indoor temperature forecasting. This paper presents an ANN – based model for the indoor temperature forecasting. The model is developed using data recoded in an old building of the engineering school Polytech’Lille. Data covered both indoor and outdoor conditions. Analysis of the relevance of the input parameters allowed to develop a simplified forecasting model of the indoor temperature that uses only the outdoor temperature as well as the history of the façade temperature as input parameters. The paper presents successively, data collection, the ANN concept used in the temperature forecasting, and finally the ANN model developed for the façade and indoor forecasting. It shows that an ANN-based model using outdoor and façade temperature sensors provides a good forecasting of the indoor temperature. This model could be used for the optimal control of buildings energy devices.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Climate Change Communication in Higher Education Institutions: The Case of the North-West University in South Africa - Calzadilla, Paola Villavicencio; Mauger, Romain; Plessis, Anél du (2018)
In the current context of the limited understanding of climate change, universities, among other sectors of society, must help to foster climate change communication. In addition to innovative teaching and research, they may be expected to promote initiatives and strategies towards a better understanding of the multidimensional nature and effects of climate change. By engaging with people who are part of the problem but also those future decision-makers who can offer solutions, universities are ideally situated to increase climate change awareness. Against this backdrop of the climate change communication discourse, this paper analyses a novel experience at the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa. Several activities were undertaken at the Potchefstroom Campus of the university in 2016 as part of the international initiative, “Global Climate Change Week” and under the heading “Ready to Act?” These activities (involving different scholarly fields e.g. arts, natural science, education and law) were organised for the first time and attracted a multidisciplinary group of students, academics and university staff who connected with one another and with the realities, challenges and opportunities of climate change. The experience presented in this paper conceptually highlights the role of universities in promoting communication for a more holistic understanding of climate change. In addition, it shows that universities may offer a meaningful platform for broader and multidisciplinary academic communities to discuss its effects, to emphasise the solutions and, ultimately, to motivate people towards taking action.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change communication; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T13098 Motivation and Behavior of Convention Attendees; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Climate Change Communication in Higher Education Institutions: The Case of the North-West University in South Africa - Calzadilla, Paola Villavicencio; Mauger, Romain; Plessis, Anél du (2018)
In the current context of the limited understanding of climate change, universities, among other sectors of society, must help to foster climate change communication. In addition to innovative teaching and research, they may be expected to promote initiatives and strategies towards a better understanding of the multidimensional nature and effects of climate change. By engaging with people who are part of the problem but also those future decision-makers who can offer solutions, universities are ideally situated to increase climate change awareness. Against this backdrop of the climate change communication discourse, this paper analyses a novel experience at the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa. Several activities were undertaken at the Potchefstroom Campus of the university in 2016 as part of the international initiative, “Global Climate Change Week” and under the heading “Ready to Act?” These activities (involving different scholarly fields e.g. arts, natural science, education and law) were organised for the first time and attracted a multidisciplinary group of students, academics and university staff who connected with one another and with the realities, challenges and opportunities of climate change. The experience presented in this paper conceptually highlights the role of universities in promoting communication for a more holistic understanding of climate change. In addition, it shows that universities may offer a meaningful platform for broader and multidisciplinary academic communities to discuss its effects, to emphasise the solutions and, ultimately, to motivate people towards taking action.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change communication; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T13098 Motivation and Behavior of Convention Attendees; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

An Interdisciplinary Approach for Water–Energy–Food Nexus - Endo, Aiko; Kumazawa, Terukazu; Burnett, Kimberly; Ishii, Akira; Tsurita, Izumi; Wada, Christopher A.; Kato, Takaaki; Yamada, Makoto; Orencio, Pedcris M. (2018)
This chapter summarizes the activities of the interdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary study group under the RIHN Nexus project. The mission of the group was (1) to review the WEF Nexus studies as a means to understand the current state of research on the WEF, (2) to develop integrated methods to address nexus issues, and (3) to design and visualize a WEF nexus system map to understand the complexity of the WEF Nexus system. The future challenges of the interdisciplinary group are (a) to develop the concept of integration in order to understand the concept of WEF nexus, (b) to integrate each method for adopting inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches to address nexus issues, (c) to approach not only disciplines, but also sectors using integrated methods focusing on stakeholders to adopt a transdisciplinary approach.
Keywords: openalex:import; openalex:related

Climate change learning in an electricity utility: distribution division case study, Eskom, South Africa. - Govender, Poobalan Troy. (2018)
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:electricity utility; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T14481 Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in Europe; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Climate change learning in an electricity utility: distribution division case study, Eskom, South Africa. - Govender, Poobalan Troy. (2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:electricity utility; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T14481 Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in Europe; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Building climate-ready schools in Canada: Towards identifying good practices in climate change education - Hargis, Kristen; Chopin, NS; McKenzie, Marcia (2018)
Keywords: C:Canada; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate-ready change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Climate Change Perception among Geography and Biology Teachers in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria - Ishaya, S; Apochi, M. A; Hassan, Mohammed Abdullahi (Annals of Ecology and Environmental Science, 2018)
Abstract This study assess climate change perception among Geography and Biology teachers in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. In carrying out this study, the Interpretive Research method was utilized. The population targeted were the forty nine geography and biology teachers in the eight public senior secondary schools in the Area Council. Semi-structured questionnaire was used in this study. Findings of the study shows that all geography and biology science teachers from the studied schools affirmed to changes in climate/ The main indicators of climate change as observed by the teachers are temperature rise, decrease in rainfall, drier weather, decline in domestic water supply, incapacitation of crop production, de-vegetation, decline of pastures for livestock production thereby instigated conflicts between headers and farmers and rural-urban migration. Reforestation, afforestation, cultivating drought tolerant crops, encouraging irrigation/fadama farming in localities, improve in water usage, shortening growing season by cultivation varieties that matured within a short period of time and indebt dissemination of information on potential weather incidences/events/disasters where seen as strategies of combating climate change impacts as opined by the teachers. Findings shows that the scope and nature of topics related to teaching of climate change in Geography and Biological Science curriculum were not detailed in syllabus and there is need in strengthening curriculum towards mitigating climate change. Keywords: Climate Change, Perception, Geography, Biology, Teachers.
Keywords: C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Learning disabilities and Action competence approach : an analysis of a learning module on climate change - Jokinen, Iina (2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; openalex:import; openalex:yes

ReCrafting urban climate change resilience understandings – learning from Australian Indigenous cultures - Jones, David S.; Roös, Phillip B.; Dearnaley, Jennifer; Threadgold, Heather; Nicholson, Mandy; Wissing, Ross; Berghofer, Donn; Buggy, Robert; Choy, Darryl Low; Clarke, Phillip A; Serrao‐Neumann, Silvia; Kitson, Greg; et al. (2018)
Keywords: C:Australia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:resilience; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T11846 Temporal, Spatial, and Social Aspects of Cultural Heritage Studies; openalex:import; openalex:yes

