Assessment of the Climate Environmental Vulnerability Index for Urban Settlements on the Mediterranean Coast: A Case Study in Sicily

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Based on climate and socio-economic data, this study analyzed the climate vulnerability of cities in Mediterranean coastal cities. The research results may contribute to further understand the relationship between social development and climate change. However, there are some concerns that the authors should address before it can be considered for publication.

1. In the introduction, I suggest the authors add more references to back "The impacts generated by climate change can have an impact on both natural resources and buildings and infrastructure, as well as the established population (e.g., Pörtner et al., 2023; Sumasgutner et al., 2023)".

2. What is the basis for the data of the climate environment data in the study area?

3. How did the authors avoid the subjectivity of AHP method?

4. In order to make the results more clearly in this study, I suggest the authors put clearer pictures in the article.

5. In order to further highlight the innovation of this article, it is better to compare the results of this study with some related studies.

6. I suggest the authors add a table to describe the data used in this study.

7. A paragraph of limitation discussion should be added to clarify the limitation or uncertainty of data and methods in this current study.

References:

Pörtner H O, Scholes R J, Arneth A, et al. Overcoming the coupled climate and biodiversity crises and their societal impacts. Science, 2023, 380(6642): eabl4881.

Sumasgutner P, Cunningham S J, Hegemann A, et al. Interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation on birds across different climate zones: A mechanistic perspective. Global Change Biology, 2023, 29(9): 2399-2420.

Author Response

Reviewer 1

Based on climate and socio-economic data, this study analyzed the climate vulnerability of cities in Mediterranean coastal cities. The research results may contribute to further understand the relationship between social development and climate change. However, there are some concerns that the authors should address before it can be considered for publication.

 

Thank you very much for your time and valuable feedback. We have reorganized several sections, added some additional information, and improved the quality of the figures and tables. These changes have enhanced the overall quality of the manuscript, and we hope you share our assessment.

 

1. In the introduction, I suggest the authors add more references to back "The impacts generated by climate change can have an impact on both natural resources and buildings and infrastructure, as well as the established population (e.g., Pörtner et al., 2023; Sumasgutner et al., 2023)”.

 

Please refer to line 55 (now 55) and the following lines of the introduction, where we have inserted the text to account for the findings of Sumasgutner et al., 2023.

The text now reads: "Climate change and urbanization are among the most pervasive and rapidly growing threats to biodiversity worldwide. ...".

 

2. What is the basis for the data of the climate environment data in the study area?

 

The sources of the data used in the study are specified on lines 166 and 167(now 171-176), which I have included below for your reference:

Lines 166-170(now 174-179): "Meteorological data is obtained from SIAS Regione Sicilia, while sociodemographic data are sourced from ISTAT [40]. The parameters under examination, T, P, DENS, and WI, are determined as follows:

Ti, the absolute maximum temperature of the city I, is the average of the absolute maximum temperatures for the two distinct periods defined above [12]. The climatic values for these periods are considered as shown in equation 2."

 

3. How did the authors avoid the subjectivity of AHP method?

 

The AHP method was designed to avoid subjectivity among the expert evaluators. In fact, opinions from different groups of experts are included to take into account the existing variety of different points of view on this problem.

 

4. In order to make the results more clearly in this study, I suggest the authors put clearer pictures in the article.

 

We have enhanced the quality of the images to make the article easier to read. Additionally, more tables have been included in the appendix.

 

5. In order to further highlight the innovation of this article, it is better to compare the results of this study with some related studies.

 

While we were unable to compare our results with other studies specifically focused on the Sicilian region, we found inspiration in similar studies, such as those by Giordano et al. and Francini et al. Their work played a significant role in shaping the calculations for our vulnerability index.

