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This assessment explores Rwanda's vulnerability to climate change, emphasizing the damages and losses resulting from various climate-related events. By utilizing spatial mapping, it identifies high-risk areas to guide the development of strategies aimed at enhancing climate resilience and promoting environmental sustainability. Rwanda’s geographical features and population density increase its susceptibility, with the highlands facing heavy rains, landslides, and soil erosion, while the eastern regions are prone to drought. Between 1971 and 2018, Rwanda experienced rising temperatures and greater rainfall variability, with projections indicating further warming by 0.9 to 2.2°C by mid-century, likely intensifying climate impacts. The study reviews climate-related disasters from 2016 to 2023, identifying Rubavu District as a flood and landslide hotspot, especially during a major event in May 2023. Kirehe District, known for its vulnerability to drought, has also been affected by rainstorms and windstorms. These regional variations in climate risks underscore the need for tailored mitigation strategies. The study stresses the urgent need for robust, climate-resilient actions that not only withstand the impacts of climate change but also foster environmental sustainability.

Understanding the rise in urban temperatures by distinguishing between the effects of urbanization and global warming is essential for preparing for future urban climate changes. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively analyze the impact of urbanization by calculating the urban bias of urban temperatures. To achieve this, we analyzed the pixels of nearby urban areas based on land use maps for 66 synoptic weather stations nationwide, categorizing them into metropolitan areas, small and medium-sized cities, and rural areas. Using the average temperature values measured at the weather stations from 1991 to 2020, we conducted a time series analysis of temperatures by city category and extracted urban bias and urban bias trends. The results of estimating the contribution of urbanization for each group indicated that the urban bias was positive for all, meaning that metropolitan areas have higher temperatures than small and medium-sized cities and rural areas. On the other hand, urban bias trends were negative under almost all conditions, indicating that the changes in annual and seasonal average temperatures in rural areas are greater than those in metropolitan and small and medium-sized cities.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relations among English major learners’ perceived L2 writing anxiety and the use of L1 within their L2 -English writing performance. 226 Chinese sophomores of English major participated. A mixed methodology (qualitative+quantitative) was employed to collect data through SLWAI (Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory), think-aloud protocol and semi-structured interview for the sake of eliciting the dynamic thinking process of their perceived L2 writing anxiety of emotional crisis and L1 use within L2 writing performance on an English major argumentative writing task. The findings revealed that Chinese learners’ perceived L2 writing anxiety as an emotional crisis was positively correlated with their L1 use amount but negatively correlated with L2 writing performance. Nevertheless, in terms of a minor part of the participants in the study whose perceived L2 writing anxiety and L1 use amount were positively correlated with L2 writing performance. Implications are that the study not only investigated the relations but shed lights on the pedagogical field of L2 writing by proposing some effective measures to improve against their different anxiety sources of major exams crisis.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the concept of hospitalization stress in the management of elderly patients. This study employed Walker and Avant's concept analysis method. The findings revealed that the attributes of hospitalization stress in the elderly include confinement, restriction, separation, and vulnerability. The antecedents of hospitalization stress were identified as anxiety, worry, and tension. Additionally, psychological health problems such as depression and isolation were found to be the consequences. The results of this study are expected to provide essential data to reevaluate the hospitalization environment for the elderly and effectively manage their stress in an aging society. In addition, there is a need for research on the development of inpatient stress measurement tools that take into account the characteristics of elderly patients and the hospital environment, and qualitative research to explore in-depth the stress of inpatient hospitalization for the elderly.

This study investigates the causes of summer heavy rains on the Korean Peninsula from 2018 to 2024 by analyzing the relationship between Total Precipitable Water (TPW) and atmospheric fluctuations such as low-level jets, typhoons, the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the monsoon. Using observational data and meteorological reanalysis, the study explores how these factors influence TPW. The analysis shows that tropical cyclones and typhoons near the thermal equator in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific form atmospheric rivers that carry water vapor to the Korean Peninsula. In one case, TPW was influenced by a tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean, forming a monsoon front linking China, Korea, and Japan, causing heavy rainfall. In the second case, typhoons in the Western Pacific strengthened the monsoon front and then moved itself directly toward the peninsula, both leading to severe rains. In the third case, heavy rainfall occurred as a result of typhoons itself moving directly from the Western Pacific or further east. The findings highlight the key role of tropical cyclones and typhoons in determining TPW distribution and heavy rainfall on the peninsula.

This study aims to explore how emerging digital technologies can improve the resilience of critical infrastructure in the face of the climate change. Given the growing impact of climate crisis, it is increasingly crucial for governments and organizations to develop and implement strategic plans to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure. Natural disasters can compromise the structural integrity and disrupt the operations of critical infrastructure. Extreme climate disasters can accelerate the aging and deterioration of infrastructure, resulting in increased maintenance costs. By reviewing existing literature, we show how these technologies support real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and more efficient disaster response, thereby enhancing infrastructure resilience at every stage of its lifecycle. However, while digital technologies offer significant benefits, challenges remain, including cybersecurity risks, human-machine interaction issues, and funding barriers. Finally, to better integrate digital technologies into critical infrastructure systems, we propose four key strategies: (1) mitigate cybersecurity risks, (2) adopt a lifecycle resilience approach, (3) promote collaborative governance, (4) reduce human-machine conflicts.