Erdkunde

Book review: Hermann Kreutzmann: Pamirian Crossroads and Beyond. Human Geography and Geopolitics

2026-01-14

Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt

Secondary school students’ (mis-)conceptions of urban adaptation strategies for climate change

2025-11-18

Melissa Hanke, Lilly Kemmereit, Sandra Sprenger

The aim of this study is to provide an insight of students’ (mis-)conceptions of urban adaptation strategies for climate change. For this purpose, drawings and texts were produced by secondary school students (n = 87) aged 16-18 years from four secondary schools in Hamburg, Germany. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that the majority of students cannot distinguish between climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. Regarding climate adaptation strategies in urban areas, students predominantly focus on non-building-related approaches, while some strategies in the field of building-related strategies and policy are not taken into account. There are no major differences between the drawn and text elements. Regarding the (mis-)conceptions and gaps in knowledge, there is a need for climate education to focus more thoroughly on urban adaptation strategies to successfully achieve conceptual change and enhance urban adaptive capacity.

Local produce and decarbonization in rural tourist destinations: Findings from the Catalan Pyrenees

2025-11-12

Xosé A. Armesto López, M. Belén Gómez-Martín, Martí Cors-Iglesias

This paper seeks to investigate the role played by local actors involved in the catering sector in relation to the use of local food products and decarbonization processes in their activities. The geographical framework in which the research is carried out is the high mountains of the western Catalan Pyrenees. The methods used in its elaboration were based on the delimitation and clarification of the dimensions of the local product to later, through fieldwork, survey the actors in relation to the proposed theme. A basic statistical treatment was used with the answers of the informants to conclude with the pertinent conclusions. In the first part of the paper, the definition of the four dimensions of the local agri-food product (cultural, social, economic and environmental) is deepened. In the development of this work, general guidelines were found that suggest that the restorers of the study area are concerned because their region is affected by climate change and that some of them implement actions in this regard. In relation to the use of local agri-food products, they believe that the most important attribute is cultural and not environmental and, within the latter, the contribution to the fight against climate change occupies a prominent place. Finally, before the conclusions, the assessments on the different decarbonization options for their businesses are collected.