The research team focused on Italy, Spain, Israel and Greece, the countries with the highest incidence of medcyclones and the most data on their damage. “Despite the importance of the intercyclones, we still don’t fully understand how much damage they cause to people’s lives and economies, and there is not enough clear communication about the risks they pose. Cyclones cannot be prevented in the short term, but they can be prepared for. In the context of the increasing destructiveness of Mediterranean cyclones, it is necessary to create more resilient societies,” outlined Robert Stojanov from the Institute of Informatics of the Faculty of Business and Economics MENDELU, who is part of the international team and represented the Czech Republic in the project. The aim of the research is to bridge knowledge gaps, inform policy-making and support the development of adaptive measures to mitigate the growing threats posed by medcyclones in the context of a changing climate.
Medcyclones have profound and far-reaching socio-economic and ecological consequences, especially for coastal and densely populated areas. Despite their crucial role in the Mediterranean, systematic assessment of their contribution to socio-economic losses and effective communication of the associated risks is still limited. “Our research summarises existing knowledge on the socio-economic impacts of intercyclones, focusing on vulnerable sectors such as human health, energy, transport, agriculture and cultural heritage. It highlights pressing knowledge gaps, including the need for interdisciplinary research and better stakeholder and public engagement. This work provides an integrated view of medcyclone impacts and outlines resilience strategies, including improving forecasting models, promoting cross-sectoral impact studies and improving disaster preparedness,” Stojanov described.
The study provides new ideas to help protect against intercyclones, such as improving weather forecasts, studying how different areas are affected and better planning for disasters. By addressing these issues, this research aims to help decision-makers develop strategies to protect people and strengthen communities as the risks of intercyclones increase with climate change. Collaboration between scientists, governments and communities is also essential, the researchers say.
“Mediterranean medcyclones are low pressure atmospheric systems characterized by counterclockwise wind circulation. These meteorological phenomena, which are sometimes comparable to hurricanes in intensity and impact, affect the weather in the region and are responsible for various natural hazards, including torrential rains, flash floods, wind storms and sea surges,” Stojanov explained.
A joint scientific paper by sixteen European institutions on Mediterranean cyclone research was published in May in the prestigious journal Reviews of Geophysics. Two scientists from the Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Business and Economics MENDELU, were part of the team. Robert Stojanov and Jaromír Landa participated in the research, analysis of sources and data and their visualization. The research was carried out between 2020 and 2024 within the international project COST Action CA19109 European network for Mediterranean cyclones in weather and climate (MEDCYCLONES).
Link to the article: Mediterranean cyclones in a changing climate: A review on their socio-economic impacts