Volume 63

Rooftop Nexus for Health and Climate-Resilient Transitions Across Local Climate Zones in Mediterranean Cities Tsampika Dimitirou, Nikolaos Skandalos, Dimitrios Karamanis

Abstract

Mediterranean cities face major challenges at the crossroads of energy poverty, air pollution, and climate change, where winter wood burning and summer overheating increase health risks and social inequalities. This study develops a rooftop nexus framework that links energy, water, food, biodiversity, and health benefits to assess building-scale measures like photovoltaics (PVs), green roofs, and hybrid options across Local Climate Zones (LCZs). Using Ioannina, Greece, as a case study, LCZ mapping was performed and combined with morphological scaling to estimate rooftop availability for interventions. Scenario analysis at this stage considered PV deployment and measured health impacts from PM2.5 reduction by replacing wood combustion with ongoing advances in green roof benefits. Results indicate that LCZ-specific rooftop interventions can generate enough electricity to replace residential wood burning, leading to significant decreases in PM2.5 exposure and related premature deaths. Importantly, connecting LCZ types with socio-economic vulnerability shows that targeted rooftop interventions, combined with energy-sharing schemes, can meet both climate mitigation and equity goals. This research emphasizes the potential of LCZ-informed rooftop strategies as an adaptable framework for health-centered, climate-resilient changes in Mediterranean cities.

Keywords rooftop photovoltaics, green roofs, mitigation technologies, climate-health nexus, local climate zones