Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Title: Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)

 I have read the above titled manuscript with interest, and found that authors must correct all the  typo mistakes. Besides, the title is a bit confusing, as the authors should revise it according to the main study points. Abstract should be further revised and strengthen and authors are required to introduce the background of the study, this section is lacking to provide clearer information about the theme of study, the authors need to add policy recommendations. I have noticed that some studies cited in this article are not relevant. Further the authors need to clearly mention the innovative points, authors should clearly explain the study objectives/research questions. Literature part should be more strengthen and provide clearer hypotheses of air quality and major emergencies. Authors are required to provide adequate review of literature and cite more up to dated articles. About the data, my question is by which medium the data/samples were collected? Authors should revise the conclusion part and provide limitations and policy recommendations of the study.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Response to Reviewers’ comments

Concerning the paper entitled:

“Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)”

 

We would like to begin this response letter by thanking the reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments that allowed us to improve our article. Below we have attached our step-by-step responses to the reviewers' comments. Comments have been written in bold and responses have been italicised to better distinguish them from each other.

 

Reviewer #1

I have read the above titled manuscript with interest, and found that authors must correct all the typo mistakes.

Response

Thank you for the recommendation. We have scrutinized the manuscript and corrected all typographical errors to enhance the clarity and readability of the text.

 

1. Besides, the title is a bit confusing, as the authors should revise it according to the main study points.

Response

Thank you for your thorough analysis and valuable comments regarding our article.

Regarding your comment:

We have carefully considered your suggestion regarding the revision of the title of the article. However, after careful review and further revision of the article content, we have decided to retain the original title: "Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)".

We are confident that after the changes and clarifications made, the text of the article now fully corresponds to its title, reflecting the key aspects and main results of the study.

Your comments have been extremely important and have enabled us to improve the quality and coherence of the research presented. We hope that you will take the time to read the revised version of the article and appreciate the steps we have taken.

 

2. Abstract should be further revised and strengthen and authors are required to introduce the background of the study, this section is lacking to provide clearer information about the theme of study, the authors need to add policy recommendations.

Response

Thank you for your comment regarding the annotation section of our article.

Regards to your comment:

We have carefully revised and strengthened the abstract section, with a focus on presenting the background of the study to ensure a clear understanding of the research topic.

Policy recommendations based on the findings of our study have also been added to provide readers with a visualisation of possible practical applications of the study findings.

We paid additional attention to clarifying information about the research topic and ensured that each element of the abstract was justified and consistent with our findings and reasoning in the main body of the paper.

With the above changes, we are confident that the abstract now provides a clear and compact presentation of our study and its key findings. We hope that these changes meet your expectations and improve the quality of our work.

 

“The challenges associated with climate change are increasing, so there is an urgent need for mod-ern tools to effectively assess, predict and minimise climate risks. This research paper presents the results of the development of the innovative Community Climate Change Impacts Service (C3IS) system, which represents a paradigm shift in climate risk analysis. C3IS is a Module that includes a pioneering set of tools with an interactive Application Programming Interface (API) fully inte-grated with the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The C3IS Module enables lightning-fast collection and visualisation (in real time) of critical climate risk data through flexible integration with GEE. The advantages of this integration are the ability to use the GEE platform to access an extensive petabyte-scale catalogue of geospatial data and an ever-expanding database of satellite imagery. The defining feature of the developed Module is accessibility and usability due to the exclusion of such operations as: time-consuming preliminary processing of "Big Data"; complex modelling; large-scale data storage. The study shows the promising application of the C3IS Module for operational decision-making and development of sound strategies for effective cli-mate change mitigation.”

 

3. I have noticed that some studies cited in this article are not relevant.

Response

Thank you for your comments and careful analysis of our article.

On your comment regarding the sources used:

We have carefully reviewed each cited source in light of your comment and analysed their relevance and contribution to the context of our study.

All citations and sources have been thoroughly reviewed and irrelevant studies have been excluded or replaced with more relevant and appropriate works.

Each source has now been carefully grounded in the text to ensure clarity and relevance in the context of our research aims and conclusions.

With these adjustments, we are confident that our paper now represents a high quality and well-reasoned contribution to the literature on this research topic. We hope that these improvements will meet your expectations and enhance the value of our paper to our readers.

 

4. Further the authors need to clearly mention the innovative points, authors should clearly explain the study objectives/research questions.

