Historic Centre of Kraków
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2019 —
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A comparative analysis of Polish city brands reveals that the brand of Kraków stands out as more unique compared to other major cities, while Gdańsk and Warsaw share similar brand elements, as do Poznań and Wrocław. This distinction was identified through an examination of 5,125 online reviews from TripAdvisor, focusing on tourist hotspots such as old markets or towns in five Polish cities. The study highlights how digital narratives shape city branding and provides insights into the perceptions shaping global tourism trends.
New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands
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2019 —
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A newly described red algal species, Gigartina falshawiae, has been identified from Stewart Island, New Zealand, resolving a long-standing taxonomic confusion with Iridaea tuberculosa. The discovery clarifies that G. falshawiae, previously mislabeled as I. tuberculosa in Lindauer's collection, is distinct in morphology—featuring forked, bushy thalli with marginal proliferations and lobed cystocarps—while I. tuberculosa exhibits fan-shaped thalli without proliferations and globose cystocarps. Additionally, their distributional ranges differ: G. falshawiae is endemic to Stewart Island, whereas I. tuberculosa occurs on the New Zealand subantarctic islands (Antipodes, Auckland, and Campbell Islands), with both species co-occurring on the Snares Islands. This study corrects a 30-year-old misidentification, enhancing our understanding of Gigartina taxonomy in New Zealand.
Doñana National Park
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2019 —
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Groundwater pumping near a coastal resort threatens the hydrological stability of Doñana National Park’s Santa Olalla pond, despite no immediate visible damage. Advanced time-series analysis—including wavelet techniques and seasonal decomposition—revealed hidden, seasonally driven interactions between surface water and groundwater, challenging previous conceptual models. These methods, unprecedented in such ecosystems, highlighted critical groundwater inputs essential for maintaining the pond’s permanent hydroperiod. The study underscores the need for vigilant monitoring to preserve this fragile system amid rising coastal development pressures.
Sacred City of Anuradhapura
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2019 —
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Urban agriculture in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's first Buddhist city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, functions as a 'performing system' that integrates people with the landscape to enhance physical and mental wellbeing. This study reveals how agricultural practices, particularly around large reservoirs (wewa) and paddy fields, create a sustainable urban environment rooted in Buddhist philosophy. By engaging in laborious agricultural tasks, residents experience spiritual dimensions tied to the city's orientation, embodying the 'four noble truths' and fostering a healthy, sustainable cityscape. The research synthesizes phenomenology, anthropology, neuroscience, and Buddhist philosophy to explore how this embodied landscape promotes wellbeing, offering insights into the intersection of agriculture, spirituality, and urban design.
Wood Buffalo National Park
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2019 —
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This study highlights the tension between corporate and Métis perspectives on bison management in Wood Buffalo National Park, particularly concerning oil sands reclamation. It reveals that corporate bison herds, used as symbols of corporate social responsibility, are seen by Métis communities as 'urban buffalos'—distinct from free-roaming populations and representative of an obfuscation of Indigenous legal orders that prioritize autonomy and relationality in human-animal interactions. The research traces the historical regulation of Indigenous harvesting rights within the park, illustrating how federal and provincial policies have restricted movement and access to traditional lands. It also serves as a cautionary tale for the free-roaming Ronald Lake bison population, whose territory is threatened by a proposed open-pit mine. The study calls for wildlife management practices and industrial development to incorporate Métis legal orders and reconciliation in decision-making processes.
Erbil Citadel
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2019 —
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Erbil has undergone significant urban expansion from 1947 to 2017, with its growth centered around the Erbil Citadel. The study reveals that the city's expansion has been influenced by its semi-arid continental climate, characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters. Located in the fertile Erbil plain, the citadel rises 26.5 meters above the surrounding city, which sits at an elevation of 412 meters above sea level. The research utilized GIS maps from the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning Directorate to analyze urban growth patterns and environmental impacts over seven decades.
Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
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2019 —
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An Islamic ethical framework rooted in Sharia principles, emphasizing charity, hard work, and self-sufficiency, proves effective for pro-poor tourism initiatives. This study compares the framework with the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative, a large-scale project led by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture around Humayun's Tomb, Delhi. The initiative demonstrates how sustainable, justice-based development can integrate multiple stakeholders while preserving heritage and fostering socio-economic growth. By aligning Islamic values with modern tourism practices, the research highlights a viable model for equitable community development in UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar
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2019 —
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Over half of tourists visiting Porto are primarily motivated by its cultural and gastronomic appeal, with hedonic consumption driving their choices. This insight emerges from a study that systematically identified and prioritized key pull factors influencing tourist behavior in the historic center of Porto using the Analytical Hierarchy Process method. The research addresses a gap in understanding Porto's growing importance as a European tourist destination by analyzing surveys conducted non-intrusively, offering valuable guidance for tourism professionals aiming to craft authentic experiences that leverage Porto's unique cultural and culinary heritage.
Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca
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2019 —
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Urban expansion in George Town, Malaysia, has complex effects on local communities. While less urbanized areas welcome growth for economic opportunities and job creation, longer-established urban residents show mixed reactions, indicating that inclusive development policies are needed to balance benefits across regions while protecting the environment. The study used satellite imagery and GIS techniques to map urban sprawl, combined with quantitative and qualitative data collection to assess community perceptions.
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities
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2019 —
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New archaeological discoveries in Uruk, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'The Ahwar of Southern Iraq,' reveal significant insights into the city's early 3rd millennium BC fortifications and a sacred structure outside its walls. The research, conducted in collaboration with Iraqi authorities, utilized advanced aerial photography to generate detailed topographic plans and map archaeological remains, while geophysical prospection and environmental surveys expanded the understanding of Uruk's landscape. These findings contribute to the broader study of Mesopotamian urban development and biodiversity conservation within the Ahwar region. Additionally, the project provided training for local and European junior archaeologists, fostering capacity-building in both fields.
The Sundarbans
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2019 —
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A third of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove, shows long-term degradation despite overall stability in its extent. Using a novel Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) method on 30 years of Landsat data, researchers found that 25% of the area experienced negative greening trends—likely due to die-back in Heritiera fomes—and that 47.6% of areas damaged by Cyclone Sidr in 2007 had not recovered by mid-2018. While the Sundarbans demonstrates resilience to cyclones, climate-driven degradation may erode this over time. The CCDC method, though computationally intensive, offers a powerful tool for global mangrove monitoring by leveraging every available satellite observation, bypassing cloud cover limitations.
Town of Luang Prabang
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2019 —
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A novel approach combining Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Analysis successfully identified optimal travel routes from Phayao Province, Thailand, to Luang Prabang, Laos. This method leveraged expert input from Thai government agencies and private tourism businesses, alongside survey data, to construct a robust traveling database. The integration of GIS functionality with multi-criteria evaluation provided a data-driven solution that surpassed traditional routing methods, offering significant potential for enhancing tourism planning in the region. The findings underscore the effectiveness of this hybrid approach in addressing complex travel logistics while balancing multiple stakeholders' interests.
Teide National Park
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2019 —
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Geotagged data from social networks, including photographs and GPS tracks, can effectively analyze visitor behavior in national parks. A study on Teide National Park, the most visited in Spain, demonstrated that such data provides valuable insights into spatial distribution, points of interest, itinerary networks, temporal patterns, and visitors' origins. Additionally, this approach offers practical applications for determining optimal locations for new facilities like information stands. The research highlights the potential of social media-derived data as a tool for understanding and managing visitor behavior in protected areas.
Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapura or Chok Gargyar
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2019 —
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New evidence from ground penetrating radar and excavation reveals that the Koh Ker Reservoir, built during the Angkorian period in Cambodia, suffered from a critical design flaw. The spillway's laterite pavement was even less effective at managing water flow than previously estimated, likely contributing to the reservoir's dike failure during its first rainy season after construction. This structural failure may have played a pivotal role in Koh Ker's brief tenure as the political center of the Khmer Empire, highlighting the vulnerability of ancient hydraulic engineering to environmental stresses.
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
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2019 —
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A novel method using small drones to photo-identify Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) has been successfully demonstrated, offering a promising tool for monitoring endangered marine mammals. The study, conducted between 2016 and 2017 in Belize's St. George’s Caye near the Belize Barrier Reef, captured high-resolution images of 17 identifiable individuals from 279 manatee sightings (245 adults, 34 calves). By analyzing distinct scars and markings acquired from watercraft injuries or other incidents, researchers created a catalog that enabled tracking over time, with 21% of adult manatees at the site proving photo-identifiable. This approach addresses long-standing challenges in monitoring underwater species in remote areas, providing insights into individual site fidelity, habitat use, and behavior. The method's applicability extends to clear, shallow waters globally, enhancing long-term conservation efforts for this vulnerable species.
