Journal of Environmental Management最新文献

{"title":"Fiscal incentives, strategic responses, and carbon emissions: Evidence from China's high-tech enterprise certification policy","authors":"Haotian Zhang,&nbsp;Zhiwei Wang,&nbsp;Kun Huang,&nbsp;Xue-Li Chen,&nbsp;Juntao Du,&nbsp;Malin Song","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper examines the effect of China's High-Tech Enterprise certification policy on firm-level carbon emissions, with particular attention to firms' strategic responses to the R&amp;D intensity requirement. We combine data from the China Industrial Enterprise Database, the National Tax Survey Database, and high-resolution spatial carbon emissions data to construct firm-level carbon emission measures within a 1 km radius. Using bunching analysis, we find a significant concentration of firms just above the statutory R&amp;D intensity threshold, indicating that some firms strategically adjust their reported R&amp;D expenditure to obtain preferential tax treatment. We then apply a bunching-based difference-in-differences approach to examine how such behavior affects the environmental outcome of the policy. The results show that firms within the bunching interval achieve little reduction in carbon emissions, while firms outside the interval experience a significant decline. Green innovation is the main channel through which tax incentives reduce emissions, but this channel is absent among strategic responders. We also find that non-strategic high-tech enterprises achieve both better economic performance and lower carbon emissions. These findings show that the environmental benefits of fiscal incentives depend strongly on firms' actual innovation activities and provide important implications for the design and enforcement of green industrial policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131087"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response of ecosystem service supply–demand dynamics to urban expansion patterns on the loess plateau, China","authors":"Xiaowen Zhou,&nbsp;Jingqi Wang,&nbsp;Jiansheng Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban expansion alters ecosystem service (ES) supply–demand relationships, yet pattern-specific responses remain unclear in ecologically fragile regions. Using land-use data for 2000, 2010, and 2020, we identified edge expansion (EE), leapfrog expansion (LE), and infill expansion (IE) on the Loess Plateau (LP), quantified supply and demand for four ES, and compared patch-level changes in the ES supply–demand ratio (ΔESDR) among patterns using nonparametric tests. From 2000 to 2020, construction land expanded substantially, with EE remaining the predominant expansion pattern (49.10%), followed by LE (42.33%) and IE (8.57%). After 2010, expansion accelerated and the share of LE increased markedly, becoming dominant in several ecological subregions. Food production (FP) showed negative median ΔESDR under all three patterns. Carbon sequestration (CS) showed a near-zero median ΔESDR under LE but negative median ΔESDR under EE and IE, whereas water yield (WY) and soil conservation (SC) showed positive median ΔESDR under all three patterns. For FP, CS, and WY, median ΔESDR followed LE &gt; EE &gt; IE, with all pairwise differences significant. For SC, median ΔESDR was significantly higher under LE than under EE and IE, whereas EE and IE did not differ significantly. Overall, LE was more often associated with weaker deterioration or more positive changes in ES supply–demand balance than IE, with EE mostly intermediate, although these relationships varied across services and subregions. These findings advance understanding of how ES supply–demand responses vary among urban expansion patterns and ecological subregions, and provide regional evidence for sustainable land-use planning in ecologically fragile regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131036"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149101754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Accelerating construction decarbonization: biochar-Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) synergy for carbon mitigation and performance enhancement","authors":"Huanyu Li,&nbsp;Junyi Zhang,&nbsp;Ning Zhang,&nbsp;Gang Huang,&nbsp;Yirou Zhou,&nbsp;Yan Xia,&nbsp;Liang Chen,&nbsp;Lei Wang,&nbsp;Viktor Mechtcherine","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration of biochar into cementitious materials has emerged as a groundbreaking approach to carbon sequestration, yet its high-dosage utilization and synergistic effects with sustainable cement formulations remain largely unexplored. This study proposes a novel design for low-carbon cement composites by incorporating high levels of biochar up to 30 wt% into both ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC³) systems, fundamentally altering their hydration kinetics, microstructural evolution, and mechanical performance. The findings reveal that biochar enhances the flowability of OPC pastes but slightly reduces that of LC³ due to its high surface area and interparticle friction. It promotes the hydration process of OPC through internal curing and intensifies the early-stage reaction of LC³ via nucleation effects. Additionally, biochar's well-developed pore network may facilitate the redistribution of calcium species and the diffusion of CO₂, dramatically promoting carbonation and inducing the crystallization of vaterite and calcite, while simultaneously increasing the polymerization degree of C-(A)-S-H and reducing unhydrated clinker content for both OPC and LC³ pastes. Despite porosity-induced reductions in the compressive strength of biochar-modified cement, plain LC³ and LC³ with 15% biochar achieved an 18% and 4% enhancement in flexural strength over plain OPC pastes, attributed to the formation of nanostructured rod-like ettringite. Critically, the LC³ mix with 30% biochar exhibited remarkable carbon reduction efficiency, achieving a mitigation potential of up to 88.2 kg CO₂ eq./m³/MPa for flexural strength and 1.1 kg CO₂ eq./m³/MPa for compressive strength, indicating its potential to contribute to the cement industry's decarbonization efforts. Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating high biochar contents into LC³ composites, highlighting their carbon mitigation potential for sustainable construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131073"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Achieving ecosystem service supply-demand balance through land use zoning regulation: A water-energy-food nexus perspective in Inner Mongolia, China","authors":"Lele Shi,&nbsp;Sheng Zheng,&nbsp;Ji Lu,&nbsp;Lihan Cui,&nbsp;Cheng Liu,&nbsp;Min Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus is essential to human well-being and intrinsically dependent on ecosystem services (ESs), yet accelerating socioeconomic development has intensified resource demand and disrupted the supply-demand balance of ESs (ESs balance). Translating ESs balance objectives into locally adapted, implementable land use strategies remains challenging, particularly in ecologically fragile regions. This study proposed an integrated analytical framework linking the WEF nexus, ES supply-demand relationships, and land use structure to develop targeted zoning regulatory strategies for Inner Mongolia, China. Five key ESs representing the WEF nexus were selected, including water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS), food production (FP), soil retention (SR), and habitat quality (HQ), and their supply, demand, and ecological supply-demand ratio (ESDR) were assessed for 2022. A self-organizing map (SOM) was then applied to classify the study area into six ES balance bundles (ESBBs) reflecting distinct WEF nexus archetypes. Within each ESBB, piecewise linear regression was used to identify critical land use proportion thresholds for maintaining positive supply-demand balances. Results showed that: (1) Inner Mongolia faced significant overall ES deficits and spatial mismatches, with severe shortages in WY and CS. (2) The six ESBBs exhibited distinct supply-demand characteristics, ranging from the \"WEF Scarcity Bundle\" in the west to the \"Water-Energy Ecological Regulation Bundle\" in the east. (3) Critical thresholds for key land use types varied significantly among ESBBs. For instance, ESDR turned negative when construction land exceeded 22% in one bundle, but just 2% in another, well below its actual 15.77%. (4) Accordingly, differentiated land use regulatory strategies tailored to each ESBB were proposed. This study operationalizes ESs balance objectives into specific, actionable land use regulatory strategies, providing a scientific basis for adaptive management in Inner Mongolia and other ecologically fragile drylands worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131046"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Informing pharmaceutical regulation in China: Risk-based priority ranking across nine river basins","authors":"Jiayu Li,&nbsp;Siwei Bao,&nbsp;Haofan Zhang,&nbsp;Miaomiao Liu,&nbsp;Jianxun Yang,&nbsp;Wen Fang,&nbsp;Zongwei Ma,&nbsp;Jun Bi","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pharmaceuticals are widely detected in surface waters, posing significant ecological and human-health risks. China is a major producer and consumer of pharmaceuticals, and widespread contamination has been reported in its surface waters. Regional differences in topography, hydrology, land use, and socioeconomic conditions can shape patterns of pharmaceutical exposure and risk, calling for priority lists tailored to individual river basins. However, previous studies mainly focused on national-scale assessments, selected river basins, or specific pharmaceutical classes. In this study, we systematically reviewed 226 peer-reviewed articles and compiled 8628 occurrence records for 158 pharmaceutical compounds. A multi-criteria prioritization framework that integrated both hazard and exposure potential was used to identify priority pharmaceuticals across nine river basins. Antibiotics were the most frequently detected class of pharmaceuticals, although most had low or moderate priority scores. Erythromycin, roxithromycin, and azithromycin were notable exceptions and ranked highly. Among nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals, estrone and ibuprofen ranked highly in all nine basins. Beyond these shared priorities, several pharmaceuticals showed distinct basin-specific priority pattern. Psychotropic medicines, including diazepam, fluoxetine, sertraline, and citalopram, were identified as priorities in highly urbanized basins, particularly the Haihe and Yangtze River basins. In the Yellow River Basin, the lipid modulator gemfibrozil was prioritized, while in the Pearl River Basin, the veterinary antibiotic salinomycin was prioritized. Combining the rankings with uncertainty estimates showed that high-priority compounds with low uncertainty should be considered for stringent monitoring and control, whereas compounds with high uncertainty require additional occurrence and toxicity data. These findings underscore the importance of basin-scale prioritization in capturing regional differences and provide a basis for tiered monitoring and management in China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131070"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photocatalytic environmental decontamination using 2D-BiOCl/TiO2 heterostructures: Coupled 4-nitrophenol reduction and 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol partial oxidation","authors":"Maya Nobatova,&nbsp;Tayyaba Kanwal,&nbsp;Leonardo Palmisano,&nbsp;Marianna Bellardita","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water contamination by hazardous organic pollutants poses a