Response

Thank you for your careful review of the article and your valuable comments regarding the clarity of the innovative aspects and objectives of our study.

We realised the importance of clearly articulating and highlighting the innovative aspects of our work and hence have completely redesigned the relevant sections of the article to highlight and make explicit the innovative elements of our study.

The introduction and methodology sections now describe more clearly and in more detail the main aims of the study and the research questions we set out to address. We have endeavoured to make sure that these elements are easily identifiable and understandable for readers to provide a clear understanding of the value and focus of our work.

We have also paid particular attention to detailing and explaining how each of the research questions and objectives relate to the results and conclusions presented to ensure that our study is coherent and logical.

We are confident that these changes will greatly improve the clarity and accuracy of the presentation of the innovative aspects and objectives of our research in the article. We hope that you will find that these improvements have a positive impact on the quality and integrity of the paper.

 

5. Literature part should be more strengthen and provide clearer hypotheses of air quality and major emergencies.

Response

Thank you for your attention to an important aspect of our study and for your comment regarding the literature review section.

We have completely revised and strengthened the literature review section, providing an in-depth analysis of the current state of research, particularly in the context of air quality and major emergencies. This includes adding the latest and most relevant studies that further strengthen our work and substantiate the significance of our proposed research questions and hypotheses.

We have explicitly articulated and discussed our hypotheses in detail, particularly in relation to air quality and major emergencies, to ensure that their role and significance in the context of our study is clear and understood. This also includes an extended explanation of how our hypotheses have been derived from the existing literature and how they influence our methodology and analyses.

We have ensured that each hypothesis is closely linked to the data and conclusions presented, emphasising their relevance and validity within our study.

We believe that the improvements we applied make the literature review section more robust and provide a clear and thorough explanation of our hypotheses and their relationship to air quality research and major emergencies. We hope that you find these improvements to be positive and enhance the article.

 

 

 

6. 6. Authors are required to provide adequate review of literature and cite more up to dated articles.

Response

Thank you cordially for your attention to the literature review section and your request to integrate more relevant sources.

We have carefully revised the literature review section and have paid particular attention to integrating the most recent studies that reflect current trends and findings in the field.

All outdated and less relevant sources were replaced with more recent publications, ensuring that the information presented is current and relevant.

We have strengthened the logical connections and reasoning between the sources presented and our research questions and methodology to ensure the integrity and coherence of the section.

Thus, we are confident that the updated literature review now not only provides a relevant and comprehensive framework of the current state of research, but also clearly links our study to existing knowledge in the field. We hope that these adjustments will enrich the article and be satisfactory to you.

 

7. 7. About the data, my question is by which medium the data/samples were collected?

Response

Thank you for your attention to detail regarding data collection in our study.

We have made detailed clarifications to the methodology section of the article regarding the ways, methods, and means of data collection. The article now explicitly states how and through which tools and platforms all data and samples used were collected.

We have added specific examples and descriptions of the technologies, tools and platforms used and emphasised how they were used to guarantee the accuracy and reliability of the data.

Additionally, we have provided further clarification regarding the choice of specific data collection methods to ensure that the context and rationale for these choices are clear to the reader.

These clarifications are intended to provide readers with a clear understanding of the methodological approach to data collection and confidence that the process was systematic and representative. We are confident that these changes will facilitate the understanding and evaluation of our methodology and hope that you will find these additions and clarifications useful and satisfactory.

 

8.Authors should revise the conclusion part and provide limitations and policy recommendations of the study.

Response

We thank you for your thorough review and comment on the conclusion section of our article.

We have thoroughly revised the conclusion section, providing an in-depth and informed analysis of the findings and their relevance in the context of existing research and challenges.

We added an extensive section on the limitations of our study, discussing potential barriers, issues of data accuracy or availability, and other relevant factors that may affect the interpretation and application of our results.

We have also enriched the article by adding a section with policy recommendations, providing specific and practical advice based on our findings that may be useful to climate and environmental decision-makers and practitioners.

Our goal is to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of the conclusions drawn from our data and a clear understanding of how these findings can be translated into practical actions and policies. We trust that the improvements and additions introduced will strengthen the contribution of our research and enrich the dialogue in this important field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper addresses the intersection of advanced technologies, such as the Google Earth Engine and the Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS) toolkit, and the critical issue of climate resilience. It highlights the importance of these technologies in the context of climate risk analysis, an area of increasing concern. Nevertheless, the current depth of coverage remains somewhat superficial.