ReCrafting urban climate change resilience understandings – learning from Australian Indigenous cultures - Jones, David S.; Roös, Phillip B.; Dearnaley, Jennifer; Threadgold, Heather; Nicholson, Mandy; Wissing, Ross; Berghofer, Donn; Buggy, Robert; Choy, Darryl Low; Clarke, Phillip A; Serrao‐Neumann, Silvia; Kitson, Greg; et al. (2018)
Keywords: C:Australia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:resilience; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T11846 Temporal, Spatial, and Social Aspects of Cultural Heritage Studies; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development: Lessons for Nigeria - Mailumo, Daniel; Igbe, Simeon; Mailumo, Pius (2018)
Keywords: C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; _z:not_duplicate; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education; oa:keyword:sustainable development; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T13530 Climate Change and Environmental Impact; oa:topic:T14296 Climate Change and Sustainable Development; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Designing a ‘Fit-for-Purpose’ Approach to Tracking Progress on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience: Learning from Local Governments in Australia - Moloney, Susie; McClaren, Heather (2018)
Local governments are at the forefront of responding to climate change in developing risk assessments and mitigation and adaptation strategies. In the Australian context, local government plans and strategies are emerging, however the extent to which municipalities are planning effectively for climate change and whether they are delivering on outcomes is difficult to assess. While there are a number of frameworks for monitoring, evaluating and reporting climate change adaptation and urban resilience, very few have been implemented at the local scale. This paper will present a case study from a group of councils in metropolitan Melbourne who have collaborated to develop a ‘fit-for-purpose’ framework to track how well they are adapting to climate change and to improve their resilience. The project process, framework design, indicators and pilot implementation phase will be outlined including an analysis of the challenges and issues that emerged in developing and implementing an approach to monitoring and evaluation. We seek to contribute to the gap in knowledge around ‘doing adaptation’ in particular how we can monitor and evaluate progress. In the post Paris climate policy context, much more attention is needed on how we can better understand the “actual experience of adaptation” which broadly asks “are we adapting”? (Ford and King in Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 20:505–526, 2015) and in the case of the particular Australian case study presented in this paper, the focus is on how can we assess ‘How Well Are We Adapting?’
Keywords: C:Australia; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change adaptation; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T10747 Community Resilience to Natural Disasters; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Drought Forecasting Under Climate Change Scenarios Using Artificial Neural Networks for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Upper Tana River Basin, Kenya - Mutua, Benedict M. (Social Science Research Network, 2018)
Climate change has continued to impact negatively on water resources globally. For instance, extreme weather conditions especially the drought phenomena have become frequent in Africa. This has prompted water engineers and hydrologists to formulate mitigation and adaptation measures to address these challenges. The frequency of drought event of a defined severity for a defined return period is fundamental in planning, designing, operating and managing water resources systems within a basin. This paper presents an analysis of the hydrological drought frequency for the upper Tana River basin in Kenya using the absolute Stream flow Drought Index (SDI) and modified Gumbel technique. The study used a 41-year (1970-2010) stream flow data and forecasted hydrological droughts for 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000-year return periods in relation to the selected stream flows. The results provide an overview of drought trends within the river basin and therefore would be very useful in applying drought adaptation policies by water resource managers.
Keywords: C:Kenya; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:topic:T10330 Hydrological Modeling and Water Resource Management; oa:topic:T11186 Global Drought Monitoring and Assessment; oa:topic:T11490 Hydrological Modeling using Machine Learning Methods

Integrating climate change and Blue Economy in fisheriesresearch and education in India - Shyam, S Salim; James, Harsha Elizabeth (2018)
Fisheries, the fastest food producing sector in the country plays a pivotal role in ensuring food and nutritional security of the growing population, employment generation, enhanced income and foreign exchange earnings. The fisheries resources, resource users and the environment have contributed in tandem to the sustained fish production and fishers welfare through technology upgradation and augmented capital investment in the sector. The sector had been growing at an impressive rate of 6.65 per cent in marine ssctor and f 26.07 per cent in inland sector. The country has earned more than 5.78 billion US dollars foreign exchange (i.e., Rs.37, 871 crores) in 2016- 17 through, exports of fish and fishery products. The present fish production is 9.3 million tonnes with a contribution of 3.93 million tonnes from marine sector and 5.46 million tonnes from inland sector. The fisheries contribution to GDP is 81400 crores contributing to around 0.82 per cent of the total GDP. The sector contributes around 7.3 per cent of the agriculture GDP. In terms of resources the country possesses a huge resource profile with an Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.02 million square km and a coastline of 8129 kms. In order to address the food security concerns of the country it is important to harness its fisheries resources.
Keywords: oa:topic:T10230 Impacts of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries; oa:topic:T12414 Importance of Marine Spatial Planning in Ecosystem Management; oa:topic:T14405 Sustainable Agricultural Development and Resource Management; openalex:import; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

The Opportunities and Challenges for Climate Change Education at Universities in the African Context: A Comparative Case Study of Makerere University (Uganda) and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) - Ssekamatte, David (2018)
This study examined the current academic, research and community engagement programmes, key challenges and opportunities for climate change education at Makerere University(Uganda) and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Using a social constructivist approach, it adopted a qualitative comparative multiple case study design. A total of 18 semi-structured in-depth interviews and 5 Focus Group Discussions were undertaken, collecting data from 58 participants in Uganda and Tanzania. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis based on the V. Braun and V. Clarke (2006) model with the help of MAXQDA software. Findings revealed several short and long term training programmes, research focused on adaptation and community outreaches mainly for adaptation and supporting local leadership in decision making. Varied challenges were identified related to funding, data access, human resources and skepticism about climate change among some academics. Several opportunities including legislative backup, collaborations and partnerships as well as possibility of extending climate change education through teacher training were identified. It is expected that this work will ignite a discussion among universities in Africa to promote climate change education.
Keywords: C:Tanzania; C:Uganda; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

The Opportunities and Challenges for Climate Change Education at Universities in the African Context: A Comparative Case Study of Makerere University (Uganda) and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) - Ssekamatte, David (2018)
This study examined the current academic, research and community engagement programmes, key challenges and opportunities for climate change education at Makerere University(Uganda) and University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). Using a social constructivist approach, it adopted a qualitative comparative multiple case study design. A total of 18 semi-structured in-depth interviews and 5 Focus Group Discussions were undertaken, collecting data from 58 participants in Uganda and Tanzania. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis based on the V. Braun and V. Clarke (2006) model with the help of MAXQDA software. Findings revealed several short and long term training programmes, research focused on adaptation and community outreaches mainly for adaptation and supporting local leadership in decision making. Varied challenges were identified related to funding, data access, human resources and skepticism about climate change among some academics. Several opportunities including legislative backup, collaborations and partnerships as well as possibility of extending climate change education through teacher training were identified. It is expected that this work will ignite a discussion among universities in Africa to promote climate change education.
Keywords: C:Tanzania; C:Uganda; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

The effect of passive measures on thermal comfort and energy conservation. A case study of the hot summer and cold winter climate in the Yangtze River region - Yao, Runming; Costanzo, Vincenzo; Li, Xinyi; Zhang, Qiulei; Li, Baizhan (Journal of Building Engineering, 2018)
The energy consumption for heating and cooling of buildings in the cities located within the boundaries of the Hot Summer and Cold Winter (HSCW) zone in China is rapidly increasing due to the increased comfort expectations from well-resourced occupants. Guidance on how and to what extent it is possible to improve energy efficiency of buildings is thus required by policy makers as well as designers and building managers. The aim of this study is to demonstrate how the use of climate-sensitive passive design solutions can help the improvement of indoor thermal conditions while reducing the energy needs and ultimately carbon emissions. An extensive parametric analysis of several passive strategies such as building orientation, thermal insulation, glazing area, shading devices, air tightness and natural ventilation, is carried out for a typical apartment block located in the cities of Chongqing, Changsha and Shanghai, which lay respectively in the upper, middle and downstream of the Yangtze River. Detailed hourly dynamic simulations show how it is possible to extend the non-heating/cooling period and reduce the peak loads, highlighting the potentialities of each strategy according to different climate constraints. The recommended strategies provides quantitative guidance to either design of new or retrofitting of existing buildings. This research contributes to the building energy conservation knowledge for policy-makers, developers and building designers with insight on the feasibilities of the application of passive measures for residential buildings located in the Yangtze River region with hot summer and cold winter climates.
Keywords: Dynamic simulations; Parametric analysis; Passive design; Residential building; Thermal comfort; evidence_review

Climate variability and the dichotomy in male–female school attendance: a case study of Zamfara State in semi-arid Nigeria - Adejuwon, J.; O. (Weather, 2018)
Keywords: evidence_review_2

Predicting temperature and humidity in the surrounding environment using artificial neural network - Al-Shawwa, Mohammed; Al-Absi, A.; Hassanein, S. Abu; Baraka, K. Abu; Abu-Naser, Samy S. (International Journal of Academic Pedagogical Research (IJAPR), 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024; ⛔ No DOI found

Effects of ceiling fans on the thermal comfort of students in learning environments of Bayero University - Ali, S.M.; Martinson, B.; Al-Maiyah, S.; Gaterell, M. (2018)

Is your dataset big enough? Sample size requirements when using artificial neural networks for discrete choice analysis - Alwosheel, A.; Cranenburgh, S.; Chorus, C.G. (Journal of Choice Modelling, 2018)

