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Projeto de investigação
Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research
Financiador
Autores
Publicações
Marine litter education
Publication . Bettencourt, Sara; Freitas, Diogo Nuno; Lucas, Carlos; Costa, Sónia; Caeiro, Sandra; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Elsevier
Marine litter is a global problem. Education has been acclaimed as a potential tool to tackle this issue, yet, integrative, student-centered, and over weeks studies to raise awareness on the theme that compares pre- with post-intervention results are limited in the literature. Furthermore, almost no studies rely on the basis of previous experience on the theme and local reality. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an educational intervention to raise awareness and educate students (1st cycle to high-school) about marine litter. Different learning skills were fostered through theoretical, laboratorial, and hands-on activities and students participated in a beach clean-up to summarize the classroom's learnings in loco. Pre- and post-questionnaire results indicate that students' knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intentions changed. Identification of marine litter estimated degradation times and observation of microplastics in local sand samples were activities highly appreciated by youngsters. This intervention positively impacted schoolchildren's literacy, contributing to advancing education in marine litter and can be further adapted to other educational areas.
Air Quality Management in Macao – assessment, development of an operational forecast, and future perspectives
Publication . Man Tat, Lei; Ferreira, Francisco; Gonçalves, David
A combination of assessment, operational forecast, and future perspective was
thoroughly explored to provide an overview of the existing air quality problems in
Macao. The levels of air pollution in Macao often exceed those recommended by the
World Health Organization (WHO). In order for the population to take precautionary
measures and avoid further health risks during high pollution episodes, it is important
to develop a reliable air quality forecast. Statistical models based on linear multiple
regression (MLR) and classification and regression trees (CART) analysis were
successfully developed for Macao, to predict the next day concentrations of NO2,
PM10, PM2.5, and O3.
Meteorological variables were selected from an extensive list of possible variables,
including geopotential height, relative humidity, atmospheric stability, and air
temperature at different vertical levels. Air quality variables translate the resilience of
the recent past concentrations of each pollutant and usually are maximum and/or the
average of latest 24-hour levels. The models were applied in forecasting the next day
average daily concentrations for NO2 and PM and maximum hourly O3 levels for five
air quality monitoring stations. The results are expected to support an operational air quality forecast for Macao.
The work involved two phases. On a first phase, the models utilized meteorological
and air quality variables based on five years of historical data, from 2013 to 2017. Data
from 2013 to 2016 were used to develop the statistical models and data from 2017 was
used for validation purposes. All the developed models were statistically significantly
valid with a 95% confidence level with high coefficients of determination (from 0.78
to 0.93) for all pollutants. On a second phase, these models were used with 2019
validation data, while a new set of models based on a more extended historical data
series, from 2013 to 2018, were also validated with 2019 data. There were no significant
differences in the coefficients of determination (R2
) and minor improvements in root
mean square errors (RMSE), mean absolute errors (MAE) and biases (BIAS) between
the 2013 to 2016 and the 2013 to 2018 data models. In addition, for one air quality
monitoring station (Taipa Ambient), the 2013 to 2018 model was applied for two days
ahead (D2) forecast and the coefficient of determination (R2
) was considerably less
accurate to the one day ahead (D1) forecast, but still able to provide a reliable air quality
forecast for Macao.
To understand if the prediction model was robust to extreme variations in pollutants concentration, a test was performed under the circumstances of a high
pollution episode for PM2.5 and O3 during 2019, and a low pollution episode during
2020. Regarding the high pollution episode, the period of the Chinese National
Holiday of 2019 was selected, in which high concentration levels were identified for
PM2.5 and O3, with peaks of daily concentration for PM2.5 levels exceeding 55 μg/m3
and the maximum hourly concentration for O3 levels exceeding 400 μg/m3
. For the
low pollution episode, the 2020 period of implementation of the preventive measures
for COVID-19 pandemic was selected, with a low record of daily concentration for
PM2.5 levels at 2 μg/m3 and maximum hourly concentration for O3 levels at 50 μg/m3
.
The 2013 to 2018 model successfully predicted the high pollution episode with
high coefficients of determination (0.92 for PM2.5 and 0.82 for O3). Likewise, the low
pollution episode was also correctly predicted with high coefficients of determination
(0.86 and 0.84 for PM2.5 and O3, respectively). Overall, the results demonstrate that
the statistical forecast model is robust and able to correctly reproduce extreme air
pollution events of both high and low concentration levels.
