scholarly journals Exploring Pattern of Green Spaces (GSs) and Their Impact on Climatic Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies: Evidence from a Saudi Arabian City

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 629
Author(s):  
Ahmad Maghrabi ◽  
Abdulelah Alyamani ◽  
Abdullah Addas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Outdoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Jeddah City ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Change Mitigation

Green spaces (GSs) are significant, nature-based solutions to climate change and have immense potential to reduce vulnerability to heat waves while enhancing the resilience of urban areas in the light of climate change. However, in the Saudi context, the availability of GSs across cities and their perceived role in climate change mitigations and adaptation strategies remain unexplored. This study aimed to examine the per capita availability of GSs in the Jeddah megacity in Saudi Arabia, and their role in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study assessed the per capita availability of GS in Jeddah city using GIS techniques, and a questionnaire survey (online and an onsite) was conducted to assess the GSs users’ perception of the role of GSs on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Non-parametric tests were also used to find differences in roles based on socio-demographic attributes. The findings of the study revealed that: (i) the per capita availability of GS in Jeddah is relatively low in comparison to international organization recommendations (such as World Health Organization and European Union). As per the survey result, it was reported that GSs play crucial role for climate change mitigation such as temperature regulation, reduction in heat stress, enhancement outdoor thermal comfort, and the maintenance of air quality. More than 85% of the total respondents agreed with the very high importance of GSs for climate change mitigation. More than 80% of respondents in the city highly agreed with climate change adaptation strategies such as the enhancement of accessibility to GSs, ecosystem-based protection of GSs, and the improvement of per capita availability of GSs. The findings of the study will be very helpful to planners and policymakers in implementing nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerability to climate change in Jeddah city, and particularly other cities in a desert environment.

Strategic planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation: the case of Greece

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitra Spyridi ◽  
Christos Vlachokostas ◽  
Alexandra V. Michailidou ◽  
Constantinos Sioutas ◽  
Nicolas Moussiopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Change Mitigation ◽  
Of Greece

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to put forward a methodological framework to provide a comparative assessment of available mitigation and adaptation strategies against climate change. Mitigation options aim at minimizing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, in an effort to reduce the rate of increase in global temperature. On the other hand, adaptation options relate to the ability of the natural or human systems to handle the impact of the climate change and to adjust to its effects, seeking to eliminate the adverse consequences and take advantage of any beneficial outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology focuses on specific parameters, leading to the most efficient package of alternatives for the area of Greece. The selection of the “optimal” ranking of alternatives in a defined strategy is a sophisticated procedure, and a multi-criteria decision-making process was established. A questionnaire was designed and used as input to the overall framework, based on specific decision criteria. Climate change experts gave their feedback via a face-to-face interview. ELECTRE III multi-criteria decision analysis was adopted for the comparative evaluation, as it fits best to complex environmental problems. An “optimal” sequence of mitigation and adaptation strategies was provided for Greece. Findings – The use of renewable energy sources, increase of energy efficiency and improved forest management – tree planting and rational water management – are among the most promising options to strategically plan climate change mitigation and adaptation for Greece. Originality/value – The presented study provides an insight into alternative mitigation and adaptation strategies against climate change. The use of the multi-criteria analysis is an innovative approach to outline the optimal bundle of strategies. The methodology focuses on specific parameters, leading to the most efficient package of measures for the area of Greece. Such an approach is implemented for the first time in Greece, at least up to the authors’ knowledge, and provides a basis for strategic governance and policy modeling for the area under consideration.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document