I find the paper's topics and elements intriguing and highly relevant. However, I believe that further revision is needed to delve deeper into the aspects that could elevate it to a truly impactful publication.

To maximise the paper's impact, I suggest the authors consider the following points during the revision process:

• Provide a more comprehensive analysis of the Google Earth Engine, C3IS toolkit, and their applications in climate risk analysis. A deeper dive into the methodologies, capabilities, and real-world use cases would greatly enhance the paper's value.
• Provide greater transparency regarding their data sources, collection methods, and any preprocessing steps. A clear explanation of the data's quality and relevance is essential for readers to assess the research's validity.
• Emphasise the importance of discussing the paper's significance in the context of advancing climate resilience strategies. The revised paper should explicitly address the practical implications of the research and how it contributes to the field.
• Include tables, figures and charts to enhance data presentation and help readers better understand the findings.
• Discuss potential limitations of the research and provide insights into areas for future study, ensuring a balanced and thorough assessment.

By addressing these aspects in the revision, the paper has the potential to provide a more profound and valuable contribution. The intersection of advanced technology and climate resilience is a dynamic field, and I believe that with these enhancements, the paper can offer insights that are both timely and highly impactful.

I believe that the authors' efforts will result in a publication that significantly contributes to our understanding of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

As a general comment, the paper is well written, but several lengthy sentences make it challenging for readers to follow the main points. In line with this, I also recommend homogenising some sections' styles (e.g. Introduction).

Author Response

Response to Reviewers’ comments

Concerning the paper entitled:

“Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)”

 

We would like to begin this response letter by thanking the reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments that allowed us to improve our article. Below we have attached our step-by-step responses to the reviewers' comments. Comments have been written in bold and responses have been italicised to better distinguish them from each other.

 

Reviewer #2

The paper addresses the intersection of advanced technologies, such as the Google Earth Engine and the Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS) toolkit, and the critical issue of climate resilience. It highlights the importance of these technologies in the context of climate risk analysis, an area of increasing concern. Nevertheless, the current depth of coverage remains somewhat superficial.

I find the paper's topics and elements intriguing and highly relevant. However, I believe that further revision is needed to delve deeper into the aspects that could elevate it to a truly impactful publication.

To maximise the paper's impact, I suggest the authors consider the following points during the revision process:

Response

Thank you for your comment. We thank you for your time and thoroughness in reviewing our work and appreciate your feedback and constructive suggestions.

You highlighted the key location of our work at the intersection of advanced technologies and the critical issue of climate resilience, and we agree with your comment regarding the need for more in-depth research on the subject. We have given attention to each of your suggested points for revision.

 

1. 1. Provide a more comprehensive analysis of the Google Earth Engine, C3IS toolkit, and their applications in climate risk analysis. A deeper dive into the methodologies, capabilities, and real-world use cases would greatly enhance the paper's value.

Response

Thank you for your valuable comments and recommendations to improve our study. We pay great attention to your suggestion to expand the Google Earth Engine analysis and C3IS toolkit and their application in climate risk analyses.

 

In response to your comment:

Comprehensive Analysis of Google Earth Engine and C3IS:

We have conducted a more extensive analysis of the functionality and capabilities of Google Earth Engine and C3IS, including their technical specifications, key methodologies, and applications.

The section was supplemented with a detailed description of the technological and functional aspects of both platforms, emphasising their unique capabilities and advantages in the context of climate analysis.

Applications in Climate Risk Analysis:

We deepened the analysis of the application of both technologies in climate risk analysis by providing more specific examples and case studies demonstrating their practical value and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

Detailed examples of how these platforms have been used in different research and practical contexts have been added, with a focus on addressing specific climate challenges.

More Real-world Use Cases:

We have enriched the text with real-life use cases of the technologies so that readers can see their application in practice and possible contribution to improving climate resilience at local and global levels.

Taking into account your comments, we have endeavoured to show how Google Earth Engine and C3IS can be used to solve specific problems and improve decision-making processes in different contexts.

We are confident that the efforts made to improve and extend the analyses will present a study of great depth and practical relevance. We look forward to additional feedback and hope that the new version of the paper meets your standards and expectations.

 

2. Provide greater transparency regarding their data sources, collection methods, and any preprocessing steps. A clear explanation of the data's quality and relevance is essential for readers to assess the research's validity.

Response

Thank you for highlighting the importance of providing clear and transparent information about our data sources, collection methods, and preprocessing steps.