The Forth Bridge
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2019 —
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A comparative analysis of machine learning techniques revealed that Random Forest outperforms traditional Artificial Neural Networks in predicting strain data from the Forth Road Bridge's Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system. This study leveraged Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce dataset dimensionality, thereby optimizing computational efficiency, and employed Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models for traffic volume predictions. The findings underscore the potential of Random Forest in damage detection and structural response prediction, offering a robust framework for assessing bridge integrity using big data from SHM systems.
Pitons Management Area
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2019 —
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An integrated satellite-data-driven approach effectively tracked lava flow projections during the April–May 2018 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise, demonstrating its potential for real-time volcanic crisis response. The study validated a protocol combining MIROVA for discharge rate (TADR), ASTER urgent response data delivery, DOWNFLOW for flow path projections, and PyFLOWGO for run-out estimates. Using 2018 eruption data, the system delivered accurate flow predictions with minimal latency, matching ground observations from InSAR and ASTER mapping. The protocol processed 35 TADRs and four InSAR image pairs over 35 days, proving its reliability in high-stakes volcanic monitoring scenarios.
City of Valletta
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2019 —
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Valletta, Malta's capital and chief port, stands as a significant cultural and historical center on the island's north coast. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, Valletta reflects its strategic importance, having once served as a pivotal British naval base before transitioning to commercial use. The city's dual harbor on the Sceberras Peninsula underscores its maritime heritage, while its role as an administrative and cultural hub highlights its enduring significance. This designation recognizes not only its architectural and historical value but also its contribution to global cultural preservation.
Yakushima
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2019 —
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Seasonal and regional variations in chewing efficiency were observed among Yakushima Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui), with significant differences in fecal particle size and the proportion of finest particles. While seasonal changes in diet composition influenced chewing efficiency, this effect was mitigated by selective feeding behaviors. Regional variations, particularly in the summit zone, were attributed to bamboo consumption. The study used sieving analysis on fecal samples collected from lowland, highland, and summit areas between 2015 and 2016 to assess these patterns.
Sagarmatha National Park
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2019 —
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Plant functional traits in Sagarmatha National Park and its buffer zone vary significantly with altitude and land-use disturbance, revealing strong adaptations to environmental stresses. Research found that clonal species dominate disturbed areas like exploited forests and meadows, while non-clonal species thrive at higher altitudes. Herbs and shrubs were most prevalent in higher elevations and disturbed zones, with notable trait variations due to grazing, fire, litter collection, and trampling. The study, conducted across 2,200–3,800 meters above sea level, examined eight traits in 60 plant species from 40 plots, highlighting how altitude, climate, and human disturbance shape plant functional diversity.
Papahānaumokuākea
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2019 —
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Deep-sea fish assemblages on Necker Island, part of the UNESCO-listed Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, exhibit significant variability in abundance, diversity, and structure across different depths (200–700 m) and study sites. Research using 51,988 AUV photos identified 92 species, with notable peaks in richness at 350 m and 500 m, while dominance was highest at 250 m and 700 m. The NE slope showed the lowest abundance and richness. Assemblage structure correlated with environmental parameters like dissolved oxygen, salinity, and substrate type, highlighting natural variability independent of human impacts. These findings underscore the need to account for such variability in seamount ecological studies and conservation efforts.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
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2019 —
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A floristic survey of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil, identified 289 vascular plant species across 73 families, with notable richness in Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Eriocaulaceae, and Myrtaceae. The study recorded 56 new occurrences for the state of Maranhão and revealed low floristic similarity among restinga areas in North and Northeastern Brazil, suggesting high endemism or potential collection bias. The research combined herbarium data with field collections (2015–2017) and applied UPGMA clustering using Jaccard index to analyze affinities.
Archaeological Site of Delphi
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2019 —
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A comprehensive vascular plant database for the National Parks of Oiti and Parnassos, Greece, has been developed as part of the AdVENt project. This database, now accessible to both scientific communities and the public, highlights the region's remarkable plant species diversity and endemism, particularly in Mount Parnassos, a recognized hotspot for flora. The project also introduces an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) mobile application designed to enhance visitors' experiences by providing rich multimedia content that showcases the natural wealth of these protected areas. Additionally, cutting-edge technology for visual plant species identification has been implemented, aiming to promote research in botany and ecology while offering a unique touristic product that combines natural beauty with cultural heritage, such as the nearby Archaeological Site of Delphi.