Lines 64-68(now 66-70) “Some of mong the various national and international studies and methodologies used to assess local climate vulnerability [18-20], some have been a valuable reference for the methodological approach presented in this paper. In particular, we consider the formulas 2 and 3 and the AHP method used in the research carried out by Francini et al. [12] to draw a starting point for the formulas used in this article. „

References

Füssel,H.M.;Jol,A.;Hildén,M.ClimateChange,ImpactsandVulnerabilityinEurope2012;AnIndicator-based Report 12/2012; European Environment Agency: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2012

Lankao, P.R.; Qin, H. Conceptualizing urban vulnerability to global climate and environmental change. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 2011

Tapia, C.; Abajo, B.; Feliu, E.; Mendizabal, M.; Martinez, J.A.; Fernández, J.G.; Laburu, T.; Lejarazu, A. Profiling urban vulnerabilities to climate change: An indicator-based vulnerability assessment for European cities. Ecol. Indic. 2017, 78,

Giordano,F.;Sebbio,C.;Antolini,G.;Botarelli,L.;Flapp,F.;Bonati,V.;Onorato,L.;Loglisci,N.;Priod,G.; Pelosini, R.; et al. Criteri per la definizione di indicatori prioritari di impatto dei cambiamenti climatici: Verso un set a livello nazionale. Ingegneria dell’Ambiente 2018, 5, 213–227

Francini, Mauro, et al. "A method for the definition of local vulnerability domains to climate change and relate mapping. Two case studies in southern Italy." Sustainability 12.22 (2020): 9454.

 

6. I suggest the authors add a table to describe the data used in this study.

 

Tables have been included in the appendix.

 

7. A paragraph of limitation discussion should be added to clarify the limitation or uncertainty of data and methods in this current study.

 

We have expanded section 6, "Study Limitations and Prospective Research Lines," to provide more depth.

Please refer to lines 307-308(now 324-330):

307-308(now 323-324) Studying further data on the climate vulnerability index could provide a complete picture of the climate in the Sicily region.

 

"Studying additional data that may influence the climate vulnerability index could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the situation in the Sicilian region. Other variables could be considered, such as the interaction between the vulnerability index and environmental pollution in urban areas. However, obtaining the necessary data and information is currently a challenge. Therefore, this study aims to serve as a starting point for further research on the climate vulnerability index and to offer a more complete picture."

References:

Pörtner H O, Scholes R J, Arneth A, et al. Overcoming the coupled climate and biodiversity crises and their societal impacts. Science, 2023, 380(6642): eabl4881.

Sumasgutner P, Cunningham S J, Hegemann A, et al. Interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation on birds across different climate zones: A mechanistic perspective. Global Change Biology, 2023, 29(9): 2399-2420.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have prepared a study to develop a climate vulnerability index for cities in the Mediterranean region. The article focuses on Sicily and does not comment much on other parts of the diverse Mediterranean region, so the focus is on Sicily as the main case study.

The contribution of the article seems weak in that it does not review the concept of vulnerability indices in detail, and there are candidates for comparison.  As a few examples, flooding, drought, and terrorism have vulnerability indices which could be compared.It does not present a compelling argument for the method developed.

The authors use the ADP method with expert opinion to assess the selection of parameters for the index. The four parameters selected are logical, with the possible exception of urban density.   The authors should justify why the index is better than just using temperature as the basis for judging vulnerability.  Also, what about humidity?  Certainly, there is a big difference between arid and humid high-temperature zones.  Also, could urban density be replaced by a metric about tourism fluctuations?

 The paper bounces around in subjects and is repetitive and requires some reorganization.  For example, the introduction section is a mixture of general comments and literature review but it lacks a logical succession of the arguments.  The authors casually introduce at line 61 that they have developed a method for analysis, but no foundation has been laid for this.   

Finally, the conclusions are very weak and too short.  It is difficult to know what is novel and significant about the work.  

My assessment is that, although the paper is somewhat weak in analysis and conceptual underpinnings, it can be published with some major improvements. The paper should be reorganized to make the flow of arguments more logical.  For example, one of the most important subjects should be how the climate vulnerability index could be used in adaptation. Currently, this is only introduced in the discussion section at around line 245. It seems that this topic deserves a separate section in the paper.  The conceptual basis for the method should be justified more.  The conclusions should be much stronger and more comprehensive.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

see above

Author Response

Reviewer 2

The authors have prepared a study to develop a climate vulnerability index for cities in the Mediterranean region. The article focuses on Sicily and does not comment much on other parts of the diverse Mediterranean region, so the focus is on Sicily as the main case study.

