Welcome to CliMA's website! CliMA is the Research Unit on Climate and Environmental Changes within the Center for Geographical Studies of the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning from University of Lisbon.

CliMA research focuses on environmental changes due or related to climate variability and change aiming the application of results to spatial planning and land use management. CliMA group regards the participation of young scientists (post-docs, PhD students, Master students, students with grants) in its research and the cooperation with planners or stakeholders (Municipalities, DGOTDU) as crucial to the success of the project.

MAIN RESEARCH TOPICS:

1. CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT IN URBAN AREAS

- Urban climate studies (development and maintenance of mesoscale and microscale temperature and humidity networks in different urban areas, development of interpolation methodologies in urban areas, development of skills in producing urban climate maps).
- Relationship between regional and urban climate changes.
- Environmental impacts caused by cities.
- Bioclimatological research in urban areas (carried out in an interdisciplinary perspective and including thermal confort perception studies).
- Climate guideleines for urban planning.
- Adaptation and mitigation measures in urban areas.
- Impacts  of vehicles pollution on cities.

2. CLIMATE CHANGE  AND VARIABILITY FROM HISTORICAL, INSTRUMENTAL, PALEOCLIMATIC  AND GEOBOTANICAL DATA

- Historical climatology – Climate reconstruction based on documentary data prior to the existence of regular instrumental observations. Studies of climate variability of the 17th and 18th century.
- Studies of climatic variability based in instrumental and modelled data.
- Research on actual and potential vegetation, succession dynamics, relationship with environmental factors in different vulnerable ecosystems prone to considerable damages according to some climate change projections for the present century.
- Paleoclimatic studies (post-glacial vegetal communities dynamics in Central Europe and Iberia).

3. APPLIED CLIMATOLOGY

- Study, in a detailed spatial scale, of extreme thermal events (eg. heat and cold waves) and its relationship with health in urbanized areas.
- Spatial and temporal patterns of thunderstorms and its socio-economic impacts;
- Other climate hazards, such as strong wind and heavy rain hazards and the relationship between weather and road accidents.
- Climatic resources for tourism and the foreseen alterations on  the relationships between climate and tourism in climate change scenarios
- Local climate and agriculture.
- Energy consumption of buildings related to thermal patterns.
- Wind power potential evaluation for sustainable energy implementation near urban areas.