Climate Suitability for Tourism in Romania Based on HCI: Urban Climate Index in the Near-Future Climate

Velea, Liliana; Bojariu, Roxana; Irimescu, Anișoara; Crǎciunescu, Vasile; Puiu, Silvia; Gallo, A.

doi:10.3390/atmos14061020

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Currently, the trend of global warming has intensified, and consequently, an increase in average annual temperatures is also recorded in Romania, with a tendency towards desertification in some areas. The multiannual average temperature varies from 8 • C in the northern area to over 11 • C in the southern area, and depending on the altitude, from −2.5 • C for the Omu Peak in the Bucegi Massif to 11.6 • C in the plains (Zimnicea, Teleorman county) [87]. Annual precipitation decreases from west (600 mm/year) to east (< 500 mm/year in the Eastern Plain of Romania, <450 mm/year in Dobrogea, and approximately 350 mm on the coast, while in mountainous regions, it reaches 1000-1500 mm) [87,88].…”

Section: Analysis Of the Thermophysical Performance Of Rammed Earth W...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Petcu,

Dobrescu,

Dragomir

et al. 2023

Materials

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This case study focuses on twelve compacted clay soil samples to understand their fundamental physical and thermal properties. For each sample, the density, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and drying shrinkage were assessed. The identification and characterisation of the materials were also carried out by positioning them into the ternary diagram based on the percentage of sand, silt, and clay. These properties are definitive for the performance characteristics of materials used in rammed earth wall construction. The aim is to provide information for better knowledge and prediction regarding the dynamic heat flow in rammed earth walls. Experimental results show a relatively wide range of values for each property, reflecting the diverse properties of the sampled clays. The thermophysical characteristics of the 12 types of earth analysed showed correlations with reports in the literature in terms of density (1490–2150 kg/m3), porosity (23.22–39.99%), specific heat capacity (701–999 J/kgK), and thermal conductivity (0.523–1.209 W/mK), which indicates them as materials suitable for use in the construction of rammed earth walls. Using test data, a dynamic assessment of heat flow through simulated rammed earth walls was performed. For a better understanding of the results obtained, they were compared with results obtained for simulations where the building element would be made of concrete, i.e., a mineral wool core composite. Thus, heat flux at the wall surface and mass flux, respectively, during the 16 years of operation showed similar evolution for all 12 types of clay material analysed, with small variations explained by differences in thermophysical characteristics specific to each type of S1–S12 earth. In the case of walls made from clay material, there is a stabilisation in the evolution of the water content phenomenon by the 5th year of simulation. This contrasts with walls made of concrete, where the characteristic water content appears to evolve continuously over the 16-year period. Therefore, it can be said that in the case of the construction elements of existing buildings, which have already gone through a sufficient period for the maturation of the materials in their construction elements, the rammed earth wall quickly develops a moisture buffer function. In the case of simulating a mineral wool core composite wall, it cannot perform as a temperature or humidity buffer, exhibiting an enthalpy exchange with indoor air that is only 4% of that of the rammed earth walls; consequently, it does not play a significant role in regulating indoor comfort conditions. Overall, there is confirmation of the temperature and moisture buffering capabilities of rammed earth walls during both warm and cold periods of the year, which is consistent with other reports in the literature. The findings of this research provide a better insight into clay as a material for rammed earth walls for more efficient design and construction, offering potential improvements regarding indoor comfort, energy efficiency, and sustainability. The data also provides useful information in the fields of architecture and civil engineering regarding the use of clay as an eco-friendly building material. The results emphasise the importance of thoroughly understanding the thermophysical properties of clay to ensure the efficiency of rammed earth construction.

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Section: Analysis Of the Thermophysical Performance Of Rammed Earth W...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Petcu,

Dobrescu,

Dragomir

et al. 2023

Materials

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“…Moreover, weather conditions are not the only factor to consider when formulate a climate index; expectations regarding their future occurrences and not simply the current conditions are equally important. In this context, several previous studies have been conducted in order to explore the future performance of HCI based on future climate scenarios, proving useful information (Carrillo et al 2022;Aygόn Oğur 2023;Velea et al 2023). To date, only a few studies have been conducted based on HCI for Mediterranean regions, including the previous work of Demiroglou et al 2020, Díaz-Poso et al (2023 and Bilgin et al (2024).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal analysis of Holiday Climate Index for urban and beach destinations in Greece.

Petrou,

Pavlos

2024

Preprint

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The relationship between climate change and tourism is multifaceted, with each influencing the other in various ways. This dynamic poses both challenges and opportunities for the tourism industry. The Mediterranean basin is often referred to as a hotspot for climate change, and Greece, as one of the top Mediterranean summer destinations, faces significant challenges. In this study, the Holiday Climate Index (HCI) was calculated, to assess the climate suitability of urban (HCI urban) and beach (HCI beach) destinations for tourism activities in Greece during the summer. The spatial and temporal trends were examined for the period 1981 to 2024 over Greece. Moreover, the future performance of HCI was examined for all Greek destinations, based on three climate scenarios, namely SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5, during the period 2025–2099. Between 1981 and 2024, the most notable decreases in HCI observed during June, mainly for beach destination at Ionian islands, South Aegean and at coastal areas south of Thessaloniki. Also, significant decreases occurred for urban destinations in West Macedonia, Epirus, and west Thessaly during July and August for the same period. Regarding the future projection, it was detected that under all climate scenarios, the HCI is expected to decline in the future. Consequently, this methodology might be useful for tourism climate adaptation and heat mitigation policies.

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“…In Romania, Velea et al (2022) studied the correlation between tourist flow and urban HCI values from 2010 to 2018, finding a clear link between the two. In a near future period of 2021-2040, Velea et al (2023) examined the climate suitability of various cities and rural tourist destinations for each season. The study estimated the impact of climate change on overnight stays.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes and Trends in Ideal Holiday Period Based on Holiday Climate Index Applied to the Carpathian Basin

Magyari-Sáska,

Magyari-Sáska

2023

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The Holiday Climate Index (HCI) is a well-known and valued index for assessing the weather suitability of outdoor recreational activities. As a composite index, it takes into account many aspects of the weather, all of which affect the well-being of tourists. With the accentuation of climate change, the HCI plays an important role in the organization and planning of tourist activities. These plans must take into account not only the individual values of the index for different destinations, but also the sequence of days with certain expected values of the index. The aim of our research was to create a software module in R that would allow the analysis and identification of periods of consecutive days in which the HCI is above a certain minimum threshold and also has a minimum average value for that period. We applied this module to the analysis of historical and present and near-future (2005-2040) HCI values in the EC-EARTH climate model, identifying for each year and location in the Carpathian Basin the starting day of the climatically best seven-day period. To obtain a time series for each location, we aggregated the values for the two periods using the mean, median, standard deviation and trend calculation. The analysis shows that the ideal time to start a holiday is not only changing, it is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Whereas in the 1970-2004 period there was a wellobserved decreasing trend in the starting day, for the 2005-2040 period we see a trend-free situation in most of the area. Even where trends do appear, we find them in opposite directions in nearby areas, making it difficult to plan the ideal time to start a holiday.

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Climate Suitability for Tourism in Romania Based on HCI: Urban Climate Index in the Near-Future Climate

Cited by 4 publications

References 84 publications

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Thermophysical Characteristics of Clay for Efficient Rammed Earth Wall Construction

Spatiotemporal analysis of Holiday Climate Index for urban and beach destinations in Greece.

Changes and Trends in Ideal Holiday Period Based on Holiday Climate Index Applied to the Carpathian Basin

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