Implications for workability and survivability in populations exposed to extreme heat under climate change: a modelling study - Andrews, O.; Quéré, C.Le; Kjellstrom, T.; Lemke, B.; Haines, A. (The Lancet Planetary Health, 2018)

Coping with and adapting to climate change: A gender perspective from smallholder farming in Ghana - Assan, E.; Assan, Elsie; Suvedi, Murari; Schmitt Olabisi, Laura; Allen, Andrea (Environments, 2018)
The negative impacts of climate change on agriculture could erode gains made toward gender equality in Ghana. Much of the literature on gender dimensions of climate change adaptation has focused on assessing differences in coping and adaptation practices of smallholder farmers. Mostly overlooked is whether gender influences influenced perception of effectiveness of adaptation practices and preferences for institutional support for future adaptation. Using key informant interviews, household surveys, and focus group discussions, we address these gaps by exploring coping and adaptation measures adopted by heads of farm households to counter climate change impacts on their livelihood activities and household well-being in the Guinea Savanna agroecological zone in Ghana. Additionally, we assessed the preferred institutional adaptation support of heads of farm households in adapting to future projected impacts. We find that female heads of farm households relied mainly on borrowed money from village savings and loans group as a coping measure; male heads of farm households depended primarily on sales of livestock. Varying planting and harvesting dates, crop diversification, and use of improved crop varieties were the major adaptation strategies adopted by farmers. We argue that provision of dams and/or dugouts, postharvest processing facilities, adaptation capacity-building resources, and improved access to markets and credit could enhance the adaptive capacity of male and female heads of farm households to mitigate projected climate change impacts on their livelihood activities and household well-being.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; agriculture; climate change adaptation; food security; gender

Smart building: Use of the artificial neural network approach for indoor temperature forecasting - Attoue, Nivine; Shahrour, Isam; Younes, Rafic (Energies, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Vulnerability and resilience of female farmers in Oku, Cameroon, to Climate Change - Azong, M. (African Sociological Review, 2018)

Women’s Perception of Climate Change and Coping Strategies in Pakistan: An Empirical Evidence - Batool, H. (Earth Systems and Environment, 2018)

Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution - Beck, H.E.; Zimmermann, N.E.; McVicar, T.R.; Vergopolan, N.; Berg, A.; Wood, E.F. (Sci Data, 2018)

Impacts of climate change on health and wellbeing in South Africa - Chersich, Matthew F.; Wright, Caradee Y.; Venter, Francois; Rees, Helen; Scorgie, Fiona; Erasmus, Barend (International journal of environmental research and public health, 2018)
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:topic:T10190 Health Effects of Air Pollution; oa:topic:T11244 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health; oa:topic:T11336 Indoor Air Pollution in Developing Countries; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Technical market review: country profile: Tanzania - Climate Technology Centre & Network (2018)
Keywords: evidence_review

Technical market review: country profile: Tanzania - Climate Technology Centre & Network (2018)
This report reviews the potential for increasing the energy efficiency of products in Tanzania by providing a technical market assessment of current conditions and policies. Five specific product categories have been reviewed: lighting, air conditioning, refrigerators, motors and transformers. Research conducted by DNV GL during 2017 provides context and insight in relation to the barriers and opportunities along with a set of recommendations intended to support Tanzania in achieving its sustainability goals.
Keywords: C:Tanzania; _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Climate change and gender equality in developing states - Eastin, J. (World Development, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Determinants of malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women under humanitarian setting in Ethiopia - Gebre, B. (BMC Nutrition, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Women's participation in environmental decision-making: Quasi- experimental evidence from northern Kenya - Grillos, T. (World Development, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Summary for Policymakers. Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty in Masson-Delmotte - I.P.C.C. (Cambridge University Press, 2018)

Current and potential future seasonal trends of indoor dwelling temperature and likely health risks in rural Southern Africa - Kapwata, Thandi; Gebreslasie, Michael T.; Mathee, Angela; Wright, Caradee Yael (International journal of environmental research and public health, 2018)
Abstract: Climate change has resulted in rising temperature trends which have been associated with changes in temperature extremes globally. Attendees of Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 agreed to strive to limit the rise in global average temperatures to below 2 ◦C compared to industrial conditions, the target being 1.5 ◦C. However, current research suggests that the African region will be subjected to more intense heat extremes over a shorter time period, with projections predicting increases of 4–6 ◦C for the period 2071–2100, in annual average maximum temperatures for southern Africa. Increased temperatures may exacerbate existing chronic ill health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cerebrovascular disease, and diabetes-related conditions. Exposure to extreme temperatures has also been associated with mortality. This study aimed to consider the relationship between temperatures in indoor and outdoor environments in a rural residential setting in a current climate and warmer predicted future climate. Temperature and humidity measurements were collected hourly in 406 homes in summer and spring and at two-hour intervals in 98 homes in winter. Ambient temperature, humidity and windspeed were obtained from the nearest weather station. Regression models were used to identify predictors of indoor apparent temperature (AT) and to estimate future indoor AT using projected ambient temperatures. Ambient temperatures will increase by a mean of 4.6 ◦C for the period 2088–2099. Warming in winter was projected to be greater than warming in summer and spring. The number of days during which indoor AT will be categorized as potentially harmful will increase in the future. Understanding current and future heat-related health effects is key in developing an effective surveillance system. The observations of this study can be used to inform the development and implementation of policies and practices around heat and health especially in rural areas of South Africa.
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review; oa:keyword:indoor dwelling temperature; oa:topic:T10190 Health Effects of Air Pollution; oa:topic:T11109 Physiological Responses to Heat Stress in Humans; oa:topic:T11244 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Rethinking human development in an era of planetary transformation - Khoday, K. (UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2018)

Will SDG4 achieve environmental sustainability. Center for Advanced Studies in Global Education (CASGE - Komatsu, H.; Rappleye, J. (Arizona State University, 2018)

Will SDG4 achieve environmental sustainability. Center for Advanced Studies in Global Education (CASGE)(Working Paper# 4 - Komatsu, H.; Rappleye, J. (Arizona State University, 2018)

Effect of Classroom Learning Environment on Students' Academic Achievement in Mathematics at Secondary Level - Malik, Riaz Hussain; Rizvi, Asad Abbas (2018)
The aim of the study was to examine the effect of the perceptions of students about classroom learning environment on their academic achievement at secondary level in the Mathematics classrooms. The participants were selected from the secondary and higher secondary schools located in Tehsil Rawalpindi and Islamabad (Federal Area), Pakistan. Twenty four schools were selected randomly. A total of five hundred sixteen students of 10th grade studying Mathematics in twenty seven classrooms, were included in the sample. Classroom Environment Instrument (Personal Form) was used to measure the students' perceptions after translating it into Urdu for Urdu medium schools. The pilot testing was carried out before the actual application of this instrument. The reliability of the instrument was determined by the use of Cronbach Alpha which was found as 0.85. The marks obtained by students in the subject of Mathematics in annual examination in 10th grade conducted by both BISE Rawalpindi and FBISE Islamabad were taken as achievements in Mathematics. The data was analyzed using multiple regression, Pearson r and ANOVA to find out the effect of perception of students about classroom learning environment on their academic achievement. The results of study revealed that the subscales, `Involvement', `Personal relevance', `Emphasis on understanding', were major predictors contributing towards classroom learning environment and students' academic achievement whereas subscales `Investigation' and `Autonomy' have negative effect on students' academic achievement. The researcher recommends that active involvement of the low achievers may affect their learning more positively.
Keywords: BE:RELEVANT; C:Pakistan; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; ⛔ No DOI found

Raising the voices of Pacific Island women to inform climate adaptation policies - Mcleod, E. (Marine Policy, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Black lives and climate justice: courage and power in defending communities and Mother Earth - Mersha, S. (Third World Quarterly, 2018)

Tanzania Country Profile - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation (2018)
Keywords: evidence_review

Children and disasters - Peek, L. (Handbook of disaster research. Handbooks of sociology and social research, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

