Human thermal perception, or thermal comfort, is a critical variable that directly influences the health, productivity, and well-being of populations. However, specific studies on thermal comfort in the Pantanal and its sub-regions are scarce. This study analyzes the distribution of thermal comfort classes in the Pantanal and its sub-regions using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) for the period of 1979 to 2023. The main objective was to assess thermal discomfort in the region, identifying comfort classes and examining the influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on this index. The analysis, based on reanalysis climatic data and statistical techniques, mapped the areas most susceptible to thermal stress. The central and southern regions of the Pantanal, such as Porto Murtinho, stood out as the most uncomfortable due to heat, while sub-regions in the north, such as Cáceres and Poconé, showed lower levels of thermal stress. Additionally, it was observed that the months of October and November present the highest UTCI values, indicating extreme thermal discomfort due to heat during the spring. Summer was identified as the most uncomfortable season in terms of heat, while winter showed moderate heat discomfort. The investigation of ENSO events revealed a tendency for greater thermal discomfort during La Niña years. It is concluded that there is a progressive increase in heat-related thermal discomfort in the Pantanal region, with a particularly pronounced trend in the spring.

O bioma do Pantanal, que representa a maior área alagada contínua do mundo, enfrentou uma seca prolongada que teve início em 2019 e atingiu seu ápice em 2020. Essa condição propiciou a ocorrência de desastres naturais, culminando na crise de incêndios no Pantanal em 2020. Os incêndios emitem grandes quantidades de gases e partículas, sendo essas emissões reconhecidas como influentes na composição química da atmosfera e no sistema climático global. Portanto, este estudo, empregando técnicas de sensoriamento remoto, investiga de maneira qualitativa e quantitativa a distribuição espacial e a tendência de monóxido de carbono (CO) e metano (CH4) antes, durante e após os eventos de incêndio no Parque Estadual Pantanal do Rio Negro, localizado no estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, bioma Pantanal. Os resultados destacaram um aumento significativo na concentração desses gases na atmosfera, além de revelar informações sobre sua distribuição espacial e os padrões de queima observados na região.

Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) is a key parameter for assessing thermal comfort and heat stress in urban environments, yet its large-scale estimation remains challenging. This study compares MRT estimates derived from ERA5-Land reanalysis data, processed on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, with 1,786 in-situ reference measurements collected in urban canyons in Curitiba, Brazil. The estimation methodology employs a Stefan-Boltzmann-based model, using ERA5-Land radiative fluxes and simplified biometeorological parameters. Linear regression analysis shows a strong temporal correlation between the datasets (r = 0.87; R² = 0.758), indicating that the reanalysis approach successfully captures trends in MRT variation. However, systematic underestimation and considerable absolute error are observed (RMSE = 9.65°C), with an attenuated model response (slope = 0.58). The main source of discrepancy is the scale mismatch between mesoscale reanalysis data, which smooths thermal extremes, and the heterogeneous urban microclimate. Despite local-scale inaccuracies, the study validates the methodology as a strategic, accessible, and low-computational-cost tool for monitoring heat-stress trends at regional and global scales, with significant applications for climate planning and public health policies, particularly in data-scarce regions.

The Pantanal, the world’s largest continuous floodplain, exhibits high sensitivity to thermal and hydrological variations, making it particularly vulnerable to the combined effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures. The simultaneous occurrence of droughts and heatwaves intensifies vegetation flammability and has been a determining factor in the amplification of fires. Given this scenario, this study aimed to quantify and characterize future changes in the frequency, duration, and seasonality of heatwaves in the Pantanal for the period 2030–2060, analyzing projections under the SSP1-1.9, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5 emission scenarios, compared to the climatological normal of 1991–2020. For this purpose, four CMIP6 models were validated against the ERA5 reanalysis, with the MRI-ESM2-0 model selected for its superior performance in representing the daily maximum temperature in the biome area. The results show a significant increase in the occurrence of these events in all scenarios, with an average increase of + 126% to + 181% in the number of days above the extreme heat threshold. Heatwaves become more prolonged and concentrated in spring and autumn, indicating a restructuring of the biome’s thermal seasonality. These findings suggest that the Pantanal is moving towards a new climate regime, characterized by intensified thermal stress and the expansion of the “hot and dry season,” which will have direct implications for biodiversity and fire management.

