Open Access

There is a growing need for Near-Term Climate Prediction (NTCP) in order to develop adaptation strategies and provide better risk management to cope with the consequences of climate change. NTCP emerged to fill the gap between short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate projections. This approach aims to provide actionable information on a timescale of one to ten years by combining observed initialization conditions of the current climate state with external forcing scenarios. Since the pioneering work of Smith et al. (2007), NTCP has become an operational product through the World Meteorological Organization Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update (WMO GADCU) reports. However, scientific maturity alone does not guarantee practical impact. How this information reaches and is understood by target users is a critical and insufficiently explored question in climate science communication. Kushnir et al. (2019). Done et al. (2021) argue that scientifically reliable near-term climate predictions often fail to achieve a level of use-relevance among practitioner communities. To examine, more empirical research is needed. This exploratory study aims to examine this gap based on how practitioners understand the WMO GADCU reports and the challenges they face when working with them. Data were collected via survey after the Hackathon session, organized as part of the Green Futures project. Fourteen participants were divided into groups focusing on Zambia and Tunisia and directly interacted with two consecutive 5-year WMO reports, the 2024–2028 and 2025–2029 WMO GADCU reports. Participants interpreted global temperature and precipitation anomaly maps, compared 2024 observational data with predictions and summarized their findings on a shared whiteboard. Following this structured interaction, participants were given a 15-item questionnaire that measured their prior knowledge level, changes in understanding, perceptions of differences between reports, perceived accuracy, recall level of probabilistic information, confidence in explaining climate predictions and the practical usability of the reports. Due to the small sample size (n=14), 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Wilson score method. The findings indicate that participants' prior familiarity with the WMO 5-year forecasts was limited and variable but that understanding improved for the majority after structured interaction. Participants generally found the reports and session useful and identified the change in the probability of exceeding 1.5°C as the most significant difference between the two editions. Most participants remembered the value of 70% for this difference from the WMO GADCU 2025–2029 report. This suggests that incremental updates between successive editions were effectively communicated. Confidence in explaining the climate forecast was higher for Australia which is more affected by ENSO dynamics and was explicitly named in the reports compared to Zambia and Tunisia. The temperature and precipitation anomaly predictions reported by participants on the whiteboard were based on the interpretation of global anomaly maps in WMO GADCU reports. They also mostly coincided with the observed regional assessments published by WMO. While all participants found the reports useful or very useful for agricultural and water planning, understanding technical terms and relating global predictions to local realities were identified as the main challenges. These findings suggest that while the WMO GADCU reports are considered scientifically reliable, they have not yet reached full relevance in use particularly in communicating incremental probabilistic updates and localizing global forecasts to specific national contexts. It is given that this is an exploratory study and the findings should be considered preliminary conducted with a small convenience sample. Still, the study provides empirical evidence regarding the comprehensibility of WMO GADCU reports by practitioners in regional context and offers actionable recommendations for improving the communication design of future WMO GADCU editions.

Dieser Leitfaden dient als Unterstützung für Personen, die regelmäßig mit Rindern arbeiten, insbesondere auf landwirtschaftlichen Betrieben, im sicheren und verantwortungsbewussten Umgang mit diesen Tieren. Ziel ist es, ein praxisnahes und verständliches Hilfsmittel bereitzustellen, das einerseits die Grundlagen zum Verhalten der Rinder, sowie zum sicheren Umgang mit Rindern vermitteln soll. Andererseits bietet der Leitfaden Beispiele mit konkreten Handlungsempfehlungen in den Bereichen „Treiben“, „Zutrieb“ und „Verladen von Rindern“. Aufgrund der Vielfalt betrieblicher Strukturen und individueller Gegebenheiten in der landwirtschaftlichen Praxis kann dieser Leitfaden keine vollumfängliche Darstellung aller möglichen Situationen bieten. Vielmehr soll er eine Orientierung darstellen, die praktikable Lösungsansätze und Gefahrenpotentiale beim Umgang mit Rindern aufzeigt. Wir danken Ihnen für Ihre Bereitschaft, sich mit dem Thema Arbeitssicherheit im Umgang mit Rindern auseinanderzusetzen und hoffen, Sie mit diesem Leitfaden in der beruflichen Praxis unterstützen zu können. Die Beispiele sind anschaulich dargestellt, um Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten im Arbeitsalltag aufzuzeigen.