Reducing classroom temperature in a tropical climate improved the thermal comfort and the performance of elementary school pupils - Porras-Salazar, Jose Ali; Wyon, David P.; Piderit-Moreno, Beatriz; Contreras-Espinoza, Sergio; Wargocki, Pawel (Indoor Air, 2018)
A two-week-long intervention study was performed in two classrooms in an elementary school in Costa Rica. Split-cooling air-conditioning (AC) units were installed in both classrooms. During the first week, the air temperature was reduced in one classroom while in the other (placebo) classroom the fans were operated but no cooling was provided. During the second week, the conditions were exchanged to create a 2 × 2 crossover design in which each pupil was their own control. A total of 37 children performed tasks similar to school work and completed questionnaires reporting their thermal sensation and perceptions. Operating the AC units reduced classroom temperature by about 5 K, from about 30 to 25°C. Thermal sensations changed from hot to neutral and slightly cold, and the percentage of children rating the thermal conditions as acceptable increased significantly. Neutral temperature was estimated to be about 27°C. The 11-year-old children performed the language and logical- thinking tasks significantly better in terms of speed at the lower temperature, while the less able pupils performed better on all tasks at the lower temperature. There were no significant effects on accuracy. These results confirm published findings from moderate climates and extend their validity to the tropics. They indicate that acclimatization can increase the optimal temperature for learning.
Keywords: BE:RELEVANT; C:Costa Rica; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; children; evidence_review; oa:keyword:classroom temperature; oa:keyword:thermal comfort; oa:keyword:tropical climate; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T11244 Impact of Climate Change on Human Health; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; performance; school; thermal environment; tropical climates

The prediction of indoor air quality in office room using artificial neural network - Putra, Jouvan Chandra Pratama; Safrilah, Safrilah; Ihsan, Mohammad (AIP Publishing, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:air quality; oa:keyword:artificial neural network; oa:keyword:indoor air quality; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10190 Health Effects of Air Pollution; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Health - Roy, S. (Linking Gender to Climate Change impacts in the Global South, 2018)

Health. Linking Gender to Climate Change impacts in the Global South - Roy, S. (Springer, 2018)

When the heat is on, student learning suffers - School, Harvard Kennedy (2018)

Prediction of indoor temperature and relative humidity based on cloud database by using an improved BP neural network in Chongqing - Shi, Xin; Lu, Weiding; Zhao, Ying; Qin, Pengjie (Ieee Access, 2018)
Keywords: _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:sdg:9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure; oa:topic:T11667 Breath Analysis Technology; oa:topic:T12093 Dynamic Modeling of Plant Form and Growth; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Investigating the dilemma of noise within over-crowded classroom of a public sector school Hyderabad, Pakistan - Siddiqui, Ali (2018)
The present study is aimed to represent a current over-crowded classroom scenario in one of the public- sector schools, named Noor Muhammad High School, Hyderabad. This study is further focused to highlight one of many menaces within public-sector over-crowded classroom, which is noise. Noise is a main hindrance in smooth functioning within processes of teaching and learning. There are many different aspects of noise within classroom that contributes adversely for learners and more often t o the teachers. In order to highlight this issue, 10 teachers of various subjects within public-sector institute were administered a survey questionnaire. With the results, it became validated that majority of teachers agreed for this issue. Noise problem within classroom have created the following types of distractions. They are as; lack of proper intelligible communication between instructors and its learners, mismanagement of discipline, lack to counter academically poor students within class who cannot properly understand, teacher’s distraction from smooth deliver of lectures so on and forth. The suggestions to mitigate its effects within classroom setting and institutes are forwarded in the end.
Keywords: evidence_review; ⛔ No DOI found

Conflict-related violence against women: Transforming transition - Swaine, A. (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
Keywords: _z:class:countries

School buildings and indoor environmental quality in Nigerian elementary schools and their potential health effects on students - Toyinbo, Oluyemi (Itä-Suomen yliopisto, 2018)
Keywords: BE:LMIC; BE:RELEVANT; C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review_2; openalex:n:0

Prediction of thermal environment in a large space using artificial neural network - Yoon, Hyun-Jung; Lee, Dong-Seok; Cho, Hyun; Jo, Jae-Hun (Energies, 2018)
Keywords: _important; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:thermal environment; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T12120 Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Systems; oa:topic:T12981 Impact of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage Conservation; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; selected_for:Predictive models for classroom conditions 2024

Assessing the role of farmer field schools in promoting pro-adaptive behaviour towards climate change among Jamaican farmers - Tomlinson, Jhannel; Rhiney, Kevon (Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2017)
Keywords: C:Jamaica; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:farmer field schools; oa:keyword:jamaican farmers; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10367 Agricultural Innovation and Livelihood Diversification; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T12253 Urban Agriculture and Community Development; openalex:import; openalex:yes

What you need to know about humidity in the classroom - Abate & Insulate LLC (2017)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes

Perceptions of climate change among Grade 11 learners in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa - Lekgeu, Mapaleng Silas; Davis, Nerhene (Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 2017)
Of all the environmental problems facing humankind today, anthropogenic-induced climate change is regarded as one of the most damaging in its potential repercussions. For this reason, the perceptions of climate change among high-school learners, who represent future decision-makers and stand as a proxy for the next generation, are of importance. This study was designed so as to gain insight into the nature of perceptions and associated determinants among Grade 11 learners in the Tshwane metropolitan municipal area. Specifically, it probed dynamics between the content in the formal curriculum (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement or CAPS) and learners’ exposure to electronic media, their peers and parents (their arenas of social interaction) in forming these perceptions. The study involved a qualitative analysis of 68 questionnaires completed by learners from two high schools. Findings include misconceptions regarding climate change among learners, as they conflate climate change and the greenhouse effect. The learners’ perceptions seem to be shaped by the cumulative outcomes of dynamics between different arenas of exposure and influence (formal education, peers, parents and the media). It is argued that learners’ perceptions about climate change fostered in formal education should also be understood in the context of their potential exposure to: (1) alarmist framings of climate change in the media; (2) conceptual disagreements in the climate change research community; and (3) the influence of peers and parents. Rather than avoiding the dynamics from contesting and diverging ‘arenas of exposure’, future climate change education planning should accommodate and align contending views that might influence the learning process.Keywords: Climate change, school curriculum, learner perceptions, media, peers
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T13435 Human Attitudes and Interactions with Animals and Plants; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Perceptions of climate change among Grade 11 learners in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa - Lekgeu, Mapaleng Silas; Davis, Nerhene (Southern African Journal of Environmental Education, 2017)
Of all the environmental problems facing humankind today, anthropogenic-induced climate change is regarded as one of the most damaging in its potential repercussions. For this reason, the perceptions of climate change among high-school learners, who represent future decision-makers and stand as a proxy for the next generation, are of importance. This study was designed so as to gain insight into the nature of perceptions and associated determinants among Grade 11 learners in the Tshwane metropolitan municipal area. Specifically, it probed dynamics between the content in the formal curriculum (Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement or CAPS) and learners’ exposure to electronic media, their peers and parents (their arenas of social interaction) in forming these perceptions. The study involved a qualitative analysis of 68 questionnaires completed by learners from two high schools. Findings include misconceptions regarding climate change among learners, as they conflate climate change and the greenhouse effect. The learners’ perceptions seem to be shaped by the cumulative outcomes of dynamics between different arenas of exposure and influence (formal education, peers, parents and the media). It is argued that learners’ perceptions about climate change fostered in formal education should also be understood in the context of their potential exposure to: (1) alarmist framings of climate change in the media; (2) conceptual disagreements in the climate change research community; and (3) the influence of peers and parents. Rather than avoiding the dynamics from contesting and diverging ‘arenas of exposure’, future climate change education planning should accommodate and align contending views that might influence the learning process.Keywords: Climate change, school curriculum, learner perceptions, media, peers
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T13435 Human Attitudes and Interactions with Animals and Plants; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Effects of shading device on thermal comfort of residential building in northern Nigeria - Ishaq, Mujtaba; Alibaba, Halil (International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2017)
Thermal Comfort has the powerful ability to create moods and it also affects working conditions of individuals. In order to harness maximum comfort, a conducive environment can be created. The use of shading device is the one of the best means of creating a conducive environment. This research assesses the effect of shading device on thermal comfort in residential building and how effective these sun shading elements are, in reaching a thermally conducive environment. The scope of the study is limited to residential buildings in the Northern part of Nigeria, particularly, Zaria area of Kaduna state. The research identifies the advantages of shading device, and how they influence thermal comfort depending on their orientation, location, type, all of these analyzed and discussed in detail in the preceding chapters. To achieve the set aim of the project, the extent to which shading device affect thermal comfort was measured using simulation software (Ecotect 2011). The research collected the necessary data to conduct the analysis which were inputted into the simulating software; Ecotect 2011. The overall thermal comfort percentage of the structure was simulated for using Ecotect 2011, after being modeled using Autodesk Revit. Conclusively, findings from the research revealed that the presence of shading device in the residential buildings increases the average thermal comfort in the structure. It is recommended that simulation of building models during design stages be adopted as a preventive approach, to avoid poor thermal comfort in buildings.
Keywords: C:Nigeria; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; openalex:n:0; ⛔ No DOI found