significant threat to human health. Among these, phenolic compounds, particularly 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), are of special concern due to their high toxicity and carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting, and genotoxic effects. This study explores the photocatalytic reduction of 4-NP using, for the first time in this reaction, BiOCl-TiO₂ composites prepared in various ratios by ball milling of home-made BiOCl nanosheets and commercial TiO₂. The selective photocatalytic reduction of 4-NP to 4-aminophenol (4-AP), a high-value chemical intermediate, was investigated in aqueous dispersion as an integrated approach that combines pollutant removal with the production of value-added compounds. The influence of the presence of triethanolamine (TEOA), sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) and 4-methoxybenzyl alcohol (4-MBA), used as sacrificial agents, in the reagent system was systematically evaluated. Formation of 4-AP occurred only in the presence of these hole scavengers, confirming their essential role in promoting the reduction pathway. It should be noted, however, that 4-MBA took part in the reaction not only as a trap for the holes, allowing the reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP by the photoproduced electrons, but also by being transformed itself by partial oxidation into the high-value compound 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (4-MBAL). In the integrated system, the optimal performance was achieved with 5%BiOCl-TiO₂ in the presence of both TEOA and 4-MBA, yielding 94% 4-NP conversion and 99% selectivity toward 4-AP after 3 h of irradiation, along with 6% 4-MBA conversion and 50% selectivity toward 4-MBAL.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131090"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sustainable agriculture intensification: An MCE model analysis of yam farmland suitability in Ghana","authors":"Michael Madin,&nbsp;Daniel Kweku Baah Inkoom,&nbsp;Daniel Kwame Blija","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yam production is important in West Africa due to its contribution to food security, the economy, and increasing demand in international markets. Thus, recent statistics show that about 94% of global yam production is in the sub-region. However, current yam farming approaches are unsustainable and result in land degradation and deforestation. This study employs Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) model in GIS to identify suitable sites for sustainable yam farming in Ghana, needed to minimize the environmental impacts of intensive production while maximizing yields to achieve food security. The model results showed mixed site suitability within the yam growing belt in Ghana. About 52.51% of the total suitable lands are located within the Guinea Savannah, while 98% of the evaluated area in the Transitional Forest Belt could support sustainable intensification. However, there is a need to target specific areas for intensification even within these climate zones. The result further showed a higher likelihood of farmers encroaching into protected environmental areas (e.g., 70.49% overlap), highlighting the need for policies to prevent such practices. These findings provide useful information for local and national efforts towards promoting sustainable yam production in Ghana and other parts of Africa. By applying an MCE model, we provide a foundation for collaborative regional and national strategies to maintain or restore farmlands for yam production through multicriteria assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131043"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149102180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential dissolution-induced concentration drift in sediment fingerprinting: Theory, validation, implications, and resolution","authors":"Chen Liang,&nbsp;Zhonglin Shi,&nbsp;Xinbao Zhang,&nbsp;Anbang Wen,&nbsp;Jialiang Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reliable identification of sediment sources is fundamental to understanding erosion dynamics and implementing targeted watershed management. Sediment fingerprinting has therefore been widely applied to quantify sediment provenance. Here, we identified a previously overlooked process, termed Differential Dissolution-Induced Concentration Drift (DDICD), whereby element-specific dissolution during transport induces systematic shifts in sediment geochemical composition. This process implies that post-transport elemental concentrations depend not on absolute elemental properties, but on their relative differences with respect to coexisting elements, potentially challenging the concentration-conservation assumption underlying conventional sediment fingerprinting techniques when DDICD occurs. To address this issue, we developed a theoretical framework for DDICD and formulated a ratio-tracer-based correction approach. Theoretical analyses using synthetic datasets revealed that DDICD intensity was primarily controlled by the heterogeneity of elemental dissolution rates and initial masses, as well as by the rank concordance between these properties, originating within individual sediment sources and accumulating through source mixing to amplify sediment fingerprinting errors. Empirical results from the Yangtze River Basin showed that concentrations of highly soluble elements generally decreased during transport (e.g., Ca and Mg decreased by 15.02% and 8.06%, respectively), whereas relatively insoluble elements generally increased (e.g., Al increased by 6.39%). Sediment unmixing results further indicated that the mean absolute error (MAE) of source contribution estimates increased logarithmically with transport distance and elevation drop. Compared with element tracers, the use of element ratios substantially improved model accuracy and robustness, reducing mean MAE and