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The objective of this research is to develop a set of vulnerability indicators and to analyze the effect of climate factors on social vulnerability. While the main aim of the study is to improve the existing methodology by quantifying the effects of climate change on social vulnerability, it also represents a novel scientific contribution in the field, as it delimits for the first time in the Romanian literature the most vulnerable areas from this point of view. This study aims to facilitate the decision-making processes and planning efforts targeting the increase of resilience and adaptive capacity of local communities. By applying the principal component analysis, we have selected 45 variables and have constructed four aggregated indexes. The Climate-Related Social Vulnerability index (CleSoVI) has pointed out that the largest impact on the current vulnerability of settlements in the test region (Cluj County) can be attributed to the lack of adaptive capacity and increased poverty, the most vulnerable areas being represented by the eastern and north-western parts of the county. From a socio-economic point of view, local authorities' efforts should concentrate on reducing the vulnerability of these regions and preparing them to cope with- and adapt to the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover and spatial variation of seasonal temperature may contribute to different evapotranspiration rates between the European regions. In order to assess the integral effect of land cover and climate on water resources, we implemented a procedure which allows defining favorability areas to high rate of evapotranspiration. Seasonal mean air temperature for the present (2011-2040) and future (2041-2070) combined with the seasonal crop coefficients of current future projections of land cover for the 2040s have been used to evaluate the various degrees of evapotranspiration at European scale. Extremely high and very high degree of evapotranspiration tendency were verified for Southern, Eastern, Western and Central of Europe during the mid-season period. The low and very low evapotranspiration favorability were found in the Scandinavian Peninsula and in the Alps, Dinarics, and Carpathian during the present period in all the seasons. In the cold season, the land cover favorability to evapotranspiration (LCFE) is low and very low in almost the whole Europe. These findings indicate that the southern and western regions of Europe are facing low water availability, decrease in surface water flow, and possible long periods of drought in the summers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to improve the existing methodology by quantifying the effects of climate change on social vulnerability by developing a set of vulnerability indicators. It delimits for the first time in Romania the most vulnerable areas from this point of view and facilitates the decision-making processes and planning efforts targeting the increase of resilience and adaptive capacity of local communities. We selected 35 variables and constructed four aggregated indexes by applying the principal component analysis, and then the Climate-Related Social Vulnerability index (CleSoVI) index was derived. It pointed out that the most significant impact on the vulnerability of settlements in the test region (Cluj County) can be attributed to the lack of adaptive capacity and increased poverty. The most vulnerable areas are located in the northern and south-eastern parts of the county. From a socio-economic point of view, local authorities' efforts should reduce the vulnerability of these regions and prepare them to cope with and adapt to the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]