 

In response to your feedback:

 

• We have thoroughly revised the manuscript to explicitly detail our data sources, ensuring transparency regarding their origin and relevance.
• The data collection methods section has been expanded, now providing a comprehensive view of the mechanisms and procedures utilized.
• A meticulous explanation of the preprocessing steps has been incorporated, detailing the processes of data cleaning, normalization, and transformation.
• We've dedicated a section to elucidate the quality and relevance of the data, ensuring its capacity to robustly support our findings and conclusions.

We hope that these revisions address your concerns effectively and look forward to any further feedback you might have.

 

3. Emphasise the importance of discussing the paper's significance in the context of advancing climate resilience strategies. The revised paper should explicitly address the practical implications of the research and how it contributes to the field.

Response

Thank you for emphasizing the importance of highlighting the practical implications of our research and its contribution to advancing climate resilience strategies.

In response to your comments:

• We have refined the manuscript to underscore the significance of the study in the realm of climate resilience strategies explicitly.
• The discussion and conclusion sections have been elaborated upon to distinctly articulate the practical implications of our research, providing readers with a clear perspective on how the study can be leveraged in real-world scenarios.
• The revised manuscript now underscores how our findings and the developed C3IS module can contribute to the existing body of knowledge and potentially guide future work in the domain.

We trust that these revisions adequately address your remarks and enhance the manuscript’s contribution and clarity. We look forward to any additional feedback you may have.

 

 

4. Include tables, figures and charts to enhance data presentation and help readers better understand the findings.

Response

Thank you for the insightful recommendation regarding the incorporation of tables, figures, and charts to augment data presentation and reader comprehension.

 

We have meticulously revised the manuscript and now included several tables, figures, and charts that elucidate our findings and theoretical discussions. These visual elements have been designed to enhance clarity, provide quick insights, and facilitate a more intuitive understanding of the data and results. Additionally, each visual element is accompanied by a concise caption and is discussed in the text to ensure its context and relevance are clear to the readers.

 

We trust that these additions will significantly improve the data presentation and overall comprehensibility of our findings. We appreciate your valuable feedback and look forward to any further comments you may have.

 

5. Discuss potential limitations of the research and provide insights into areas for future study, ensuring a balanced and thorough assessment.

Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestion to discuss the potential limitations of our research and to provide insights into areas for future study.

 

In the revised manuscript, we have incorporated a comprehensive section that thoroughly discusses the limitations encountered during the research process. We have strived to offer a candid and balanced perspective, addressing aspects like data constraints, methodological considerations, and contextual limitations. Additionally, we have proposed future research avenues, spotlighting areas that could further enhance and expand upon our findings in the domain of climate resilience strategies.

 

We believe that this enhanced reflection on limitations and future directions will bring additional depth and thoroughness to our manuscript. We appreciate your expertise and feedback and are open to further suggestions to refine our work.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 

 

 

This paper well documents the necessity of understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change Access to the Google Earth Engine (GEE) Open Data Catalog of multi-petabyte collection of geospatial and socioeconomic datasets data sets is definitely a benefit of the proposed system.

It reached the level of identifying the hazardous factors, which are “ultimately contributing to informed decision-making.”  It does not discuss those informed mitigation decisions and their side effects for climate and society. Moreover, identification of some hazardous factors does not lead to mitigation decisions and actions due to multiple limitations. Such factors are not actionable.   Discovery of actionable factors and their side effects is needed. From my viewpoint it will be important if the paper will discuss it in the conclusion of the paper outlining the vision of moving to this stage.

The paper illustrates how the wind-driven soil erosion hazard  can be identified and mapped using respective models and the data available at GEE. It is quantitatively captured by the Soil Wind Erosion Potential (SWEP) measure per unit area (kg/m²) using multiple factors like highest transport capacity (kg/m); upwind perimeter of the field (m), critical field length (m); the weather factor (kg/m); erodible fraction, soil crust factor, soil roughness factor and combined crop factors.  It “paves the way for the integration of an ecological model into the GEE platform” especially for the resource-constrained developing nations suffering from droughts, floods, deforestation, soil degradation, and wind erosion-induced dust storms. The paper uses a cloud-based RWEQ model rooted in GEE for mapping of wind-driven soil erosion and the Dust Storm Index (DSI) to validate the spatial distribution of Soil Wind Erosion Potential (SWEP). Moderate Dust Storms (MDS) and Local Dust Events (LDE) are defined with different visibility ranges.