Kathmandu Valley
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2019 —
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Vegetable farming significantly boosts the livelihood of peri-urban farmers in Kathmandu Valley (KV), Nepal, by generating cash and providing employment opportunities. A study involving 140 farm households found that most farmers are migrants cultivating an average area of 2551.5 m² for vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and green leafy vegetables. Binary logistic regression revealed a strong positive relationship between vegetable farming and livelihood outcomes. However, challenges such as poor market management, lack of irrigation facilities, haphazard urban growth, price fluctuations, and vegetable diseases hinder sustainability. The research suggests that targeted interventions are needed to strengthen the vegetable sector and sustain this critical source of livelihood for peri-urban farmers.
Bagan
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2019 —
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At Myanmar’s Bagan Cultural Heritage Site, scrub vegetation occupies over a quarter of the sacred compounds surrounding religious monuments, posing risks to the integrity of the cultural landscape. This study quantifies canopy coverage and land use within these compounds, revealing that shrub-hosting areas dominate (nearly 50%), while farmland, monastic residences, and accessways occupy less than one-fifth each. The presence of scrub vegetation suggests invasion by alien species from drier hinterlands, highlighting urgent management needs. Conversely, cultivated farmland appears to suppress weedy growth, offering a potential solution for safeguarding monuments. This research underscores the importance of strategic land use—particularly cultivation—to preserve Bagan’s cultural landscape and protect its heritage.
Curonian Spit
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2019 —
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A decade-long increase in vegetation cover and stabilization of dunes along the Curonian Spit National Park's shore adjacent to the Kurish Lagoon, alongside a decline in forest density and expansion of mobile sands on its seaward side, has been quantified using high-resolution satellite data from ALOS and Sentinel-2. This shift reflects successful afforestation efforts near the lagoon but highlights coastal erosion driven by wind-wave action and recreational pressure near the sea. Researchers employed automated classification algorithms—Random Forest and Maximum Likelihood Estimation—to map ecosystem metrics such as forest cover, coniferous tree proportions, and sand dynamics from 2007 to 2017. The study underscores the potential of remote sensing for monitoring complex vegetation structures and guiding conservation strategies in UNESCO-listed landscapes.
Huascarán National Park
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2019 —
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Andean wetlands, or bofedales, exhibit significant valley-to-valley variation in species composition and vegetation assemblages, influenced by factors such as elevation, soil properties, and glacier recession. This study, the first exploratory analysis of its kind in Huascarán National Park, Peru, identified 112 plant species across five distinct vegetation groups, highlighting the unique biodiversity and spatial patterns of these high-altitude ecosystems. The research suggests that abiotic factors like bulk density, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity play crucial roles in shaping floristic composition. These findings provide critical insights for land managers facing environmental transformations due to glacier retreat and underscore the need for further comprehensive studies on tropical Andean ecosystems.
Venice and its Lagoon
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2019 —
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Venice's tourism has reached unsustainable levels, with the number of tourist beds now matching its resident population. This study reveals how overtourism transcends local quality-of-life issues, reshaping Venice's economic landscape and physical geography irreversibly. The analysis combines a broad overview with detailed spatial impacts over the past decade, exposing systemic transformations driven by tourism excesses. Proposed overtourism indicators aim to deepen understanding of anti-tourist sentiments and guide future research on this global phenomenon.
City of Verona
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2019 —
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Verona's origins trace back to the 5th century BCE on Castel San Pietro Hill, where an indigenous settlement thrived near the Adige River. A pivotal moment in its development occurred with the construction of the Via Postumia in 148 BCE, a Roman road linking Aquileia to Genoa, which significantly boosted the city's strategic and economic importance. This study reconstructs Verona's early urban evolution, emphasizing its transformation from a modest indigenous settlement into a key node along one of Rome's most vital trade routes.
Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche
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2019 —
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A study of 23 villages in the Chenes and Calakmul regions of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula reveals that 9% of these communities have established deliberate, autochthonous reserves. These reserves represent local efforts to conserve land, often supported by external programs like Payments for Environmental Services (PES). The research used sketch-map-facilitated interviews to document the frequency and typology of these reserves, while also critiquing traditional static polygon reserve mapping methods as inadequate for capturing the dynamic cultural ecologies of forest frontier regions. Geographers' approaches are highlighted as more suitable for understanding these evolving landscapes.
