Introduction : Global dairy production has expanded significantly in recent decades, leading to increased generation of dairy by-products and highlighting the need for sustainable management solutions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is attracting increasing amounts of attention as a key tool for evaluating environmental performance and supporting circular economy strategies. This study aims to assess and compare alternative valorization pathways for dairy by-products, focusing on environmental impacts and circularity performance to identify resource-efficient and sustainable options.

Methods: LCA was applied to multiple valorization strategies using a functional unit of 1 kg of processed raw milk to ensure a consistent comparison across scenarios. The examined pathways included (i) direct disposal (baseline), (ii) protein recovery via energy-intensive technologies, (iii) production of functional foods from whey, (iv) biogas generation with residue utilization, and (v) an integrated approach combining functional food production, biogas, and material recovery. The environmental impact categories comprised global warming potential, cumulative energy demand, water footprint, and eutrophication potential. Circularity assessment encompassed recovery rates and the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI).

Results: The results showed that protein recovery and functional food production enhanced circularity and reduced waste compared to the baseline, though some technologies increased the energy demand. The integrated approach demonstrated the most balanced performance, achieving both lower environmental impacts and higher circularity.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the proposed LCA framework provides a holistic evaluation of valorization pathways and supports informed decision-making for sustainable dairy by-product management. Further case studies are recommended to refine the methodology and validate its applicability across diverse production systems.

The rising frequency and intensity of extreme heat events are now a defining feature of the global climate crisis, with profound effects on the ecological resilience and environmental sustainability of ecosystems. Here, the cascading impacts of rising temperatures on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems are critically discussed, with a focus on novel emerging vulnerabilities in climate-affected regions. The nations of the Arab world, such as Iraq and Kuwait, have experienced record-high temperatures exceeding 50 °C in recent decades, resulting in extreme droughts, agricultural disruption, water shortages, and infrastructure collapse. Based on peer-reviewed literature syntheses and local climate data, the review identifies four principal ecological effects: reduced vegetation productivity and soil water storage, increased wildfire frequency, freshwater ecosystem stress, and marine ecosystem decline. Ocean warming has exacerbated coral bleaching, altered species migration, and reduced dissolved oxygen, threatening biodiversity and coastal livelihoods. These occur most vehemently in locations with low adaptive capacity, particularly in the Global South. Severe heat also accelerates the release of greenhouse gases through thawing permafrost and damaged carbon sinks, trapping dangerous climate feedback loops. Compared to other analyses of land or ocean systems in isolation, this review includes cross-ecosystem impacts to provide an end-to-end overview of thermal stress.
To mitigate the risks posed by these threats, the study calls for urgent, science-informed adaptation measures, including climate-resilient agriculture, nature-based cooling, early warning systems, and interregional environmental cooperation. Special emphasis is put on hyper-arid regions in the Middle East, which are likely to experience more intense heatwaves in the coming decades.
This study contributes to the understanding of how extreme heat affects the environment. It highlights the need for equitable and practical solutions to protect both nature and communities as the planet continues to warm.

Understanding long-term temperature behavior is essential for sustainable urban and environmental management in Somalia. Mogadishu, as a rapidly expanding coastal city, faces growing exposure to extreme heat events that threaten human comfort, health, and urban resilience. Yet, limited continuous environmental monitoring has constrained policy development. This study provides a comprehensive examination of historical temperature records from 2001 to 2025, offering new insights into climatic variability and thermal stress conditions in the Somali capital. Hourly temperature data were analyzed through time-series and statistical trend assessment methods. The Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator were applied to determine the direction and magnitude of climatic trends. Heat-stress indicators, including the Heat Index and Discomfort Index, were used to classify thermal comfort levels. Seasonal and diurnal variations were visualized using anomaly and frequency plots. The analysis reveals a clear warming pattern over the 25 years, with an average temperature increase of approximately 1.2 °C and a noticeable increase in the frequency of hours exceeding 35 °C. The results show intensified heat stress conditions after 2015, particularly during the March–April season. The Discomfort Index indicates a substantial shift from the comfortable to the caution and danger categories, implying greater vulnerability among urban populations. These findings underscore the urgent need for climate-adaptive urban design, vegetation restoration, and reflective-surface technologies to mitigate rising thermal stress in Mogadishu.

The commune of Dar Bouazza is facing a progressive deterioration of its water resources. A study characterizing the well water used by local hammams revealed significant contamination, characterized by high concentrations of total bacteria, total coliforms, sulfite-reducing spores, and heavy metals such as chromium and nickel, along with substantial nitrate levels. These findings suggested long-standing pollution, likely resulting from the slow percolation of untreated wastewater through geological layers and from the use of undersized septic systems in informal settlements.