Climate change has become one of the most pressing global challenges. Almost daily, media reports highlight events and developments illustrating its consequences. Climate adaptation and mitigation are therefore essential tools not only on a global scale but on a local level. In this context, questions arise regarding the future management of gardens, parks and green spaces: Which climate-change-related variations can already be quantified? Where can reliable data be obtained? And how can this knowledge be translated into practical measures enhancing the resilience of the affected gardens and parks? Using the Oberdieckgarten and the Weihenstephaner South Terraces of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf in Freising, Bavaria, as case studies, this master thesis investigates available data sources on soil characteristics and dominant soil types, trends in average annual precipitation and temperature, and changes in the annual phenological cycle over the last decades. Combined with an analysis of the historical development and current situation of the two gardens, a methodological approach for adapting them to the impacts of climate change and for fostering a climate-resilient future will be developed. After examining the effects of climate change and potential adaptation strategies, the role and responsibilities of a climate demonstration garden are discussed. Based on the collected data and analyses, a conceptual design for the partial remodeling of the Oberdieckgarten and the Weihenstephaner South Terraces is proposed, aiming to enhance their function as climate-adapted and educational gardens.

Diese Bachelorarbeit untersucht die technische Umsetzung und die Rahmenbedingungen für den Aufbau eines autarken Aquaponiksystems in Mwanza, Tansania. Ziel war es, eine nachhaltige Lebensmittelproduktion zu entwickeln, die sowohl ressourcenschonend als auch energieautark betrieben werden kann. Methodisch kombiniert die Arbeit Literaturrecherche mit einer praxisnahen Fallstudie, welche Planung, Dimensionierung und erste Umsetzungsschritte umfasst. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass ein autarkes Aquaponiksystem in Sangabuye (Region Mwanza, Tansania) technisch und betrieblich realisierbar ist, wenn Energie- und Wasserprozesse aufeinander abgestimmt und aktiv gesteuert werden, sowie geschultes Personal den Betrieb übernimmt. Kern ist die Kopplung eines inselbetriebenen, ACgekoppelten PV-Systems (13,7 kWp, Ost/West, 13 kWh Li-Ion, SOC_min = 20 %) mit einer Aquaponikanlage aus DWC- und Flood-&-Drain-Becken, Moving-Bed-Biofilter, Radial- Flow-Settler und Mineralisierung. Das Fischbeckenvolumen beträgt 23.000 l. Neben ökologischen Vorteilen wie Wasser- und Flächeneffizienz bietet das System Potenzial für Ernährungssicherheit, Einkommensmöglichkeiten und eine bessere Ressourcennutzung im lokalen Kontext.

Rapid urbanization in tropical cities is intensifying the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. The results of which are extreme thermal discomfort, high building-energy demands, and public health risks. Accra, the capital of Ghana, exemplifies these challenges. Over the past decades the region has seen the use of impervious materials in construction projects, and a decline in vegetation cover. This is contributing to rising land surface and air temperatures. This study evaluates the potential of green roofs and tree planting to mitigate UHI effects and improve thermal comfort in Accra’s Central Business District. The evaluation process combines remote sensing analysis in Google Earth Engine with ENVI‑met microclimate simulations. Green roofs, tree planting and a combined mitigation strategy scenarios are modelled to assess changes in three key indicators: outdoor air temperature at pedestrian level, Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET)/ Thermal comfort, and roof surface temperature. Given the limited spatial extent Envi-met can simulate in a single run, R‑based spatial interpolation is used to extend results across the study area. Results show that tree planting only produced the most improvements in thermal comfort. Green roofs significantly reduced roof surface temperatures, with maximum reductions exceeding 30 °C compared to conventional rooftops. Green roofs also influence the ambient air temperature, though more localized. The combined intervention shows complementary benefits, simultaneously improving thermal comfort and potentially reducing building-energy demands. Two different tree species are also evaluated to test how species choice influences air temperature and thermal comfort. Neem (Azadirachta indica) outperforms African Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) in reducing PET, but both perform similarly in impacts on air temperature. It should also be mentioned that these UHI mitigation strategies produced negative effects i.e. increasing air temperature or thermal comfort at certain periods of time. The findings highlight the benefits and in some cases the downsides of integrating vegetation‑based strategies into Accra’s urban planning framework. By quantifying the microclimatic effects of green roofs and trees, this research provides evidence‑based guidance for policymakers and urban planners to reduce heat stress and promote sustainable urban development.