its standard deviation by 9.83 and 0.45 percentage points, respectively. All these findings provided strong evidence for the occurrence of DDICD in natural river systems and demonstrated its substantial influence on sediment fingerprinting results. Consequently, DDICD should be explicitly considered in sediment fingerprinting of large catchments or regions characterized by intense weathering and abundant carbonate or silicate minerals, as neglecting this process may introduce systematic biases into sediment source apportionment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131017"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Widespread strengthening vegetation responses and lengthening drought-accumulation timescales across China over the past four decades","authors":"Jiahao Ma,&nbsp;Meiling Gao,&nbsp;Chuang Song,&nbsp;Zhenhong Li,&nbsp;Xinxin Fu,&nbsp;Meiling Zhou,&nbsp;Lili Chen,&nbsp;Jianbing Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought is one of the most critical climatic disasters affecting the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. However, how vegetation response intensity and characteristic response timescales have evolved under long-term environmental change remains poorly understood. Here, we integrated multi-source vegetation and climate datasets across China from 1983 to 2022 and used moving-window and multi-timescale correlation analyses to quantify changes in maximum vegetation response intensity (R_max) and optimal drought-accumulation timescale (T_opt). We further compared two vegetation indices and examined patterns across aridity gradients, vegetation structures, and contrasting water-availability conditions, together with uncertainty and robustness analyses. Increasing R_max trends were more widespread than decreasing trends, although the national mean trend varied among vegetation indices, window lengths, and detrending treatments. In contrast, Topt showed a more consistent lengthening tendency, indicating increasing associations between vegetation variability and moisture conditions accumulated over longer timescales. Water-deficit and non-woody regions generally exhibited higher R_max and shorter T_opt, whereas water-surplus and woody-dominated regions showed lower R_max and longer T_opt. Under the most conservative block-permutation and BH-FDR classification, T_opt increased significantly in both water-deficit and water-surplus regions identified using kNDVI, whereas the corresponding NIRv-based trends were positive but not statistically significant. The spatial relationship between R_max and T_opt was generally weak and heterogeneous, with no consistent temporal change in their coupling. XGBoost-SHAP analysis suggested nonlinear associations of R_max and T_opt trends with solar radiation, atmospheric CO₂ concentration, aridity, atmospheric dryness, and precipitation. Overall, these results reveal widespread shifts in vegetation drought-response characteristics across China and provide a scientific basis for assessing ecosystem vulnerability and improving drought-risk management under ongoing climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131026"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Record-breaking wildfire intensity and nocturnal spread during the extreme 2025 wildfire season in Southwestern Europe: causes and impacts","authors":"Víctor Resco de Dios,&nbsp;Àngel Cunill Camprubí,&nbsp;Simon J. Schütze,&nbsp;Fernando Castedo-Dorado,&nbsp;Juan Picos,&nbsp;Joaquín Ramírez,&nbsp;Rut Domènech,&nbsp;Mercedes Bachfischer,&nbsp;Marc Castellnou Ribau,&nbsp;Adrián Cardil","doi":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131063","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.131063","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Europe faced an extreme wildfire season in 2025, with nearly 700,000 ha burned in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) alone. Here, we analyze the drivers and impacts of the 2025 wildfire season in the IP and its significance within the ongoing global pyrocrisis. Decades-long declines in burned area, driven by increased fire suppression, appear to be changing after an inflection point in 2022. Fire intensity has escalated over the last two decades, and estimated fire radiative energy in 2025 approached the annual output of a 1,000 MW nuclear reactor. Despite an unusually wet spring, an extreme summer heatwave triggered a flash drought, dehydrating fuels below critical thresholds. Remarkably, 29-42% of all analyzed wildfires spread faster at night than during the day, a seldom-reported phenomenon likely due to interactions between surface weather, atmospheric instability and, potentially, pyroconvection. Increases in fire intensity likely facilitated the overwhelming of suppression efforts during simultaneous fire events that may have been manageable decades ago. Wildfires expanded into previously fire-free high-altitude regions, and fire-size distributions changed markedly, including the largest wildfire in record and the highest proportion of burned area by fires exceeding 5,000ha. Impacts included 1595–2291 estimated premature deaths from smoke exposure and significant effects on protected areas. Initial rates of fire spread varied substantially across fuel models, indicating the importance of land management. These results reveal shifts in key components of fire regimes, including unprecedented nocturnal fire acceleration and fire intensity, with escalating impacts on human health and ecosystems where fuel management remains the main option to curb increasing fire intensity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":356,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Environmental Management","volume":"418 ","pages":"Article 131063"},"PeriodicalIF":9.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149079264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}