The paper uses ESA-CCI global land cover data from 300 m above sea level by aggregating different Earth observation resources. The paper: (a) estimated a monthly soil erosion potential for two counties from 2000 to 2019 observing its spatial and temporal variations,  (b) validated results with the Dust Source Index (DSI) and satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD), and (c) explored links between ground-based erosion measurements and land cover shifts.

Comments for individual pages.

p.1.  This has culminated in an creation => This has culminated in a creation

p.4. Phrases like “meticulously designed”, “carefully designed” and “systematic approach” are more appropriate for the literature review section where the work of others are evaluated, than for actual paper results. Specific details  convince a reader in these qualities better.

p.11. Please explain why “most likely demonstrates” and “may indicate” not actually?

p.11. … significant insight into flood risk assessment by combining meteorological and hydrological data. These data help urban planners and emergency management authorities to make informed decisions on flood preparedness strategies, drainage implementation and infrastructure improvements.

Review. Please provide examples of such decisions specifically derived from those data.

Author Response

Response to Reviewers’ comments

Concerning the paper entitled:

“Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)”

 

We would like to begin this response letter by thanking the reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments that allowed us to improve our article. Below we have attached our step-by-step responses to the reviewers' comments. Comments have been written in bold and responses have been italicised to better distinguish them from each other.

 

Reviewer #3

This paper well documents the necessity of understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change Access to the Google Earth Engine (GEE) Open Data Catalog of multi-petabyte collection of geospatial and socioeconomic datasets data sets is definitely a benefit of the proposed system.

It reached the level of identifying the hazardous factors, which are “ultimately contributing to informed decision-making.”  It does not discuss those informed mitigation decisions and their side effects for climate and society. Moreover, identification of some hazardous factors does not lead to mitigation decisions and actions due to multiple limitations. Such factors are not actionable.   Discovery of actionable factors and their side effects is needed. From my viewpoint it will be important if the paper will discuss it in the conclusion of the paper outlining the vision of moving to this stage.

The paper illustrates how the wind-driven soil erosion hazard can be identified and mapped using respective models and the data available at GEE. It is quantitatively captured by the Soil Wind Erosion Potential (SWEP) measure per unit area (kg/m²) using multiple factors like highest transport capacity (kg/m); upwind perimeter of the field (m), critical field length (m); the weather factor (kg/m); erodible fraction, soil crust factor, soil roughness factor and combined crop factors.  It “paves the way for the integration of an ecological model into the GEE platform” especially for the resource-constrained developing nations suffering from droughts, floods, deforestation, soil degradation, and wind erosion-induced dust storms. The paper uses a cloud-based RWEQ model rooted in GEE for mapping of wind-driven soil erosion and the Dust Storm Index (DSI) to validate the spatial distribution of Soil Wind Erosion Potential (SWEP). Moderate Dust Storms (MDS) and Local Dust Events (LDE) are defined with different visibility ranges.

The paper uses ESA-CCI global land cover data from 300 m above sea level by aggregating different Earth observation resources. The paper: (a) estimated a monthly soil erosion potential for two counties from 2000 to 2019 observing its spatial and temporal variations,  (b) validated results with the Dust Source Index (DSI) and satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD), and (c) explored links between ground-based erosion measurements and land cover shifts.

Comments for individual pages.

Response

Thank you for the recommendation. We have scrutinized the manuscript and corrected all typographical errors to enhance the clarity and readability of the text.

 

1. p.1. This has culminated in an creation => This has culminated in a creation.

Response

Thank you for pointing out the grammatical error in our manuscript.

 

We have carefully revised the text and corrected the mentioned error in the sentence on page 1 from "This has culminated in an creation" to "This has culminated in a creation". The manuscript has undergone an additional round of proofreading to ensure that such mistakes are rectified throughout the document.

 

We appreciate your diligent attention to detail and welcome any further feedback you might have.

2. 
   p.4. Phrases like “meticulously designed”, “carefully designed” and “systematic approach” are more appropriate for the literature review section where the work of others are evaluated, than for actual paper results. Specific details convince a reader in these qualities better.

Response

Thank you for your astute observations regarding our choice of descriptive phrases in the section of our actual paper results.