Curriculum and its contribution to awareness of climate change among learners in secondary schools in Githunguri Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya - Kariuki, Charles Ndiritu (2017)
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of degree of master of environmental studies (climate change & sustainability) in the school of environmental studies of Kenyatta University. December, 2017
Keywords: C:Kenya; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Review of water-energy-food Nexus tools to improve the Nexus modelling approach for integrated policy making - Kaddoura, Saeed; Khatib, Sameh El (Environmental Science & Policy, 2017)
The synergies and trade-offs between the water, energy, and food sectors are represented by the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. The Nexus Approach is an integrated decision making practice that can be used by policy makers to optimize these synergies and manage trade-offs. In this paper, the direction of the Nexus Approach regarding the development of modelling tools is explored. The objective of this paper is to review the existing Nexus modelling tools used for integrated policy making to determine and to help policy makers, practitioners, and agencies trying to implement the Nexus Approach to identify a tool that is most suited to their modelling needs. The predominant capabilities of the current tools lie in the understanding of Nexus complexity, consideration of financial elements in the tools, recognition of the importance of multiple Nexus Approach directions, incorporation of different time scales, and enhanced tool accessibility. The main limitations are the extensive data requirements of current tools, and the poor synergy between tools assessing individual Nexus areas. This enhanced overview of the existing tools allows policy makers to maximize the synergies between the Nexus areas, to avoid consumption dilemmas, and to facilitate sustainable development.
Keywords: openalex:import; openalex:related

Predication control for indoor temperature time-delay using Elman neural network in variable air volume system - Li, Xiuming; Zhao, Tianyi; Zhang, Jili; Chen, Tingting (Energy and Buildings, 2017)
Aiming at the prediction control for indoor temperature time-delay in variable air volume (VAV) air conditioning system, this paper presents an indoor temperature prediction control method based on Elman neural network multi-step prediction model. Firstly, this paper introduces basic control principles of pressure-dependent and pressure-independent VAV terminal through comparable analysis and points out significance of indoor temperature prediction control based on pressure-dependent VAV terminal. Then, Elman neural network multi-step prediction model and corresponding indoor temperature prediction control method for pressure-dependent VAV terminal are proposed based on the fundamental principle of periodic prediction control for time-delay system. Finally, the effect of proposed prediction control method is validated by the experimental study according to the test data of supply air volume regulating process, provided that the supply air volume control loop adopts constant static pressure control method. Experimental results indicate the proposed indoor temperature prediction control method based on pressure-dependent VAV terminal could change the conventional regulating mode of the VAV air conditioning system, which will be benefit for improving the control stability of indoor temperature control loop and other corresponding control loops.
Keywords: Elman neural network; Prediction control; Temperature time-delay; VAV terminal; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:variable air volume system; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T11529 Refrigeration Systems and Technologies; oa:topic:T14225 Design and Application of Intelligent Monitoring Systems; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Hospitals wards in low energy buildings: Paying heed to patient thermal comfort - Osta, Mike; Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kort, Helianthe; Maassen, Wim (2017)

Window/door opening-mediated bedroom ventilation and its impact on sleep quality of healthy, young adults - Mishra, Asit; Ruitenbeek, A; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kort, Helianthe (Indoor Air, 2017)
This work examined window/door opening as means of bedroom ventilation and the consequent effect upon occupants’ sleep, using data from 17 healthy volunteers. Bedroom CO2 level, temperature, and relative humidity were measured over 5 days, for two cases: open window or door (internal, bedroom door), and closed window and door. Participant filled questionnaires and sleep diary provided subjective measure of sleep quality. Actigraphy objectively monitored the participants during sleep. Additionally, a FlexSensor, placed under pillows of participants, detected movement during sleep. Average CO2 level for the Open conditions was 717 ppm (SD = 197 ppm) and for Closed conditions was 1150 ppm (SD = 463 ppm). Absolute humidity levels were similar for both conditions, while Open conditions were slightly cooler (mean = 19.7°C, SD = 1.8°C) than Closed (mean = 20.1°C, SD = 1.5°C). Results showed significant correlations (P < .001) between actigraphy data and questionnaire responses for: sleep latency (r = .45), sleep length (r = .87), and number of awakenings (r = .28). Of all analyzed sleep parameters, questionnaire-based depth of sleep (P = .002) and actigraphy-based sleep phase (P = .003) were significantly different between Open and Closed conditions.

Factors Associated with the Climate Change Vulnerability and the Adaptive Capacity of People with Disability: A Systematic Review - Gaskin, Cadeyrn J.; Taylor, Davina; Kinnear, Susan; Mann, Julie; Hillman, Wendy; Moran, Mark (Weather, Climate, and Society, 2017)
Abstract People with disability experience multidimensional inequalities, which heighten their vulnerability to climate change. An understanding of the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of people with disability can be gained through considering how they have fared during the types of events associated with climate change, such as droughts, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, and wildfires. A systematic review was conducted to identify factors associated with climate change vulnerability and adaptive capacity of people with disability. Papers were sourced from 12 electronic databases, the Google search engine, the websites of 21 organizations, and the reference lists of included papers; 34 papers (relating to 28 studies) met the selection criteria. Most studies were located in the United States, and almost half were focused on hurricane events. Factors contributing to vulnerability included personal factors (e.g., female gender, uncoupled or living alone, nonwhite ethnicity, and low income), environmental factors (commonly, limited practical support from government agencies and disability organizations), bodily impairments (cognitive impairments, hearing impairments, progression of impairments, relapse/exacerbation of symptoms, and thermoregulation difficulties), and activity limitations and participation restrictions (limited preparedness, difficulties with evacuation, and difficulties reassembling individual accommodations and repairing or replacing adaptive equipment). Factors relating to their adaptive capacity included personal factors (e.g., formal education), environmental factors (practical support from mainstream organizations, disability organizations, family, and friends), and activities and participation (emergency planning, keeping an emergency pack, and seeking information). People with disability are vulnerable to climate change largely due to inequalities and their exclusion from adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Keywords: _z:class:countries; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Analysing thermal comfort perception of students through the class hour, during heating season, in a university classroom - Mishra, Asit; Derks, Manon; Kooi, Lotte; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Kort, Helianthe (Building and Environment, 2017)
Indoor to outdoor transitions, and the subsequent occupant adaptation, impact thermal perception of occupants and their evaluation of a building. A mixed methods thermal comfort study in a classroom of Eindhoven University of Technology was conducted to provide a better understanding of thermal perception of students as they move into and adapt to their classroom environment. Data was collected over two weeks during heating period, with different heating set-points. A total of 384 students, in seven undergraduate level lectures, participated voluntarily. The thermal sensation vote, obtained at different time points through classes — 10 min, 20 min, and 45 min — was found to be significantly different (p < 0.05). In the start of a lecture, perception varies primarily depending on the outside temperature, operative temperature, gender, and where the occupant came from. Comparing the two weeks' observations, second week having a 1.5 °C lower set-point, revealed that the most considerable differences occurred in the immediate response phase after indoor–outdoor transition. For nearly 20 min post transition, participants retain a thermal memory of their last exposure, gradually adapting as the lecture proceeds.

