Vicente German-Soto (p), Ruth Bordallo Favela

Francisco Javier Martínez Carranza

Temperatures, electricity consumption and economic development are increasingly linked today. Temperatures and electricity consumption are associated since the demand for electricity increases in extreme climates (winter and summer), accentuating cyclical fluctuations, and it has substantial implications for regional development. The X-13 ARIMA technique is modeled to obtain the cycle and trend components and analyze the properties of co-movement, volatility, and persistence in the Mexican states during 2003.1-2019.4. Findings show that electricity consumption and temperature are procyclical, an anticipated result, but the co-movement is not clear with economic development: it is procyclical in regions with extreme temperatures and countercyclical in temperate regions. In addition, minimum temperatures are more volatile than maximum temperatures, so the cold climates are a factor of higher risk and uncertainty for the electricity demand than hot climates.

Lisa Sella (p), Francesca Silvia Rota (p), Nicola Pollo

Vicente German-Soto

Climate change represents a global challenge that policymakers urgently need to address by means of integrative frameworks and targeted local solutions that hamper climatic resilience and territorial sustainability. The scientific community can develop inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches that integrate knowledge from different fields and involve stakeholders in co-designing these solutions. In environmental land management, for instance, a growing interest is paid to the effects that land-use change decisions produce on both the processes of carbon sequestration and greenhouse gasses emissions abatement,and other ecosystem and socio-economic services.
In a socio-ecological perspective, social sciences play a crucial role in understanding the relationships that link socio-economic dynamics and land-use patterns in the perspective of climate mitigation and adaptation. Particularly, local stakeholders are fundamental for the successful implementation of nature restoration actions aimed at preserving ecosystem climate services. Their perceptions and preferences can determine both the feasibility and effectiveness of the restoration investments, despite the benefits they can bring. Thus, the analysis of the social acceptability of different management options becomes more and more crucial. However, many restoration projects fail to deal with the aim of social acceptability assessment in a way that integrates socio-economic analyses and bio-geo-physical research structurally.
This paper provides a conceptual framework and a guidance to analyse the social acceptability of environmental restoration alternative management options, particularly in the case of wetlands. In more detail, the paper focuses on several factors that can influence stakeholder preferences and methods for measuring them in the context of wetlands. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review and guidelines exist for the assessment of social acceptability of this specific type of ecosystem. Therefore, this paper explores the most recent international (academic and grey) literature with the aim to assess the state-of-the-art on social acceptability assessment and to develop an original methodological framework to identify local stakeholders’ perceptions and preferences for ecosystem restoration options.

Andrea Omizzolo (p)

Lisa Sella

In recent years, the snow tourism sector has been dealing with various and in some cases highly challenging trends. Above all, climate change effects, especially increasing temperatures and decreasing snow-reliability, have been already observed and are expected to intensify in the future. This, accompanied by social and demographic changes, can lead to a potential decrease in the attractiveness of snow tourism destinations (hereinafter STDs) and, in particular, the smaller, lower-altitude ones, and a consequential weakening of their local economies. However, adaptive solutions, such as the inclusion of ecosystem services, can act as meaningful tools to counteract potential impacts of climate change and reduce the vulnerability of STDs. Within the Alpine Space Project “BeyondSnow”, authors explored the topic of the vulnerability in STDs. As a result, a first draft of a Vulnerability Map for the whole alpine space area was elaborated, aiming at exploring the complexity of vulnerabilities and providing a comprehensive overview that integrates both biophysical and socio-ecological and -economical dimensions. Authors intend to deepen the selection of indicators, their weighting, but also to reflect on opportunities to refine the analysis and give a better result to communities. They therefore want to bring some insights concerning the interrelation between data, vulnerability map and the strategic future development of these communities even in the (potential) absence of snow in the coming future.

Catalina Cruz-piedrahita, Maria Mar Delgado-Serrano, Javier Martinez-Carranza (p)

Andrea Omizzolo

The In-Habit project, an Horizon 2020 project, aims to foster the integration of vulnerable or excluded populations within small and medium-sized European cities, including Nitra (Slovakia), Córdoba (Spain), Riga (Latvia), and Lucca (Italy), through Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). This innovative project emphasizes the revitalization of urban neighborhoods by engaging a wide range of city stakeholders, from local residents to businesses and NGOs, in co-creation, co-design, and co-management processes.

This presentation focuses on the transformative interventions in the Las Palmeras neighborhood of Córdoba, a community marked by high levels of social exclusion, drug addiction, alcoholism, violence, and vandalism. We highlight three major green space interventions: the renewal of the main square, the renaturalization of neighborhood courtyards, and the creation of a new picnic area. Each intervention was preceded by at least five participatory workshops involving neighborhood residents and researchers, facilitating a co-design process that directly responded to the community's needs and aspirations.

Despite initial challenges, such as the destruction of newly planted trees for bonfires, the project has made significant strides in building trust and encouraging community participation. The creation of the picnic area, for instance, was inspired by local women's fond childhood memories and designed to resist vandalism and misuse. The renewal of the main square not only beautified the area with over 50 trees and bushes but also involved local children in the planting process, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility within the community.
Remarkably, the interventions have led to increased community engagement, including the formation of surveillance committees to protect the new green spaces. The inclusion of designated bonfire areas in the central square has allowed for the expression of local cultural practices without compromising the integrity of the space.

Over three years, the In-Habit project has conducted more than a hundred workshops with stakeholders in Córdoba, ensuring that the implemented NBS are inclusive and the result of a truly participatory approach. This presentation will share key insights and outcomes from these interventions, demonstrating the potential of participatory green space creation to promote social inclusion and community resilience.