Machine learning methods maybe adopted to provide significant improvements
in combination of multiple linear regression (MLR) and classification and regression tree (CART) to further improve the accuracy of the statistical forecast. The developed
air pollution forecasting model may be combined with other measures to mitigate the
impact of air pollution in Macao. These may include the establishment of low
emission zones (LEZ), as enforced in some European cities, license plate restrictions
and lottery policy, as used in some Asian, tax exemptions on electric vehicles (EVs)
and exclusive corridors for public transportations.
Seasonal Forecast Climate Data and Hydropower Production in the Douro Basin, in Portugal
Publication . Diogo, Paulo Alexandre; Beça, Pedro; Simões, Sofia; Amorim, Filipa; Mujtaba, Babar; MARE - Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade
The project CLIM2POWER aims at developing a climate service including state-of-the art seasonal climate forecasts in the planning of the operation of the power systems. This work presents part of the project, addressing the forecasting of the hydropower generation in a case study area, the Portuguese part of the transboundary Douro River basin. Rainfall-runoff modelling was performed on a daily scale using three ensemble members of seasonal climate data (six months) for Portuguese territory crossed with three daily inflow scenarios from Spanish territory defined according to historical observed data. The obtained results reflect the fact that seasonal climate forecast present a wide variation of scenarios and also the fact that hydropower production in Portuguese territory is highly dependent on transboundary inflows. On the other hand, the implemented approach successfully produced consistent runoff and hydropower production results although improvements on the identification of the most probable scenarios are yet required.
Sustainability assessment and benchmarking in higher education institutions-a critical reflection
Publication . Caeiro, Sandra; Hamón, Leyla Angélica Sandoval; Martins, Rute; Aldaz, Cecilia Elizabeth Bayas; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a crucial role in implementing practices for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This implementation should be done in different dimensions according to a holistic and whole-school approach. Different tools have been adapted and developed to assess this integrated approach. The aim of this research is to critically reflect the existing tools to assess and benchmark ESD implementation and to discuss their applicability in two case studies. Two public Universities in Southern Europe, with headquarters in the capitals of Portugal and Spain were selected to assess and compare the integration of ESD according to a whole-school approach-Universidade Aberta in Portugal and Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain. After a critical analysis of the existing tools based on literature review and a list of criteria classified by experts, two tools were selected to be applied in the case studies. The online Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Reporting Tool was used in Universidade Aberta and Green Metrics tool was used in Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. The tools were complemented with focus group with key-actors in both universities. The results obtained allowed to identify the need to define a common objective of the assessment tools and limitations they still have. The tools need improvements on their development namely to integrate the external impact of Higher Education Institutions on sustainability, to integrate participatory processes and to assess non-traditional aspects of sustainability. This research hopes to contribute to the continuous research about the usefulness of these assessment and benchmarking tools as drivers to HEIs improve their sustainability performance and their role as agents of changes.
Integration of sustainability in the curricula of public higher education institutions in Portugal
Publication . Duarte, Marina; Caeiro, Sandra Sofia; Farinha, Carla Sofia; Moreira, Ana; Santos-Reis, Margarida; Rigueiro, Constança; Simão, João; CENSE - Centro de Investigação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade; NOVALincs; DI - Departamento de Informática; Associação Portuguesa para o Estudo do Quaternário (APEQ)
Purpose: This study aims to explore the alignment between strategic plans of the Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs) and their perception of the integration of sustainability in education and curricula. Design/methodology/approach: The strategic plans from 15 institutions were selected for content analysis; data about the integration of sustainability in education and curricula, from these HEI, were collected with an online questionnaire (self-report survey). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed. Findings: Strategic plans of the Portuguese public HEIs seem to not be sufficiently aligned with self-assessment integration of sustainability in education and curricula. Research limitations/implications: The classifications used in the content analysis were constructed and revised by the authors to reduce coder interpretation issues and subsequent bias in the results. However, some subjectivity could remain. The analysis of strategic plans and self-report surveys answered by top management, or a technician, does not assess the practices and sustainability implementation in education and curricula. Practical implications: This study allows the self-report of already-implemented practices to be compared to the planned strategy of HEI governance in Portugal as stated in their strategic plans. Originality/value: An analysis and respective insights on the lack of connection between strategic planning and self-report practices about sustainability implementation, using Portugal as a case study.
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Descrição
Palavras-chave
Contribuidores
Financiadores
Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Número da atribuição
UID/AMB/04085/2019