Study on Energy Consumption of Building Based on Computer Simulation - Zhang, Wuxia; Zhang, Guoan (DEStech Transactions on Environment, Energy and Earth Sciences, 2017)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; _z:no_pdf; oa:keyword:computer simulation; oa:keyword:energy consumption; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10298 Influence of Built Environment on Active Travel; oa:topic:T11500 Modeling Pedestrian Dynamics and Evacuations; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Modelling the relationship between heating energy use and indoor temperatures in residential buildings through Artificial Neural Networks considering occupant behavior - Magalhães, Sara M. C.; Leal, Vítor M. S.; Horta, Isabel M. (Energy and Buildings, 2017)
The heating energy demand stated in energy performance certificates (EPC) and in other instruments used in the of evaluation of building’s energy performance is usually determined assuming very specific (reference) indoor behavioral/heating patterns. Particularly, they tend to assume that households heat (nearly) the entire house to a “comfort” temperature during (nearly) all the heating season. However, several field studies have shown that there are major niches of the housing stock which do not follow this pattern (even the majority, in some geographical areas). Considering this matter, it would be interesting to build models able to estimate heating energy use values resultant from occupation and heating patterns different from those considered as “reference”. This work aimed at producing tools to assess the relationship between heating energy use and indoor temperatures at different levels of occupant behavior (in terms of where, when and at what temperature households heat their dwellings). This relationship was expressed through models while still takes advantage of the information from the certificates. The work developed artificial neural networks (ANN) that characterize the relationship between heating energy use, indoor temperatures and the heating energy demand under reference conditions (typically available from energy rating/certificates) in the residential buildings, for different occupant behaviors/heating patterns. Theoretically, these models can be applicable to any national geographical context. The data for building the ANNs was obtained from dynamic thermal building simulations using ESP-r, considering a large number of housing types and hypothetical occupation and heating patterns (i.e., which parts of the house are heated, when and at what temperature). From the analysis performed, it was possible to conclude that the developed ANN models proved to perform well (R2>0.93) in estimating either heating energy use or indoor temperature, both at an individual and at the building stock level. This work may have important contributions in the energy planning practices regarding the residential building stock.
Keywords: Artificial neural networks; Heating energy use; Indoor temperatures; Modeling; Residential buildings; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:heating energy use; oa:keyword:indoor temperatures; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10766 Urban Heat Islands and Mitigation Strategies; oa:topic:T11371 Urban Wind Environment and Air Quality Modeling; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Classroom acoustics as a consideration for inclusive education in South Africa - van Reenen, Coralie; Karusseit, Catherine (The South African Journal of Communication Disorders, 2017)
Background It can hardly be disputed that a school environment should be conducive or, at the very least, not prohibitive to effective learning. The provision of fair, equal and barrier-free access to education is referred to as inclusive education. South Africa supports a policy of inclusive schooling, striving to accommodate all children, including those with disabilities, in mainstream schools. This article sets out to prove that noise control in classrooms is a relevant, yet neglected, aspect of inclusive classroom design in South Africa and requires specific attention. Objectives The objectives of this study are to: (1) establish the impact that noise has on learners with sensory, language or learning impairments; (2) establish the preferred listening conditions for these learners by examining prior research and guidelines available in other countries; and (3) outline the current South African regulations pertaining to classroom acoustics and assess them against the preferred listening environment. Method This research was conducted as a systematic review with reference to the South African context. Local and international research and guidelines were used as references, providing an overview and evaluation of data concerning noise and learning. Results Noise is disadvantageous for learners, particularly those with sensory, language or learning impairments. Research and international guidelines show that the ideal ambient level is 30 dBA – 35 dBA, allowing the achievement of an ideal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of +15 dB, and the ideal reverberation time is 0.4 s – 0.6 s. Various South African regulations discussed are inconsistent regarding ambient noise level (ranging from 35 dBA – 50 dBA) and say little about reverberation time for classrooms. Conclusion South African regulations regarding classroom acoustics require revision to ensure inclusion of all learners with disabilities. The current status does not enforce barrier-free environments in mainstream schools for children with sensory, language or learning impairments.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; evidence_review_2; oa:keyword:classroom acoustics; oa:keyword:inclusive education; oa:sdg:4 Quality education; oa:topic:T10283 Impact of Hearing Loss on Cognitive Function; oa:topic:T10914 Tactile Perception and Cross-modal Plasticity; oa:topic:T11285 Acquisition and Development of Sign Language; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

A National Overview of Climate Change Education Policy: Policy Coherence between Subnational Climate and Education Policies in Canada (K-12) - Bieler, Andrew; Haluza‐DeLay, Randolph; Dale, Ann Marie; McKenzie, Marcia (Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 2017)
This article analyses the depth of engagement with climate change education policy across all 13 provinces and territories in Canada. A comparative content analysis of 13 climate action plans (CAP) and 90 K-12 education policy documents shows a major gap existing between Canada’s climate and education policies. While subnational climate policy calls for education to contribute substantially to addressing climate change, education policy is not aligned towards this call. Three themes emerged within the overview of the provinces and territories: shallow engagement with climate change within education policies; the predominance of energy efficiency upgrades for schools as a foremost education sector objective; and policy gaps that show a lack of attention to many areas of climate education. Further detailing the climate change education objectives in four provinces identified as playing a leadership role in climate policy, this research suggests that even among these climate leaders, K-12 education policy minimally attends to climate change. Alignment between Canadian and international trends in climate change education is also assessed.
Keywords: C:Canada; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education policy; oa:keyword:education policies; oa:keyword:education policy; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Integration of climate change adaptation strategies in smallholder potato production through a collective Learning community in Mauche ward, Nakuru County, Kenya - Taiy, Rael Jepkemei (2017)
Keywords: C:Kenya; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change adaptation strategies; oa:keyword:smallholder potato production; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review - Xiao, Yu; Watson, Maria (Journal of Planning Education and Research, 2017)
Literature reviews establish the foundation of academic inquires. However, in the planning field, we lack rigorous systematic reviews. In this article, through a systematic search on the methodology of literature review, we categorize a typology of literature reviews, discuss steps in conducting a systematic literature review, and provide suggestions on how to enhance rigor in literature reviews in planning education and research.
Keywords: CitedIn:BIBBTVET; evidence_review

A Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network Based Reinforcement Learning Controller for Office Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems - Wang, Yuan; Velswamy, Kirubakaran; Huang, Biao (Processes, 2017)
Energy optimization in buildings by controlling the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is being researched extensively. In this paper, a model-free actor-critic Reinforcement Learning (RL) controller is designed using a variant of artiﬁcial recurrent neural networks called Long-Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. Optimization of thermal comfort alongside energy consumption is the goal in tuning this RL controller. The test platform, our ofﬁce space, is designed using SketchUp. Using OpenStudio, the HVAC system is installed in the ofﬁce. The control schemes (ideal thermal comfort, a traditional control and the RL control) are implemented in MATLAB. Using the Building Control Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB), the control of the thermostat schedule during each sample time is implemented for the ofﬁce in EnergyPlus alongside local weather data. Results from training and validation indicate that the RL controller improves thermal comfort by an average of 15% and energy efﬁciency by an average of 2.5% as compared to other strategies mentioned.
Keywords: HVAC; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; artificial neural networks; oa:keyword:office heating ventilation; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10603 Demand Response in Smart Grids; oa:topic:T12093 Dynamic Modeling of Plant Form and Growth; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; reinforcement learning