Dazu Rock Carvings
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2019 —
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A novel semi-automatic exemplar-based inpainting framework leverages a sample dataset to effectively restore severely damaged art images, such as the Dazu Rock Carvings, where minimal prior information is available. The approach extends the search space for candidate patches beyond the known region of the original image, addressing challenges in traditional inpainting methods. By integrating deep convolutional networks for reference image selection and melding algorithms for sample image creation, this method reduces complexity while avoiding duplication issues in art restoration. Poisson blending further enhances visual harmony between reconstructed fragments and existing regions. Applied to Buddhist face images from Dazu, the framework demonstrates its potential as a reference for both actual artificial inpainting and virtual reality presentations.
Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
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2019 —
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A groundbreaking approach integrates GIS data with multimedia applications to preserve and share the cultural heritage of Umm ar-Rasas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jordan. The study focuses on the Church of Saint Stephen, leveraging geomatics surveying, geophysics, and historical investigations to create a geo-database and orthophoto of its iconic mosaic floor. This data management system enables both experts and visitors to explore the site's evolution through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), offering unprecedented insights into its iconographic repertoire and historical significance. The innovation lies in the seamless flow of information across platforms, enhancing dissemination while safeguarding this invaluable heritage.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
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2019 —
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A high prevalence of virus-like particle (VLP) production was found in eubacterial isolates collected from various altitudes, including the atmosphere of Carlsbad Cavern National Park. The study, which analyzed 92.7% of isolates showing inducible VLP counts, demonstrated that atmospheric bacteria resistant to transport play a significant role in long-range dispersion of VLPs, potentially enhancing microbial evolution rates. Researchers used mitomycin C and epifluorescent direct counts to screen isolates from diverse locations, including ground level, mid-Atlantic ridge, continental United States, Pacific Ocean, and Carlsbad Cavern.
Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls
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2019 —
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A core group of up to 27 African elephant bulls (Loxodonta africana) was found to habitually raid a municipal rubbish dumpsite near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, daily between early and late evening. These elephants spent several hours consuming non-biodegradable waste and drinking from nearby sewage stabilization ponds. Analysis of 71.6% of elephant dung samples in the vicinity confirmed the presence of plastic waste, highlighting the potential ecological and health risks to the animals. This behavior, while not a typical case of human-elephant conflict (HEC), represents an indirect form of conflict caused by human activity, with implications for both elephant welfare and ecosystem stability.
Þingvellir National Park
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2019 —
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A strategic and collaborative approach to visitor management can significantly enhance the recreational carrying capacity of Nordic national parks, addressing challenges posed by rising visitor numbers and evolving behavior. This publication, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers' Terrestrial Ecosystem Group (TEG), provides practical examples and recommendations for improving visitor management in Þingvellir National Park, Iceland, Jotunheimen National Park, Norway, and The Wadden Sea National Park, Denmark. It emphasizes environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable practices to protect these UNESCO World Heritage Sites while supporting local communities. The project, managed by BARK Rådgivning, offers insights from both Nordic and international parks to guide future visitor management strategies.
The Dolomites
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2019 —
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Traffic management measures aimed at mitigating overtourism can significantly alter tourists' targets, behaviors, and satisfaction levels. A study focusing on the Passo Sella, a scenic mountain pass near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites, found that two policy mixes introduced in 2017 and 2018 led to notable changes in visitor segmentation, behavior, and satisfaction. The research revealed that the organization and communication of these initiatives were more influential on tourist satisfaction than their restrictiveness. This suggests that effective overtourism management requires not only regulatory frameworks but also innovative destination visioning, product development, and marketing strategies.
Prambanan Temple Compounds
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2019 —
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Prambanan Temple's Ramayana story reliefs, despite their historical significance, remain underexplored in terms of their visual narrative structure. This study reveals that the reliefs employ a distinct visual grammar to arrange scenes and transitions, akin to modern film storytelling, while differing significantly from contemporary drawing techniques. Researchers analyzed these reliefs to uncover how past sculptors organized objects and characters across panels, providing insights into the aesthetic and narrative strategies used in ancient temple art. The findings highlight the reliefs' sophisticated compositional techniques, offering a new perspective on their cultural and artistic significance.