 

In light of your feedback, we have meticulously revised page 4 and modified our language to be more objective and results-focused. We have replaced the phrases like “meticulously designed”, “carefully designed”, and “systematic approach” with more specific and data-driven language that directly illustrates the processes and results. Furthermore, we have ensured that our descriptions now emphasize concrete findings and specific details about our methodologies and outcomes to robustly validate our claims and convincingly communicate the qualities of our work to the reader.

 

We sincerely value your constructive feedback and hope that the revised manuscript aligns more closely with the standards of objective and clear scientific communication.

 

3. p.11. Please explain why “most likely demonstrates” and “may indicate” not actually?

Response

Thank you for your attentive observation and constructive question regarding the usage of “most likely demonstrates” and “may indicate” on page 11.

 

In the revised manuscript, we have meticulously addressed your comment by providing a detailed explanation and justification for the usage of these terms. The language in question was initially used to convey a degree of scientific caution and acknowledgment of potential variables. However, upon your insight and further review, we have amended this section to offer a clearer and more confident depiction of the data and its implications. Where possible and supported by the data, we have substituted those phrases with more assertive language, while ensuring that we continue to adhere to scientific accuracy and integrity.

 

We appreciate your thoughtful feedback and are hopeful that these modifications enhance the clarity and precision of our findings within the manuscript.

 

4. p.11. … significant insight into flood risk assessment by combining meteorological and hydrological data. These data help urban planners and emergency management authorities to make informed decisions on flood preparedness strategies, drainage implementation and infrastructure improvements.

Response

We genuinely appreciate your attentive feedback regarding the discussion on the combination of meteorological and hydrological data for flood risk assessment on page 11.

 

Your observation has spurred a thorough revision of the mentioned section. In the updated manuscript, we have expanded upon the significance of integrating meteorological and hydrological data, offering a detailed explanation of how these data contribute to informed decision-making processes in urban planning and emergency management. We have incorporated explicit examples and case studies to underscore how these data have been utilized to formulate flood preparedness strategies, implement drainage systems, and guide infrastructural improvements.

 

Your insightful comments have indubitably enriched the depth and applicability of our discussion, and we hope that the revised section now provides a comprehensive and pragmatic exploration of the topic.

 

5. Review. Please provide examples of such decisions specifically derived from those data.

Response

Thank you for highlighting the necessity for providing specific examples to elucidate decisions derived from the data, in our discussion of flood risk assessment.

 

In the revised manuscript, we have incorporated specific instances and case studies where the amalgamation of meteorological and hydrological data has directly informed decision-making in urban planning and emergency management. These examples span various geographical locations and scenarios, illustrating how data insights have been translated into actionable strategies such as enhancing flood preparedness, optimizing drainage systems, and improving infrastructure resilience against flooding.

 

Your feedback was instrumental in enhancing the practical relevance and applicability of our discussion, and we believe the inclusion of these examples provides a tangible context to our research findings.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this study, the author has made an effort to introduce the C3IS toolkit and highlight the capabilities of Google Earth Engine (GEE) in assessing the impact of climate changes and associated risks. Overall, the paper is well-written, and I have provided some comments below to help enhance its quality.

However, my primary concern is that I have not been able to identify the novelty of the paper. I would kindly request the authors to clearly emphasize what is new and innovative in this paper and explain why they consider it timely. Once I receive a revised version that highlights the innovation, it will facilitate my decision regarding the suitability of this paper for publication in the Journal of Remote Sensing.

In the introduction, provide a more detailed overview of how climate change impacts the environment, with a particular focus on its effects on both global and urban landscapes. Emphasize the necessity for tools aimed at addressing these challenges.

Figure 1: The study site map should incorporate essential geographical elements like a scale, north arrow, and grid. Additionally, it is recommended to enhance the zoom level of the study sites and include supplementary information, such as a land use map, digital elevation model (DEM), or high-resolution orthophoto. This additional data will provide readers with valuable insights into your study sites.

Lines 104-118 necessitate appropriate citations or references. Could you please specify the source of this information.

Lines 120-127: References!!

In the discussion section, explore the possibility of comparing your results with existing findings in the field of climate change monitoring using C3IS, including heat wave tracking, to enrich the depth of your research.

I recommend adding a dedicated section to your paper that thoroughly elaborates on the limitations of your study. Every research has room for improvement, so sharing your suggestions for future work in this section would be valuable

 

Author Response

Response to Reviewers’ comments

Concerning the paper entitled:

“Empowering Climate Resilience: Leveraging Cloud-Computing and Big Data for Community Climate Change Impact Service (C3IS)”

 

We would like to begin this response letter by thanking the reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments that allowed us to improve our article. Below we have attached our step-by-step responses to the reviewers' comments. Comments have been written in bold and responses have been italicised to better distinguish them from each other.

