Climate change monitoring with Art-Risk 5: new approach for environmental hazard assessment in Seville and Almería Historic Centres (Spain)

Abstract

Currently, climate change is significantly impacting historic cities, altering energy demands, and influencing tourism patterns. In this context, the analysis of extensive datasets derived from satellite imagery offers a means to monitor the effects of climate change on both urban and territorial scales. Art-Risk 5.0 is an open digital tool designed to easily track temperature variations, precipitation patterns, urban heat islands, and vegetation health using satellite resources. The applications in two historic cities in southern Spain, Almeria and Sevilla was analyzed to assess the impact of climate change. The outcomes of Art-Risk 5.0 have provided valuable data for diagnosing the impact of climate change in these historic cities. The major climatic hazards identified in southern Spain are high temperatures, torrential rainfall, and droughts. Additionally, over the past 20 years, an increase in maximum temperatures and drought intensity has been observed in Sevilla and Almeria. On the urban scale, urban heat islands are concentrated in neighborhoods with limited green and blue infrastructure. The ability to analyze time series of climate data from satellite images makes Art-Risk 5.0 an extremely useful tool for monitoring the impact of climate change and promoting sustainable adaptation policies.