Navigating Urban Climate Resilience in Mediterranean Hotspots: A Review and GIS-Enabled Implementation Framework for North Cyprus

The Mediterranean Basin is recognised as a climate change hotspot, exhibiting accelerated warming and intensified hydrological shifts that compound urban heat island (UHI) and flood risks in coastal and inland cities. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide valuable tools for downscaling climate projections, mapping vulnerabilities and directing targeted adaptation measures. The impacts of climate change and GIS-based analytical methods in Mediterranean urban contexts have been synthesised in this review, and specific climate trends and vulnerabilities in North Cyprus have been assessed. We find the most important knowledge gaps in assessments of the climate in cities and suggest a plan for adapting to climate change. This plan is in stages and uses Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The plan includes using cool materials and adding plants to the city quickly. It also includes long-term planning for how the land will be used. This is based on Local Climate Zones, managing floods together, and networks that monitor the environment in real time. Studies of the economy show that integrated strategies are financially possible and can help make cities more resilient in the long term.