To better understand the true origin and extent of this pollution, an environmental prospection was conducted upstream of the initial study area. This investigation enabled mapping of industrial facilities and informal housing zones and the assessment of their wastewater discharge practices. Observations indicated that several industries and peri-urban settlements discharge wastewater directly into the environment, including rivers, thereby constituting a major source of contamination affecting both surface water and groundwater.

Water samples were collected from a douar and from the river to evaluate the impact of these discharges on water quality. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses confirmed significant pollution, indicating strong anthropogenic pressure and a pronounced environmental risk.

This study highlights the urgent need to implement sustainable wastewater management solutions and protective measures for water resources to safeguard public health and ecological balance within the commune of Dar Bouazza.

Freshwater plants remain understudied relative to other biotic groups, resulting in substantial gaps in knowledge of their distribution and ecology. One such group is the aquatic quillworts (Isoetes spp.), with many species found mainly in freshwater ecosystems, including temporary ponds, lakes, and estuaries. Particularly in Greece, quillworts are among the most undercollected plant groups, revealing significant knowledge gaps in their distribution and conservation status.

Methods:
Extensive field surveys were conducted in freshwater habitats with historical records of Isoetes occurrence, including Lesvos, Crete, and western Greece. Habitat conditions were documented, potential threats were recorded, and population sizes were estimated to assess species status and establish conservation priorities.

Results:
Survey results revealed a substantial decline in Isoetes populations and occurrence over recent decades. The two Greek endemic species, I. heldreichii and I. haussknechtii. were absent from their previously reported localities. The primary threats identified were hydrological changes driven by climate change, which accelerate the drying of temporary ponds, as well as overgrazing and general habitat degradation.

Conclusions:
These findings underscore an urgent need for targeted conservation and restoration actions focused on freshwater habitats, particularly temporary ponds, to safeguard remaining Isoetes populations. Conservation efforts should prioritize the Greek endemic species, the Pindus quillwort (I. heldreichii) and the Greek quillwort (I. haussknechtii), both facing a high risk of extinction, with the Pindus quillwort likely already extinct. Strengthened monitoring, habitat management, and water regulation policies are essential to ensure the long-term survival of these unique aquatic plants in Greece.

This work investigates the potential benefits of using bio briquettes made from organic waste as an alternative source of fuel in sub-Saharan Africa. Over 80 million tons of organic waste is generated in Sub-Saharan Africa per annum, and this waste has potential to be valorized to other bioproducts. Currently, unmanaged organic waste poses serious landfilling challenges, causes health problems, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which are harmful to the environment. This organic waste can be converted to bio briquettes through the process of carbonization and then briquetting to form bio briquettes that have the same heating value as coal. In addition to these bio briquettes providing an eco-friendly opportunity to reduce the amount of sulfur contaminants that are generated by coal during heating, they also have the potential to reduce the effects of climate change by reducing methane and carbon dioxide emissions through waste valorization. A sustainable and renewable source of energy which has the same burning effect as coal can also be obtained from these bio briquettes, since waste is generated daily by communities, agriculture processes, industries, wastewater treatment plants, and businesses. In addition, the usage of bio briquettes as an alternative source of fuel will help to prevent problems such as deforestation that are negatively impacting the African environment.

Phenological dynamics shape the visual appearance of trees across seasons, serving as recurrent stimuli that influence the symbolic and emotional value of urban landscapes. This study examined how stages of the phenological cycle affect the aesthetic perception of trees, aiming to integrate temporal dynamics into landscape planning. Research was conducted on the main campus of the Federal University of Viçosa (MG, Brazil), where 12 tree species were monitored biweekly for one year. Phenophases of flowering, fruiting, and leafing were recorded along with standardized photographs. These images were evaluated in an online questionnaire (January–April 2025) completed by 306 participants, who assessed visual attributes such as flower color, crown shape, foliage density, and tree size. The Scenic Beauty Estimation (SBE) method was applied, with scores standardized using z-scores and aggregated to estimate monthly variation in aesthetic perception. The validity of this approach was tested by comparing estimated scores with SBE results from real images of Handroanthus serratifolius at distinct phenological stages. Results revealed clear patterns of aesthetic fluctuation. Species such as Ceiba speciosa, Handroanthus spp., and Erythrina mulungu displayed aesthetic peaks associated with intense flowering and partial leaf loss, resulting in strong chromatic contrasts. In contrast, Lagerstroemia indica and Spathodea campanulata maintained stable attractiveness due to prolonged blooming, while Moquilea tomentosa and Filicium decipiens remained visually consistent with dense evergreen crowns. Fruiting also contributed to variation, particularly in species with conspicuous or persistent fruits. The strong correspondence between estimated and observed SBE scores supports methodological reliability. Overall, perceived aesthetics in urban landscapes are closely modulated by tree phenology. Considering these dynamics in planning may enhance visual diversity and strengthen cities' ecological identity.