 

Reviewer #4

This paper well documents the necessity of understanding and mitigating the impact of climate change Access to the Google Earth Engine (GEE) Open Data Catalog of multi-petabyte collection of geospatial and socioeconomic datasets data sets is definitely a benefit of the proposed system.

Response

We thank you for this comment.

 

1. In the introduction, provide a more detailed overview of how climate change impacts the environment, with a particular focus on its effects on both global and urban landscapes. Emphasize the necessity for tools aimed at addressing these challenges.

Response

Thank you for your valuable input concerning the depth of the overview in the introduction regarding the impacts of climate change on the environment, with a specialized focus on global and urban landscapes.

 

Taking your insightful comment into consideration, we have thoroughly revised the introduction. We've enriched it with a more detailed discussion on how climate change ubiquitously impacts environmental dynamics, meticulously delineating its effects on both global ecosystems and specific urban landscapes. Additionally, we have emphasized the exigency for developing and utilizing innovative tools, like the one discussed in our manuscript, to navigate and mitigate these multifaceted challenges effectively. This enhanced contextual foundation aims to provide readers with a clear understanding of the vital intersection between climate change impacts and the need for advanced, accessible analytical tools.

 

We trust that these revisions amplify the clarity and relevance of the introduction, aligning it closely with your constructive feedback.

“The accelerating effects of climate change have brought the global community to a critical period. Understanding and mitigating the impacts has become imperative. Given the frequency of occurrence of abnormal and/or extreme weather events causing changes in climatic conditions, the need for innovative tools to comprehensively assess, predict, prevent or mitigate climate risks has become increasingly urgent. Adapting to the coming natural hazards and impacts of climate change is impossible without developing a community resilience strategy, because the threat to all humanity is greater than ever [1]. At this stage, the use of advanced technologies and approaches based on big data and the emerging Internet of Things offer significant opportunities to enhance resilience and adaptation to the changing climate landscape [2, 3]. Accessing and analysing big geo-spatial data is crucial for planning scenarios for the application of climate impacts [3]. One of the most recent advances is related to advanced developments in cloud computing. This has culminated in the creation of Google Earth Engine (GEE), a free platform that com-bines big geospatial data and cloud computing [4, 5].

Operationalising space imagery can be a key lever in addressing the growing challenges of climate change. Harnessing the power of geospatial data and satellite imagery to collect actionable information in real time can dramatically change the status quo and create a new paradigm for combating climate risks. The main obstacle to this is the need for lengthy, time-consuming data pre-processing, the complexity of subsequent modelling and the lack of availability of the necessary tools and information to a wide range of users. Authors of recent studies [6,7,8,9,10,11] have made significant progress in understanding the multifaceted impacts of climate change and have developed valuable tools for risk assessment. Nevertheless, there is still a need for a more streamlined and accessible approach to address the existing challenges and obstacles in this area.

The authors [12] note that advances in the application of remote thermal sensing of natural and agricultural surfaces provide insight into possible methods for advancing technologies and capabilities in urban areas. Improvements in the spatial and spectral resolution of current and next generation satellite sensors, more detailed representations of urban surfaces, and the availability of high-resolution thermal imaging scanners will allow progress in the application of remote sensing data to study the climate of urban areas. In [13] also assessed the impact of urbanisation on the urban heat island effect UHI and climate change in Morogoro, Tanzania, found an increase in unprotected surfaces from 9 km2 in 1990 to 82 km2 in 2015 associated with UHI and a significant upward trend in mean annual maximum temperature, indicating the need for effective urban planning and education to mitigate heat stress for residents.

Researchers at the University of Colorado [14] focused their research on the effects of urbanisation on land surface phenology, examining intra-urban differences in vegetation phenophases by analysing seasonal onset in the city of Roanoke using MODIS, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and in situ observations of temperature and onset, and found that these differences correspond to different microclimates that could inform plans to increase urban tree crowns or cultivate sites for urban agriculture. The ongoing effects of UHI in rapidly urbanising cities, exacerbated by global climate change, have increased heat stress for countless urban residents, especially those who are most vulnerable during heat waves. The authors [15] investigated SUHI in five study cities in East Africa in different climatic zones in 2003 and 2017. The results showed that differences in climatic conditions and urban development patterns had a significant impact on SUHI changes. They revealed that policy makers and urban planners should consider strategies to mitigate the effects of UHI, taking into account climatic conditions, projected climate change and urban development patterns. as well as the consequences of the growth of informal settlements.