The Basin of São Francisco River is essential for Brazil, possessing many physical, social, environmental, and economic characteristics that vary depending on the region. This article presents changes in land use and land cover in the basin for the years 1985 and 2021, using data from the MapBiomas Project, compiled through Google Earth Engine (GEE) and processed with QGIS software. Activities within the basin generate significant impacts, making the study of land use and land cover crucial to understanding both natural and anthropogenic dynamics. The results show an overall reduction trend in forested areas and non-forest formations. In contrast,areas devoted to agriculture and livestock farming as non-vegetated regions, have increased. Urbanization and the development of industrial areas contribute to habitat fragmentation and pollution. Sustainable urban planning strategies, such as the incorporation of green spaces and the adoption of ecological building practices, are necessary to mitigate the impacts of urban expansion and preserve the ecological integrity of the basin. The contributions and advancements of geotechnology to this study are undeniable, demonstrating the feasibility of conducting analyses over large areas while optimizing time for such studies.

A Geografia Física como campo da ciência geográfica tem se reafirmado como uma importantíssima área de conhecimento, em especial, ao utilizar a teoria geossistêmica para análise da paisagem. O objetivo propõe-se em dialogar com referenciais da abordagem geossistêmica e evidenciar as contribuições dessa proposta metodológica para a identificação e análise da suscetibilidade ambiental em bacias hidrográficas. Tendo em vista o objetivo proposto, as sessões do texto foram organizadas em quatro momentos, sendo o primeiro caracterizado por reflexões que tratam do contexto teórico-metodológico da Geografia Física para a abordagem geossistêmica. Em seguida, debatemos a compreensão do olhar dessa ciência para os recursos hídricos, discutindo a teoria geossistêmica e a suscetibilidade ambiental e, por fim, a aplicação da metodologia de mapeamento na bacia hidrográfica do Ribeirão Paraíso. A aplicação da metodologia de Crepani et al. (2001), permitiu elaborar um mapeamento dos diferentes tipos de características da área, com vistas à interpretação da suscetibilidade. A maior parcela da área foi identificada a classe medianamente estável/vulnerável, que compreende cerca de 78%. O grau denominado moderadamente estável apresentou 17%. O grau moderadamente vulnerável em porcentagem representa 4%. E, por fim, o grau de suscetibilidade estável, com 0,4%, constituindo a menor área do mapeamento. A mediação de conhecimentos sistematizados neste artigo, permitiram reflexão sobre os conhecimentos e as contribuições da Geografia Física para os estudos desenvolvidos pela ciência geográfica, dos métodos de pesquisa desse campo científico voltados a abordagem da suscetibilidade ambiental de recursos hídricos, mediante uso da teoria geossistêmica.Palavras-chave: Ciência geográfica; Epistemologia; Geossistemas. Physical Geography and the geosystemic approach applied to studies of environmental susceptibility of watersheds A B S T R A C Physical Geography as a field of geographic science has reaffirmed itself as a very important area of knowledge, especially when using geosystemic theory for landscape analysis. The objective is to dialogue with geosystemic approach references and to highlight the contributions of this methodological proposal for the identification and analysis of environmental susceptibility in hydrographic basins. In view of the proposed objective, the sessions of the text were organized in four moments, the first being characterized by reflections that deal with the theoretical-methodological context of Physical Geography for the geosystemic approach. Next, we discuss the understanding of the view of this science for water resources, discussing geosystemic theory and environmental susceptibility and, finally, the application of the mapping methodology in the River Paradise basin. The application of the methodology of Crepani et al. (2001), allowed to elaborate a mapping of the different types of characteristics of the area, with a view to the interpretation of susceptibility. The largest portion of the area was identified as the median stable/vulnerable class, which comprises about 78%. The grade called moderately stable presented 17%. The moderately vulnerable degree in percentage represents 4%. And, finally, the degree of stable susceptibility, with 0.4%, constituting the smallest area of mapping. The mediation of knowledge systematized in this article allowed reflection on the knowledge and contributions of Physical Geography to the studies developed by geographic science, of the research methods of this scientific field aimed at the approach of environmental susceptibility of water resources, through the use of geosystemic theory.Keywords: Geographic science; Epistemology; Geosystems.