 

Thank you for your observation. We have slightly modified the title to better focus on the area of study. Specifically, we have added "Case Study in Sicily" to the second line of the title.

The revised title of the article is:

"Assessment of the Climate Environmental Vulnerability Index for Urban Settlements on the Mediterranean Coast: Case Study in Sicily."

 

The contribution of the article seems weak in that it does not review the concept of vulnerability indices in detail, and there are candidates for comparison.  As a few examples, flooding, drought, and terrorism have vulnerability indices which could be compared.It does not present a compelling argument for the method developed.

 

Thank you for your observation, which allows us to clarify that this study aims to address a climate vulnerability index—specifically, one related to the key climatic factors of a region. The aim is to extrapolate potential remedies to counteract the ongoing effects of climate change.

The ultimate goal of this study is to determine a series of interventions that could mitigate or counter the effects of climate change. These interventions should be considered during the drafting of local territorial plans.

 

The authors use the ADP method with expert opinion to assess the selection of parameters for the index. The four parameters selected are logical, with the possible exception of urban density.   The authors should justify why the index is better than just using temperature as the basis for judging vulnerability.  Also, what about humidity?  Certainly, there is a big difference between arid and humid high-temperature zones.  Also, could urban density be replaced by a metric about tourism fluctuations?

 

While the effects of climate change are most evident in temperature changes, they are also significant in precipitation and wind patterns. Therefore, in this research on climate risk, we have focused primarily on temperature changes without considering humidity, as these four selected factors significantly impact the urbanization of the examined Sicilian cities.

The observation also clarifies that this study aims to address a climate vulnerability index for a specific region. The "Study Area" section elaborates on this, starting at line 110 (now 119).

"Sicily has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by dry summers with a high risk of drought and rainy winters with mild temperatures. The sea influences the climate, which is warm temperate, with daily and annual temperature variations modestly below 21°C: hot summers and mild winters. The coastal areas of Sicily experience a subtropical climate, meeting the parameters of this climatic type: the average annual temperature on the coasts exceeds 32°C. "

Finally, incorporating additional variables into our AHP methodology would have been highly complex. In the introduction, we emphasized that numerous factors can determine a vulnerability index; however, we focused on the factors deemed most significant by our team of experts.

Moreover, in the "Limitations" section, we acknowledged that the lack of a comprehensive dataset on climate trends in Sicily is a limitation of this research. However, this article serves as a valuable starting point for further studies. Through numerical calculations, it objectively classifies and identifies which areas in the region are at higher climatic risk, highlighting where intervention is most urgent. This information is particularly valuable for policymakers, providing them with a practical tool to allocate economic resources and prioritize intervention in specific cities.

 

 The paper bounces around in subjects and is repetitive and requires some reorganization.  For example, the introduction section is a mixture of general comments and literature review but it lacks a logical succession of the arguments.  The authors casually introduce at line 61 that they have developed a method for analysis, but no foundation has been laid for this.  

Finally, the conclusions are very weak and too short.  It is difficult to know what is novel and significant about the work. 

 

We want to clarify that the authors did not arbitrarily introduce the analysis method mentioned in line 62. Specifically, we aimed to highlight the process that led to the calculation described on that line. The citations provided, which are part of a literature review as noted, were intended to inspire the calculation on line 62. Our goal was to reference related studies through the cited bibliography. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the need for urban planning to account for climate change. Climate vulnerability and other risk indices should be considered in planning. To this end, the article classifies some cities using these indices to provide general guidance and to raise awareness among local policymakers about the risks associated with climate variation. This is crucial, given the ongoing environmental impact issues we face today.