This has set the stage for the C3IS module. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the development of an innovative approach to analysing climate risk impacts based on the Google Earth Engine platform through the creation of a new Community Climate Change Impacts Service (C3IS) Module. The C3IS toolkit is a synergy of advanced geospatial technologies with user-friendly interfaces. The subsequent practical implementation of this approach could mark a significant step towards building a more sustainable future in the face of an ever-changing climate landscape.

The C3IS module has the potential to revolutionise the operational processing of space imagery, especially in the context of climate risk analysis in urban environments. Our research hypothesis is based on the fact that the integration of the Google Earth Engine toolkit for Climate Change Impact Services will have an impact by optimising the entire process of climate change risk analysis. This optimised approach will provide stake-holders with timely, accurate and useful data, enabling informed decision-making in the face of climate-related challenges.

The assessment of the technical and economic benefits of implementing C3IS demonstrates the technical viability of the toolkit, including functionality, design, ca-pabilities and adaptability to different application scenarios.”

 

2. Figure 1: The study site map should incorporate essential geographical elements like a scale, north arrow, and grid. Additionally, it is recommended to enhance the zoom level of the study sites and include supplementary information, such as a land use map, digital elevation model (DEM), or high-resolution orthophoto. This additional data will provide readers with valuable insights into your study sites.

Response

Thank you for your detailed feedback regarding Figure 1. We carefully considered your suggestions, particularly concerning the inclusion of essential geographical elements and supplementary information. However, following extensive revisions, the direction and concept of our article evolved, leading us to present the study site differently.

While we understand the importance of geographical elements and additional data layers in conveying a comprehensive understanding of the study sites, the revised orientation of our article demanded a more abstract representation. This was done to align with the modified focus and overarching theme of our research.

We genuinely appreciate your insights and believe they are invaluable for enhancing the quality of research. We hope that despite these decisions, the revised content and direction of our article will resonate with its intended purpose and audience.

 

3. Lines 104-118 necessitate appropriate citations or references. Could you please specify the source of this information.

Response

Thank you for highlighting the need for appropriate citations in lines 104-118. We have carefully reviewed this section and incorporated the necessary references to provide clarity on the source of the information presented. The paper has been thoroughly revised to ensure that all assertions are well-cited and the content adheres to academic standards. We appreciate your valuable feedback, which has greatly contributed to enhancing the quality and credibility of our research.

 

4. Lines 120-127: References!!.

Response

Thank you for pointing out the omission of references in lines 120-127. We have meticulously addressed this oversight by incorporating the pertinent citations in that section. The entire manuscript has undergone a comprehensive revision to ensure that all information is appropriately attributed. We are grateful for your attentive feedback, as it has significantly aided in refining the accuracy and credibility of our article.

 

5. In the discussion section, explore the possibility of comparing your results with existing findings in the field of climate change monitoring using C3IS, including heat wave tracking, to enrich the depth of your research.

Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestion regarding the discussion section. We have now incorporated a comparative analysis with existing findings in the realm of climate change monitoring using C3IS, especially focusing on heat wave tracking. This comparison has provided richer context and depth to our research, enabling readers to better appreciate the novelty and implications of our findings. The entire paper has been revised extensively to ensure thoroughness and to address all previous concerns. Your feedback was instrumental in enhancing the quality of our work.

 

6. I recommend adding a dedicated section to your paper that thoroughly elaborates on the limitations of your study. Every research has room for improvement, so sharing your suggestions for future work in this section would be valuable.

Response

Thank you for your insightful recommendation. We have now added a dedicated section in the paper that delves into the limitations of our study. This section not only acknowledges the constraints and potential sources of bias but also offers directions for future research in this area. The paper has undergone comprehensive revisions to ensure clarity, depth, and robustness. We truly appreciate your constructive feedback, which was crucial in refining our manuscript.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for the attention given to the comments provided, as they have been thoughtfully integrated into the new version of the manuscript. The updates introduced have notably enhanced the final result, significantly improving the overall quality of the research.

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have effectively addressed all of my comments. The manuscript has shown significant improvement, and I am confident that the research merits publication.