A Long-Short Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network Based Reinforcement Learning Controller for Office Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Systems - Wang, Yuan; Velswamy, Kirubakaran; Huang, Biao (Processes, 2017)
Energy optimization in buildings by controlling the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system is being researched extensively. In this paper, a model-free actor-critic Reinforcement Learning (RL) controller is designed using a variant of artiﬁcial recurrent neural networks called Long-Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. Optimization of thermal comfort alongside energy consumption is the goal in tuning this RL controller. The test platform, our ofﬁce space, is designed using SketchUp. Using OpenStudio, the HVAC system is installed in the ofﬁce. The control schemes (ideal thermal comfort, a traditional control and the RL control) are implemented in MATLAB. Using the Building Control Virtual Test Bed (BCVTB), the control of the thermostat schedule during each sample time is implemented for the ofﬁce in EnergyPlus alongside local weather data. Results from training and validation indicate that the RL controller improves thermal comfort by an average of 15% and energy efﬁciency by an average of 2.5% as compared to other strategies mentioned.
Keywords: HVAC; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; artificial neural networks; oa:keyword:office heating ventilation; oa:sdg:7 Affordable and clean energy; oa:topic:T10121 Building Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Optimization; oa:topic:T10603 Demand Response in Smart Grids; oa:topic:T12093 Dynamic Modeling of Plant Form and Growth; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; reinforcement learning

Climate Change Education: An Exploration of Curriculum Enactments in Canadian Post-Secondary Educational Institutions - Martínez, Ana María (2017)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:curriculum enactments; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T12766 Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Perceptions of College Students towards Climate Change, Environmental, and Tourism Issues: A Comparative Study in Botswana and the US. - Moswete, Naomi; Manwa, Haretsebe; Purkitt, Helen E. (2017)
Keywords: C:Botswana; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T13839 Volunteer Tourism and Global Development Impacts; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Evaluating indoor environmental performance of laboratories in a Northern Nigerian university: 33rd PLEA International Conference - Ali, Sani Muhammad; Martinson, Brett; Al-Maiyah, Sura (Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings, 2017)
Poor environmental comfort in learning spaces can have an impact on the learning capacities of students. It is not unusual to find learning spaces in Nigerian higher institutions in which the indoor environmental qualities do not meet the occupants’ requirements. Despite being in the tropics, where solar radiation is in abundance, Nigerian building industry professionals pay little attention to passive energy utilization. Knowing how buildings perform in the country may appeal to their consciousness in reconsidering this situation. This paper is part of an ongoing study on comfort in higher education facilities involving lecture theatres and laboratories in Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Objective and subjective assessments were undertaken during the wet-warm season of August 2016. It reports the assessment conducted on two laboratories, with a view to finding how they perform environmentally in comparison to occupants’ preferences and international comfort standards. Although some of the measured and calculated physical parameters, have not met the thresholds specified by ASHRAE-55 and EN 15251, the respondents expressed their acceptance of the laboratories’ situations subjectively. This is not surprising as these standards are often based on experiments implemented in developed countries, where the severity of the climatic conditions and the culture are dissimilar to sub Saharan Africa.
Keywords: IEQ; Kano; Nigeria; Predicted Mean Vote; Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied

Contradictory thermal comfort requirements in a neonatal intensive care units: exploring middle grounds - Teuwen, Simone; Mishra, Asit; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Vaan, Christa; Kort, Helianthe (2017)
A NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) ward caters to critical situations. Health and wellbeing of premature infants are positively impacted through attention to the indoor thermal conditions. At the same, the caregivers (hospital personnel and parents) have different thermal comfort requirements. This research addresses these contradictory thermal comfort requirements. Thermal conditions were monitored in and close to an operational incubator, placed in a climate chamber. Investigated scenarios addressed conditions outside the incubator and incubator handling activities (opening port holes). Measurement results were used to identify its effect on the thermophysiology of the premature infant through a two-node thermophysiological model. Caregivers' thermal comfort was evaluated using PMV. Investigated scenarios indicated a drop in incubator temperature and humidity during handling. Simulated infant core temperature showed a drop of < 1°C for one side opening scenarios. The outcomes allow for new thoughts on indoor climate system design and operation of NICU wards.

Impact Of Secondary School Geography Content In Mitigating Climate Change In Uganda - Mwangu, Alex Ronald; Merab, Kagoda Alice; Byalusaago, Mugimu Christopher (IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology, 2017)
Keywords: C:Uganda; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:secondary school geography content; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T13530 Climate Change and Environmental Impact; oa:topic:T14482 Innovations in Education Technology and Pedagogy; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Assessing the farmer field schools diffusion of knowledge and adaptation to climate change by smallholder farmers in Kiboga District, Uganda - Mfitumukiza, David; Barasa, Bernard; Nankya, Ann Marie; Dorothy, Nabwire; Owasa, Abbo Hellen; Siraj, Babu; Gerald, Kato (Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 2017)
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) can empower farmers through meetings at demonstration sites to promote agricultural production because of discovery learning. This study empirically investigated the FFS’s diffusion of knowledge and its impact on the smallholder farmer’s adaptation to climate change in Kiboga district characterised by low rainfall pattern. A cross-sectional research design was adopted where a total of 120 FFS-members and 60 non-FFS-members were randomly selected and interview using a validated household survey questionnaire. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and Chi-test (ï£2) to the relationship between the FFS and the member’s adaptation to climate change. The findings revealed that drought, hailstorms, changes in onset and cessation of seasons were the main seasonal manifestations of climate change experienced in the district. The FFS majorly diffused adaptation knowledge and skills through establishment of comparative studies (28%); establishment of commercial enterprises (21%) and training of the members (18%); distribution of inputs to the FFS (10), examination of performances of distributed inputs (8%), FFS exchange-visits (6%), graduation of FFS members (4%), field days (3%) and integration of village savings into FFS (2%) throughout the seasonal calendar.The FFS-members aggressively adapted to the manifestations of climate change through the application of micro-irrigation, early planting, mulching, seed multiplication, the sale of livestock, construction of barns and planting of drought-tolerant crop and pasture varieties during the eventualities on their farmlands. The FFS significantly contributed to the adaptation to climate change (drought and shifts in seasons) by the smallholder farmers (p<0.05) throughout the season in the study area.The FFS enabled the farmers to validate and adopt new technologies in their fields that were a success. The FFS-members increased their innovations and use of local resources in adaptation to climate change. The FFS’s promotion of adaptation options to climate change improves the farmer’s seasonal food security status. Key words: Climate change, farmer field schools, smallholder farmers, diffusion.
Keywords: C:Uganda; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:farmer field schools diffusion; oa:topic:T10367 Agricultural Innovation and Livelihood Diversification; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T11259 Sustainable Diets and Environmental Impact; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

The influence of teacher variables on climate change science literacy of Geography teachers in the Western Cape, South Africa - Anyanwu, Raymond Ndubisi; Grange, Lesley Le (International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2017)
Teachers play an important role in promoting climate change literacy in schools, but not much is known about which teacher characteristics significantly influence Geography teachers’ climate change science literacy. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of teachers’ characteristics such as gender, age, qualification, specialisation, experience, and teaching grade on Geography teachers’ literacy about climate change science. The study uses a quantitative research approach on questionnaire application. Statistical analysis of data gathered from 194 high school Geography teachers from the Western Cape Province using a 15-item Climate Change Science Literacy Questionnaire (CCSLQ) revealed that gender, age, teaching experience, and teaching grade significantly influenced Geography teachers’ literacy about climate change science, while qualification and specialisation did not.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change science literacy; oa:keyword:geography teachers; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10072 Enhancing Science Education through Inquiry and Argumentation; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Disciplinary boundaries and climate change education: teachers' conceptions of climate change education in the Philippines and Singapore - Ho, Li-Ching; Seow, Tricia (International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 2017)
This qualitative study examines how climate change scientific knowledge is framed and positioned within the Singapore and Philippines school curricula in relation to broader citizenship concepts and ideas. The findings reveal that climate change is taught in very different ways within both education systems. The Singapore case demonstrates the strengths and limitations of relying on one discipline such as geography as the sole vehicle for teaching such a complex socio-scientific issue. The Philippines case, on the other hand, provides an indication of the advantages and constraints to engaging the issue of climate change from an interdisciplinary social studies perspective.
Keywords: C:Philippines; C:Singapore; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T12545 Education for Global Citizenship in a Globalized World; oa:topic:T13839 Volunteer Tourism and Global Development Impacts; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Assessing university student perceptions and comprehension of climate change (Portugal, Mexico and Mozambique) - Morgado, Fernando; Nicolau, Paula Bacelar; Osten, Jaime Rendón von; Santos, Paulo; Bacelar–Nicolau, Leonor; Farooq, Harith; Alvés, Fátima; Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.; Azeiteiro, Ulisses Miranda (International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 2017)
Purpose Higher education system has a critical role to play in educating environmentally aware and participant citizens about global climate change (CC). And, as shown by the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention on Climate Change – COP 21, held in Paris in December 2015, there is still a path to be followed regarding the role played by universities in the negotiations and in influencing decision-making on a matter of such global importance. The purpose of this first study conducted within Portuguese (Europe), Mexican (Spanish-speaking North America University) and Mozambican (Africa) universities is to investigate higher education system students’ perceptions on CC. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a questionnaire aiming at characterising students from the socio-demography, and from their perceptions, motivations, attitudes and knowledge relating to the topic of CC. Statistical analysis was used to compare and characterise the three national groups under study. Findings This study did not show significant perception differences among the analysed subsamples, although there was a tendency for Mexican students to express lesser belief that CC was happening, and for Mozambicans to show a greater belief in CC issues and motivation to mitigate its effects which may be related to the specifics contexts. The results show that relevant differences among nationalities mostly concerned the magnitude of choices (e.g. most respondents of each nationality expressed interest in CC issues, but the magnitude of this expression differed according to nationality). The principal component analysis (second and third components) clearly embodied nationality profiles (discussed in the context of different cultures, educational structures and CC impacts). Research limitations/implications Further research is warranted to understand the integration of CC into higher education curriculum to improve and target educational efforts to suit students’ needs. Practical implications How CC perceptions vary cross-nationally and how research studies that examine the integration of CC into higher education curriculum are areas for which more research is needed. Originality/value The results highlight the importance of socio-cultural dimensions of each country in relation to the understanding or perception of CC issues, namely, in what concerns aspects related with gender roles, age, active learning and citizenship. This study’s data evidenced that despite the surveyed students being familiarized with CC phenomena, this knowledge does not translate necessarily into concrete mitigation practices and behaviours.
Keywords: C:Mexico; C:Mozambique; C:Portugal; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:university student perceptions; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T11835 Sustainability Education in Higher Education Institutions; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