Historic Areas of Istanbul
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2019 —
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A visual impact assessment of the Istanbul Land-wall reveals that, despite its historical significance as part of UNESCO's Historic Areas of Istanbul, the area does not meet adequate visual quality standards. The study, which analyzed 24 photographs across four spatial usage types—recreational, transportation, agricultural, and neglected places—found that neglected areas scored significantly lower in both public and expert surveys. Public participants rated photographs on parameters such as 'well-kept,' 'exciting,' 'safety,' and 'beautiful scenery,' while experts assessed 'coherence,' 'imageability,' 'stewardship,' and 'historicity.' The findings, derived from one-way ANOVA tests comparing public and expert preferences, indicate that the Land-wall's visual appeal is suboptimal, particularly in neglected regions. This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to enhance its visual quality, offering critical insights for future design and planning efforts.
Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato
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2019 —
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Heroic viticulture, characterized by vineyards at altitudes over 500 meters and slopes greater than 30%, is a defining cultural element of wine-growing systems in the Italian regions of Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont, and Liguria. This study reveals that such high-altitude and steep-slope viticulture plays a fundamental role in local winemaking, particularly in Valle d’Aosta and Liguria, where mountainous terrain dominates regional landscapes. The research employed Grounded Theory, integrating diverse data sources—including direct observations—to analyze the diversity of wine landscapes across these regions. While Piedmont is larger, all three regions share deep geographical and historical ties, contributing to their unique yet interconnected viticultural identities.
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
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2019 —
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A rare, detailed record of a 3.7 ka BP storm event has been preserved within a coastal tuff ring on Jeju Island, Korea, offering unprecedented insight into ancient tempestite formation and tidal modulation during extreme weather conditions. The study identifies three distinct interbeds of wave-worked deposits—horizontally laminated to hummocky/swash cross-stratified sediments with mud drapes—extending up to 4.6 m above high tide level, indicative of storm-induced sea-level rise. These interbeds correspond to three tidal cycles within a 1.5-day storm event, suggesting the tuff ring's unique stratigraphy captures both volcanic and marine processes. This discovery underscores the potential of coastal volcanic structures as archives for extreme depositional events, such as storms and tsunamis, bridging sedimentary proxy records with historical reconstructions.
Volcanoes of Kamchatka
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2019 —
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In 2013, Kamchatka's volcanic activity was characterized by intense seismic and eruptive events, including the emergence of a new cone at Shiveluch volcano, subplinian eruptions at Kluchevskoy, and renewed activity at Zhupanovsky after a 56-year dormancy. Researchers analyzed near real-time data from seismic, visual, video, and satellite observations to track earthquakes (ranging from KS=1.8 to 8.5) across Northern, Avacha, Mutnovsky-Gorely, and Kizimen groups, documenting energy releases and epicenter distributions. The study highlighted the dynamic nature of Kamchatka's volcanic system, with long-term eruptions at Tolbachik fissure and Kizimen concluding during this period.
Wadden Sea
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2019 —
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A significant potential for integrating volunteering with tourism and citizen engagement exists within the Wadden Sea National Park, as residents near the park and visitors from across Denmark show strong willingness to participate. Volunteers contribute substantially to conservation efforts, including beach clean-ups, facilities maintenance, and nature restoration, indicating a shift towards collaborative governance that complements state-driven models. However, this transition requires careful alignment of protection goals with volunteer activities to ensure sustainability, highlighting an urgent need for innovative governance structures in national parks.
Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan
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2019 —
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A sudden rise in sea level by five meters would flood 23% of Tlacotalpan's territory, exposing 133 km² to significant socioeconomic vulnerability. This study quantifies the impacts on vulnerable groups using an interdisciplinary approach, combining territorial analysis with fieldwork to assess specific risks. The findings underscore the urgent need for disaster prevention policies tailored to these at-risk populations, particularly in coastal regions facing climate change pressures.
Wadden Sea
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2019 —
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Long-term nutrient input from major European rivers into the Wadden Sea peaked in the 1980s, with subsequent declines of about 2.5% per year for total nitrogen (TN) and 5% per year for total phosphorus (TP), leading to decreasing nutrient levels but increasing N/P ratios. However, these trends are leveling out for TP. Phytoplankton biomass, measured as chlorophyll a, has also decreased since the 1980s, reaching comparatively low levels. Regional differences in eutrophication were observed, with higher chlorophyll a levels in the southern Wadden Sea and lower levels in the northern region. The study used long-term monitoring data and modeling to link these regional differences to coastward accumulation of organic matter produced in the North Sea.
Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System
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2019 —
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A study on the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, reveals that while heritage designation can foster cultural revitalization and community strengthening, it does not guarantee successful tourism implementation. Analyzing a failed hiking circuit project in northern Chile's Arica Highlands, researchers identified three key lessons: distinguishing between cultural revitalization and tourism, recognizing the challenges of applying the Cultural Route heritage category from global to local scales, and the need for stronger Latin American heritage regulations. The research employed participatory action methods and socioterritorial analysis to explore these intersections, offering insights into the complexities of heritage policies and rural development.
Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau
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2019 —
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A unique intersection of disability culture and Bauhaus modernism emerges from the international dance laboratory Metabody's 2015 performance research session at Bauhaus Universität Weimar. This collaborative event highlighted how disability perspectives can redefine movement, space, and perception in choreography, challenging traditional notions of bodily ability within the context of Bauhaus's innovative design philosophy. The study employed a participatory approach, blending lecture, discussion, and practical workshops to explore adaptive performance practices that integrate physical diversity into artistic expression. By bridging disability advocacy with Bauhaus principles of functionality and experimentation, this work offers new frameworks for inclusive design in both performing arts and architectural spaces.
Taï National Park
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2019 —
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Taï National Park's chimpanzees exhibit remarkable cultural diversity, including nut-cracking behavior and cooperative hunting, despite enduring significant ecological pressures such as human poaching and leopard predation. The Taï Chimpanzee Project (TCP), initiated in 1979, integrated ecology into the study of chimpanzee behavioral diversity, providing long-term data on rainforest-living chimpanzees. Over four decades, the project faced challenges including civil wars, recurrent poaching, and outbreaks of Ebola, anthrax, and respiratory diseases. Through habituation of three neighboring chimpanzee communities, local engagement, and robust law enforcement and health monitoring programs, the TCP ensured the survival of both the chimpanzees and the research project amidst extreme political instability and encroachment by cocoa and coffee plantations.
Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale
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2019 —
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New research challenges the long-held assumption that Palermo's Admiral's Bridge, a UNESCO-listed marvel of medieval engineering, was commissioned by George of Antioch in 1132. By analyzing the bridge's toponym and topography, this study reveals that its origins and institutional significance are more complex than previously thought. The findings highlight the critical role of water management in shaping Palermo's growth as an agricultural and trading hub during the Arab-Norman period (10th–13th centuries). The research bridges archaeological evidence with historical inquiry to re-examine the bridge's connection to the Oreto river district, offering insights into medieval Mediterranean urban development and governance.
Sacred City of Anuradhapura
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2019 —
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A significant portion of water sources in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, is contaminated with harmful bacteria and exceeds chemical quality standards. The study found that 32% of the 44 sampled locations were positive for Salmonella spp., a pathogen causing typhoid fever, with two heavily used springs among them. Additionally, most samples failed to meet Sri Lanka's drinking water standards for total coliform, E. coli, and chemical oxygen demand (COD), while 55% exhibited very hard water conditions, particularly in Padaviya. Conductivity levels exceeded safe limits at 25% of locations. Despite these issues, concentrations of nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, and total phosphate were within acceptable ranges. The research employed standard protocols for sampling, transportation, and analysis to assess microbial and chemical contamination across ground and surface water sources in Madawachchiya, Padaviya, and Kebithigollewa areas.
Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
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2019 —
WHECDCF5BD111
Despite expectations, water quality in canals near low-impact activities such as agroecological farming and abandoned chinampas in the Xochimilco peri-urban wetland did not consistently meet national and international guidelines for irrigation. Significant seasonal variations were observed in pH (>9), dissolved oxygen (<6.5 mg/L), conductivity (>2000 μS/cm), and Escherichia coli concentrations (>240 CFU/100 mL). The study, involving citizen scientists, analyzed water quality across seven canals and one lake over four years, revealing that narrow, shallow canals with low water flow may exacerbate poor water quality. Only an abandoned agricultural area met most guidelines, highlighting the potential for structural modifications to improve conditions. Citizen science engagement also raised awareness about anthropogenic impacts on this ecologically and culturally significant UNESCO World Heritage Site.
