Increasing urbanization and climate change challenges are leading to relevant environmental, economic and social pressures on European cities. These include increasing flood hazards and the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized within strategies to provide multiple ecosystem services to mitigate existing risks and pressures, as well as to make cities more resilient and livable. Although being increasingly addressed within the literature, NBS implementation on the ground still faces many technical and financial barriers. This paper aims to test the potential of selected NBS in mitigating the effects of identified climate change risks, i.e., the UHI effect and urban floods, in the Turin urban area (north-western Italy). Four different intervention NBS-based scenarios are developed. The supply of ecosystem services by NBS in each scenario is assessed using InVEST models and the effectiveness of NBS investments is analyzed by calculating and comparing the associated costs and benefits. Different results in terms of effectiveness and economic viability are observed for each scenario and each NBS. Flood risk mitigation oriented NBS seem to have the most impact, in particular forested green areas and retention ponds. The results are relevant to suggest policy mix strategies to embed NBS in city planning.

Urban areas are experiencing major changes and facing significant sustainability challenges. Many cities are undergoing a transition towards a post-industrial phase and need to consider the regeneration of brownfield sites. Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) are increasingly considered as tools for supporting this transition and promoting sustainable development by delivering multiple ecosystem services (ESs). Although the potential of NBSs as a cost-effective enabler of urban sustainability has been recognized, their implementation faces numerous barriers. The effective assessment of benefits delivered by urban NBSs is considered by existing literature as one of them. In order to contribute to filling this knowledge gap, we analyzed two alternative NBS-based intervention scenarios—i.e., (1) an urban forest and (2) meadows with sparse trees—for the redevelopment of an urban brownfield area within the municipality of Brescia (Northern Italy). Nine ESs were assessed both in biophysical and economic terms via a combination of modeling (InVEST, i-Tree and ESTIMAP) and traditional estimation methods. The results show that both scenarios improve ES stock and flow compared to the baseline, ensuring annual flows ranging between 140,000 and 360,000 EUR/year. Scenario 1 shows higher values when single ESs are considered, while scenario 2 shows higher total values, as it also accounts for the phytoremediation capacity that is not considered under the first scenario. All in all, regulating ESs represent the bulk of estimated ESs, thus highlighting the potential of proposed NBSs for improving urban resilience. The ES assessment and valuation exercise presented within this paper is an example of how research and practice can be integrated to inform urban management activities, and provide inputs for future decision making and planning regarding urban developments.

Water scarcity, climate change, population growth, and rising water demand highlight the urgency of adopting effective water conservation measures. The transition from traditional irrigation systems, such as flood irrigation, to modern ones, like drip irrigation, is often seen as a panacea to improve irrigation efficiency and address water shortages. Despite the flourishing literature on the efficiency gains achieved by shifting to drip irrigation, trade-offs associated with replacing traditional irrigation systems with modern irrigation technologies remain unexplored. Building on this gap, this paper provides a systematic literature review to analyze the current state of knowledge and research on the trade-offs associated with this transition. The review analyses not only the possible effects on agricultural productivity and irrigation efficiency at the farm scale, but also the environmental implications and socio–economic consequences that may emerge at a larger scale. We found that while studies conducted at the field-level emphasize clear benefits associated with the adoption of drip irrigation, including higher crop yields and improved water use efficiency, basin-scale analyses reveal drawbacks, including increased consumptive use, reduced return flows for ecosystem processes, and more generally limited real water savings. Overall, our findings stress the need for more holistic, multi-scale, and interdisciplinary approaches to assess the impact of irrigation modernization, along with the need for policy frameworks that balance agricultural productivity gains with sustainable water management.

Water scarcity, climate change, population growth, and rising water demand highlight the urgency of adopting effective water conservation measures. The transition from tra-ditional irrigation systems, such as flood irrigation, to modern ones, like drip irrigation is often seen as a panacea to improve irrigation efficiency and address water shortages. Despite a flourishing literature on the efficiency gains achieved through the shifting to drip irrigation, trade-offs associated with replacing traditional irrigation systems with modern irrigation technologies remain largely unexplored. Building on this gap, this paper provides a systematic literature review to analyze the current state of knowledge and research on the trade-offs associated with this transition. The review analyses not only the possible effects on agricultural productivity and irrigation efficiency at the farm-scale, but also the environmental implications and socio-economic consequences that may emerge at a larger scale. We found that while studies conducted at field-level emphasize clear benefits associated with the adoption of drip irrigation, including higher crop yields and improved water-use efficiency, basin-scale analyses reveal drawbacks, including increased consumptive use, reduced return flows for ecosystem processed, and more generally - limited real water savings. Overall, our findings stress the need for more holistic, multi-scale and interdisciplinary approaches to assess the impact of irrigation modernization, along with the need of policy frameworks that balance agricultural productivity gains with sustainable water management.

Objectives. The objective of this study was to analyse the educational effectiveness of an integrated training intervention conducted over one sporting year in youth volleyball players aged 10–13 years, aimed at developing perceptual-cognitive abilities, psychological characteristics, and inclusive participation in a sports learning environment. Material and Methods. The study involved approximately 80 students, including participants diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The participants were divided into an experimental group and a control group. Training sessions were conducted twice a week and had a stable organizational structure with operational subgroups and 3×3 mini-tournaments. The control group followed a traditional training programme focused on the development of technical fundamentals, whereas the experimental group implemented playful and perceptual decision-making tasks supported by interactive light devices (reaction lights/Sportlights) designed to stimulate reaction speed, peripheral vision, and visual-motor coordination. A mixed-methods research design was applied, combining quantitative assessments with qualitative interviews involving students and coaches. Results. The experimental group demonstrated more favourable outcomes in the development of perceptual-cognitive skills compared with the control group. In addition, participants in the experimental group reported higher levels of perceived competence and physical self-esteem. Qualitative data indicated increased engagement, motivation, and participation during training sessions. Conclusions. The findings support the educational value of intentionally designed sports learning environments that integrate playful activities, technological tools, and traditional training methods. Such an approach may enhance perceptual-cognitive development, increase motivation, and promote inclusion in youth sports programmes.