 

My assessment is that, although the paper is somewhat weak in analysis and conceptual underpinnings, it can be published with some major improvements. The paper should be reorganized to make the flow of arguments more logical.  For example, one of the most important subjects should be how the climate vulnerability index could be used in adaptation. Currently, this is only introduced in the discussion section at around line 245. It seems that this topic deserves a separate section in the paper.  The conceptual basis for the method should be justified more.  The conclusions should be much stronger and more comprehensive.

 

We would like to highlight that in the abstract, line 20 (now 21) reads:

“This article describes a method for categorizing urban areas based on climate-related risks as a targeting and prioritization system for allocating climate resilience measures at cities. The method allow the calculation of a Climate Vulnerability Index value, considering temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, population density, altitude, and urban area “

Line 24 (now 25)

“the Index application generates quantifiable vulnerability values for a set of urban settlements, thereby enabling comparison and prioritization. The reproducible and scalable method provides a valuable tool for urban analysis beyond the Mediterranean and can facilitate decision-making processes to initiate future studies and projects”

In the introduction, line 61 (now 62) previously stated:

"The method proposed by the authors is built on the basis of the definition of vulnerability as a function of the type, magnitude and rate of climate change to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity and its ability to adapt."

This concept has now been reinforced. The revised text introduces the following:

Line 73 (now 76):
The newly created equation relates several variables deemed essential for describing the climate vulnerability index. It will provide a numerical value that represents the vulnerability of an urban settlement on a numerical scale.

Lines 76 (now 80) and following:
This classification can facilitate the decision-making process for developing management, prevention, defense, adaptation, or mitigation plans based on the climatic risk of the examined urban area [24]. The climate vulnerability index is essential for the settlements examined [25-27].

Lines 79 (now 83) and following:
"Therefore, factors such as wind, absolute maximum temperatures, precipitation, and the residential density of the urban area have been considered. These factors have been adjusted by a percentage based on regional data concerning tourist flow in Sicily. Finally, the numerical result of the urban vulnerability index and the subsequent drafting of a ranking determine which urban settlement requires more urgent intervention. This climate vulnerability index enables territorial planning to mitigate the risks associated with climate change in the Sicily region."

Lines 204 (now 218) and following:
Previously:
" With the equation ready, it is applied to the ten selected cities as shown in Table 2, yielding different climate vulnerability index (CVI) values. "

Revised to:
With the equation established, the vulnerability index is calculated for the examined urban settlements of ten selected cities, as shown in Table 2. Different climate vulnerability index (CVI) values are yielded.

Line 214 (now 229):
Previously:
" Cities resulting in a vulnerability index higher than 0.60 are cities with severe problems linked to the extremely hot climate. For these cities urgent interventions must be planned to mitigate the effects of the climate in the summer months, specially prioritizing those with CVI beyond 0.65, that usually add, to the climatic issues,”

 

Revised to:
„The cities that, according to the calculations of the climate vulnerability index, have a vulnerability index above 0.60 are cities with severe climate-related issues, identified as having extremely high temperatures. For these cities with a climatic index above 0.60, urgent interventions must be planned to mitigate the effects of the climate during the summer months, with priority given to those with a CVI above 0.65, which are typically among the most critical,”

 

Lines 284 (now 299):

Previously:

Knowledge of the climate vulnerability index provides managers politicians a solid basis for making decisions that balance economic and environmental objectives. [87, 88]

Revised to:

Through this study, we can calculate a numerical value for the Climate Vulnerability Index, which provides inputs for more specific assessments. Therefore, this allows us to objectively determine the climate vulnerability of cities within a given region and establish a ranking (value scale). Therefore, knowledge of the climate vulnerability index gives managers and politicians a solid basis for making decisions that balance economic and environmental objectives [87, 88].

Moderate editing of English language required.

The English Language has been revised.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors responded comprehensively to my review comments and I recommend publication now.  The two review reports shown were duplicates (both mine), so I am not sure who else has reviewed the paper, but is seems that at least one other reviewer should comment.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

see above