Understanding and teaching climate change in the Secondary Education Geography Curriculum in Swaziland - Dlamini, Mandlenkhosi Nhlanhla (2017)
Keywords: _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:secondary education geography curriculum; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T12343 Geography Education and Spatial Thinking; oa:topic:T14007 Place-Based Education in Rural Communities; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes

Climate Change and the Canadian Higher Education System: An Institutional Policy Analysis - Henderson, Joseph A.; Bieler, Andrew; McKenzie, Marcia (Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 2017)
Climate change is a pressing concern. Higher education can address the challenge, but systematic analyses of climate change in education policy are sparse. This paper addresses this gap in the literature by reporting on how Canadian postsecondary educational institutions have engaged with climate change through policy actions. We used descriptive quantitative methods to analyze climate change-specific policies from a representative sample of 50 institutions across Canada and found that nearly half had some form of climate policy. Existing policies were then qualitatively analyzed. We found that the most common form of response focused on the built campus environment, with underdeveloped secondary responses focused on research, curriculum, community engagement, and governance policies. We consider the motivations for such institutional action and end with implications for policy makers and future research.
Keywords: C:Canada; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:canadian higher education system; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T11835 Sustainability Education in Higher Education Institutions; openalex:import; openalex:yes

Climate change education in New Zealand - Eames, Chris (Curriculum Perspectives, 2017)
Keywords: C:New Zealand; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:new zealand; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T11488 Perceptions and Communication of Climate Change; oa:topic:T12997 Experiential Education and Adventure Therapy; openalex:import; openalex:yes

A review on windcatcher for passive cooling and natural ventilation in buildings, Part 1: Indoor air quality and thermal comfort assessment - Jomehzadeh, Fatemeh; Nejat, Payam; Calautit, John Kaiser; Yusof, Mohd Badruddin Mohd; Zaki, Sheikh Ahmad; Hughes, Ben Richard; Yazid, Muhammad Noor Afiq Witri Muhammad (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017)
The most prominent challenge in 21th century is global warming which seriously threats the mankind. Building sector with 40% of global energy consumption and GHG emission play a key role in this threat. In this regard, the impact of cooling systems cannot be ignored where along with ventilation and heating systems totally account for 60% of energy consumed in buildings. Passive cooling systems can be a promising alternative to reduce energy consumption. One of the oldest passive cooling system that is still being used today is windcatcher. By manipulating pressure differences and the buoyancy effect, an adequate level of ventilation in buildings can be provided by windcatchers. Since most of the previous windcatcher studies assessed the design characteristics, the current investigation focused on the indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort aspects. The review details and compares the different theoretical and experimental methods employed by researchers in different case studies to assess the IAQ and thermal comfort. It was found that most IAQ studies were conducted in the UK using CFD and experimental techniques. Previous studies assessed IAQ based on several parameters such as air flow rate, air change rate, CO2 concentration, air change effectiveness and mean age of air. The findings of the studies revealed that satisfactory IAQ were generally achieved using the windcatcher. On the other hand, thermal comfort studies of windcatchers were mainly conducted in hot climates such as in the Middle East. In addition to night ventilation, the review also looked into the different types of cooling methods incorporated with windcatchers such as evaporative cooling, earth to air heat exchangers (EAHE) and heat transfer devices (HTD). Night ventilation was found to be effective in temperate and cold conditions while additional cooling using evaporative cooling, EAHE and HTD were found to be necessary in hot climates.
Keywords: Badgir; Indoor air quality (IAQ); Natural ventilation; Passive cooling; Thermal comfort; Wind tower; Windcatcher; evidence_review

The use of and obstacles to social learning in climate change adaptation initiatives in South Africa - Mudombi, Shakespear; Fabricius, Christo; Zyl-Bulitta, Verena van; Patt, Anthony (Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 2017)
Global environmental change will have major impacts on ecosystems and human livelihoods while challenging the adaptive capacity of individuals and communities. Social learning, an ongoing adaptive process of knowledge generation, reflection and synthesis, may enhance people’s awareness about climate change and its impacts, with positive outcomes for their adaptive capacity. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of factors promoting social learning in climate change adaptation initiatives in South Africa. An online survey was used to obtain the views of decision makers in government and non-governmental organisations about the presence of personal factors and organisational factors that promote social learning. Descriptive analysis was used to assess these issues. The findings provide some evidence of social learning in climate change adaptation projects in South Africa, with the majority of respondents indicating that personal social learning indicators were present. Mechanisms for improved conflict resolution were, however, less prevalent. The organisational and governance-related barriers to implementation also presented significant challenges. Some of the main organisational barriers were short timeframes for implementing projects, inadequate financial resources, political interference, shortcomings in governance systems and lack of knowledge and expertise in organisations. There is a need for organisations to promote social learning by ensuring that their organisational environment and governance structures are conducive for their employees to embrace social learning. This will help contribute to the overall success of climate change adaptation initiatives.
Keywords: C:South Africa; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change adaptation initiatives; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10119 Sustainability Transitions and Resilience in Social-Ecological Systems; oa:topic:T10439 Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture; oa:topic:T11810 System Dynamics Modeling and Applications; openalex:import; openalex:n:1; openalex:yes; ⛔ No DOI found

The curriculum of climate change education: A case for Singapore - Chang, Chew Hung; Pascua, Liberty (The Journal of Environmental Education, 2017)
The inclusion of the climate change topic in the curriculum of school subjects in Singapore was pivotal, such that it positioned the discourse squarely in the structure of Singapore's education system. In an examination of the intersections and disjoints between state policies on climate change against the programmatic curriculum, results showed that there is no strong policy curriculum that mandates how climate change should be learned in Singapore, even though it is present in several school subjects. The topic is included in school subjects through the initiative of subject disciplinary specialists and middle managers of the education ministry. This exemplar has implications on how climate change education policy and practice can be shaped elsewhere.
Keywords: C:Singapore; _z:class:countries; _z:class:themes; oa:keyword:climate change; oa:keyword:climate change education; oa:sdg:13 Climate action; oa:topic:T10898 Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior; oa:topic:T13228 Multiculturalism and Social Control in Singapore; openalex:import; openalex:yes