The COMBURA symposium is the major annual event for exchange of information on combustion research and its practical applications, in the Netherlands. It is an initiative of the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Vlamonderzoek NVV (Netherlands Association for Flame Research) and is sponsored by the Dutch section …

Small urban water bodies, such as ponds or canals, are commonly believed to solve urban heat problems but recent research shows that the cooling effect of large urban water bodies on hot summer days is quite limited and can actually induce a night-time warming effect. However, shading, vaporising water …

The changing climate has an effect on the quality of life in our cities: heavier rainfall (resulting in floodings), longer periods of drought, reduced air and water quality and increasing temperatures in cities (heat stress). Awareness about these changes among various stakeholders is of great importance. …

Animal welfare has a high importance this day and age. In 1998 the 'Five freedoms' of Brambell have been put in the European law. Thermal comfort for dairy cows is in these five freedoms and so thermal discomfort must be avoided. Heat stress affects animal welfare, milkproduction, udder-health and reproduction …

Urban water bodies like ponds or canals are commonly assumed to provide effective cooling in hot periods. Some of the evidence that feeds this assertion is based on remote sensing observations at relatively large scales. Such observations generally reveal reduced surface temperatures of water bodies …

Urban planning will benefit from tools that can assess the vulnerability to thermal stress in urban dense cities. Detailed quick-scan heat stress maps, as made in this study for Johannesburg, have proven valuable in the decision-making process on this topic. It raised awareness on the urgent need to …

Cities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to climate change and there is an urgent need to become more resilient. This research involves the development of the City Climate Scan methodology to measure, map, scan and assess different parameters that provide insight into the vulnerability of urban areas …

Urban planners and several stakeholders in public and private sector are in need of (quickscan) tools that can assess the vulnerability to floods and thermal stress. Urban flooding and thermal stress have become key issues for many cities around the world. With the continuing effects of climate change, …

The thermal performance of conventional flat roof systems is in practice normally assessed by the heat transfer caused by conduction. The effects of radiation and convection are in such cases ignored as being insignificant. Holistic flat roof systems are designed to better utilize the impact of radiation …