The transition toward a circular protected agriculture in the Americas represents a strategic challenge to harmonize productivity, sustainability, and environmental restoration. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific production on the application of circular economy principles to greenhouse, nursery, and protected agriculture systems, based on 34 documents indexed in Scopus between 1994 and 2025, originating from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. The results show a steady increase over the last decade, driven by the expansion of the bioeconomy, the valorization of agricultural residues, and the pursuit of low-carbon food systems. The leading countries, the United States (47%) and Canada (26%), concentrate their studies on organic waste management, anaerobic digestion, and nutrient recovery, whereas in South America, emerging approaches focus on water reuse, substrate recycling, and energy efficiency in intensive greenhouse horticulture. The keyword co-occurrence analysis (VOSviewer) identifies three main conceptual axes: (i) waste management and soil fertility, (ii) bioeconomy and energy recycling, and (iii) sustainability in protected agriculture. Although the European model of Almería is widely regarded as a global technological reference, research across the Americas is shifting toward regional adaptation through appropriate technologies and ecological transition policies. Future research should prioritize life cycle assessment of materials and resources, the redesign of metabolic flows in greenhouses, the digitalization of circular systems, and multilevel governance that integrates science, policy, and producers. Strengthening inter-American research networks will be essential to consolidate a paradigm of circular protected agriculture that is resource-efficient, low-carbon, and climate-resilient, serving as a cornerstone for food security and environmental sustainability in the region.

In the Puruándiro region, there is an ecological transition zone, known as an ecotone, between pine–oak–madrone forests and grasslands, as well as areas with vegetation typical of tropical deciduous forest. This region supports a wide variety of tree and shrub species with high ecological and ethnobotanical value and significant potential for human and environmental use, primarily due to the unique characteristics and conditions found in the area. The main objective of this project was to identify the main species facing a high risk of disappearing from the local ecological zone. To achieve this, a series of ecological transects were established in five zones of the Puruándiro region through sampling and zoning of the area, along with field surveys; these areas were located in the following coordinates: zone 1- Lat 20° 2'53.92"N Lon 101°32'52.43"W; Zone 2 - Lat 20° 1'43.53"N Lon 101°32'35.64"W; zone 3 - Lat 20°14'5.58"N Lon 101°35'56.87"W; zone 4 - Lat 20° 0'56.46"N Lon 101°35'46.83"W; zone 5 - Lat 20°12'26.52"N Lon 101°32'1.05"W. Data such as geographic coordinates, soil types, surrounding vegetation, tree canopy height, phytosanitary status of the species of interest, and the number of specimens located in the area were collected. These findings allowed for an initial assessment of the conditions of the species located, identifying the following: Rhus aromatica var. schmidelioides (Schlecht.) Engl.; Bursera fagaroides, Ceiba aesculifolia, Erythrina coralloides, Neltuma laevigata, Pistacia mexicana, and Condallia vetulina. This marked the beginning of the implementation of strategies for collecting plant material and a series of germination potential tests conducted within the institution's facilities. Through these identification processes at the local, regional, and community levels, as well as through the characterization and identification of each species using botanical criteria, a first step is being taken in the conservation of these species, which hold significant ethnobotanical, environmental, and ecosystemic value within the region.

Oil spills in the Niger Delta have caused persistent environmental degradation, affecting ecosystems, water bodies, farmlands, and human livelihoods. This study assessed oil spill vulnerability across the Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A specific oil spill incident recorded on December 24, 2024, guided the selection of pre- and post-spill SAR images for analysis. The difference in SAR backscatter values was used to detect oil-impacted areas. Ancillary data, including soil maps (HWSD), land use/land cover (LULC), digital elevation model (DEM), slope, river network, proximity to water bodies, and spill points, were integrated into the analysis.

Each dataset was reclassified into vulnerability levels and weighted using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A consistency ratio of less than 0.1 validated the pairwise comparison matrix. A weighted overlay analysis was conducted in ArcMap to generate a comprehensive oil spill vulnerability map. The results revealed that 21.6% of the study area fell under high- and very-high-vulnerability zones, concentrated around southern Rivers State (Bonny axis), central Bayelsa (Yenagoa and Ogbia LGAs), and western Delta State (Warri South and Ughelli). Low-lying regions and areas within 0–2 km proximity to spill points and major rivers such as Nun, Forcados, and Bonny were the most affected. Agricultural lands and wetlands accounted for over 40% of the vulnerable zones, highlighting the risks to food security and biodiversity. Proximity and buffer analyses further emphasized that areas closest to spill sources and water bodies experienced the highest contamination risk.

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of combining SAR imagery with AHP-GIS techniques in assessing oil spill vulnerability and provides critical spatial evidence to support environmental decision-making, targeted remediation, and emergency response planning in the Niger Delta.