Highway runoff disposal without concern for its specific characteristics may be associated with high material and environmental costs. An understanding of storm water management has enlightened the importance of the impacts that nonpoint pollution may cause to both surface waters and groundwater. Several systems for highway runoff treatment exist, often based on detention and infiltration processes. This paper suggests a method for design and evaluation of the design of infiltration ponds for use in semiarid climates. The design principle is based on capture and infiltration of the most polluted runoff. It takes into account the rainfall and soil hydraulic characteristics for the determination of the design volume. Seasonal variations in rainfall and evaporation were considered. The soil characteristics—hydraulic conductivity, texture, pH, and cation exchange capacity—the volume of runoff which is infiltrated, and the infiltration area are used to calculate the movement of the most mobile heavy metal, Zn, in the soil. The method presented was based and applied to highway runoff but can be used for treatment of stormwater runoff from other sources.

This paper presents a multidisciplinary approach to understand the impacts of temperature increase on the retention of particulate pollutants, such as heavy metals and microplastics, by the road pavement material. A soil with a particle size distribution similar to road dust was selected. A Wheel Tracking device was used to assess the permanent deformation behavior of prismatic specimens and the retention of the dust, at controlled temperatures of 40 °C and 60 °C, likely to occur on pavement in the future. The soil representing road pollutants was placed at the top of the slabs prior to the Wheel Tracking Test (WTT), based on the European Standard EN 12697-22:2020. After the WTT, two common methods were used, in order to evaluate the soil retention (pollution accumulation) on road pavement. The results confirm that the viscoelastic behavior of bituminous mixtures under increased temperatures can contribute to particle retention at the pavement. Future studies are needed to understand the phenomena, the retention characteristics by different bituminous mixtures, and the efficiency of pollutants capture. The work opens the opportunity to develop innovative road pavement bituminous mixtures that can reduce the discharge of road particulate pollutants, and have increased resilience and sustainability in extreme weather conditions.

Pollutants discharged by roads may impact water bodies and soils. The best method to characterise road runoff is by monitoring, which is not always possible due to human or material constraints. Therefore, prediction tools can be a valuable method to manage road runoff discharges and protect the environment. The present work reviewed and evaluated international tools for road runoff quality prediction, in order to assess if an existing tool could be suitable for wide usage by stakeholders in Europe. Four tools from the USA and Europe were selected and tested at 22 road sites located in regions with annual precipitation values ranging from 500 to 1,000 mm, from seven European countries. The results for the site median concentration (SMC) of total suspended solids (TSS), Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd showed coefficients of determination (R2) from 0.0004 to 0.2890 for the different pollutants and tools. It was concluded that none of the tools could predict the road runoff pollutant concentrations, except for the country where it had been calibrated. The findings support practitioners and researchers all over the world, pointing out directions, and gaps to be filled, regarding the management of road runoff discharges and use of prediction tools.

Treatment systems for highway runoff pollution control are now common structures for environmental impacts reduction in Portugal. Such systems must be monitored and its performance periodically assessed, in order to understand if they are accomplishing the targets for environmental protection. Wise management decisions must incorporate the soundness of the project, the construction and maintenance costs, and the ability of the system to reduce the pollution to the level required for environmental protection. To gather, organize and analyse all the existing information concerning the constructed treatment systems, their operation, maintenance and efficiency were understood as a priority by the Portuguese Roads' Institute. The authors of this article were responsible for this 3 years study that finished in May 2008. A total of 27 different systems, corresponding to 13 different project types, located in different places in Portugal have been characterized and evaluated. Several conclusions could be drawn from the evaluation and recommendations were produced concerning the project, the construction and operation phases and the monitoring activities. The recommendations concern tasks to be performed and information that should be gathered and presented to the Portuguese Road's Institute. It is expected that these indications will contribute to improve the future practice in Portugal.

Introduction: Effective communication is pivotal in environmental management, particularly in strengthening community resilience to climate-related vulnerabilities. Communication is understood not merely as the exchange of information, but as a nuanced process shaped by environmental, social, cultural, and institutional dimensions. This study analyzes three international case studies to assess how communication strategies influence resilience outcomes. Methods: A qualitative approach guided the selection of case studies, based on four criteria: (1) relevance to cross-sectoral communication, (2) diversity of stakeholder involvement, (3) availability of triangulated data from academic literature, media sources, and firsthand narratives, and (4) potential to derive broadly applicable insights. Results: Drawing from longstanding research in science communication and insights from the case studies, the study proposes a structured framework comprising five interrelated pillars: Co-creation , Redundancy , Trust-building, Contextualized messaging , and Feedback integration . This model is intended to support the practical implementation of communication strategies across diverse scenarios. Discussion: Findings confirm that effective communication transcends information delivery, functioning as a cognitive process embedded in environmental, social, cultural, and institutional contexts. Recurring challenges, such as breakdowns in communication and governance limitations, are identified, alongside innovative practices, such as gaming, creative activities, and dialogues among researchers and civil society, which have proven effective in specific contexts. Conclusion: The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of integrating qualitative insights and contextual sensitivity to inform communication strategies that effectively foster environmental resilience. It underscores the need for inclusive, interdisciplinary approaches and suggests integrating communication training across academic and professional fields.