A systematic review examined 47 studies from around the world to understand how climate change affects outdoor activities. The research looked at factors like rising temperatures, extreme weather events, changes in precipitation, snow conditions, and environmental degradation. These factors create an asymmetric bidirectional relationship with outdoor activity opportunities. The review also explored how outdoor activities themselves impact the climate through emissions and ecological pressures. These pressures mainly come from transportation, tourism consumption, facility operation, artificial snowmaking, energy use, and resource consumption. Evidence for this feedback remains comparatively limited but suggests a non-negligible role. The studies involved participants in various outdoor activities globally. No specific safety concerns or adverse events were reported in this review of non-clinical environmental studies. Readers should understand that future research needs to distinguish between climate suitability and actual participation. Strengthening integrated assessments of carbon emissions, adaptation, risk governance, and low-carbon transition pathways is recommended for the future.
Climate change alters outdoor activity suitability and creates asymmetric bidirectional environmental impacts across 47 studiesClimate change alters outdoor activity opportunities and safety risks globally
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Key Takeaway
Note the asymmetric bidirectional relationship between climate change and outdoor activity suitability.
This systematic review synthesizes evidence from 47 studies examining the impact of climate change on outdoor activities. The scope covers global settings and includes secondary outcomes such as recreation demand, site availability, and ecological pressures. The review highlights that climate change affects outdoor activities through rising temperatures, extreme weather, altered precipitation and snow conditions, and environmental degradation. Evidence indicates an asymmetric bidirectional relationship between these factors.
Feedback evidence remains comparatively limited and mainly concerns emissions and ecological pressures associated with transportation, tourism consumption, facility operation, artificial snowmaking, energy use, and resource consumption. These factors play a secondary but non-negligible role in the overall system. The review notes that feedback evidence remains comparatively limited as a key constraint on current understanding.
The authors recommend that future research should distinguish climate suitability from actual participation. They also suggest strengthening integrated assessments of carbon emissions, adaptation, risk governance, and low-carbon transition pathways in outdoor activities. This practice relevance applies to stakeholders managing outdoor recreation and environmental sustainability.
What this means for you:
Climate change impacts outdoor activities through weather changes, while activities also affect the environment through emissions. View Original Abstract ↓
IntroductionClimate change is reshaping the suitability, participation conditions, and risk environment of outdoor activities, but the feedback effects of outdoor activities on climate change remain less synthesized.MethodsThis systematic review searched Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, Wiley, SpringerLink, and ProQuest for English-language studies published up to December 27, 2024. Following predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and PRISMA 2020 reporting, 47 studies published between 2003 and 2024 were included.ResultsEvidence indicates an asymmetric bidirectional relationship. Climate change affects outdoor activities through rising temperatures, extreme weather, altered precipitation and snow conditions, and environmental degradation, thereby influencing climate suitability, participation behavior, recreation demand, site availability, and health and safety risks. Five themes were identified: climate suitability and activity opportunities; participation behavior and recreation demand; health and safety risks; feedback from outdoor activities to climate change; and adaptation and mitigation strategies. Feedback evidence remains comparatively limited and mainly concerns emissions and ecological pressures associated with transportation, tourism consumption, facility operation, artificial snowmaking, energy use, and resource consumption.DiscussionClimate-change effects predominate, whereas feedback from outdoor activities plays a secondary but non-negligible role. Future research should distinguish climate suitability from actual participation and strengthen integrated assessments of carbon emissions, adaptation, risk governance, and low-carbon transition pathways in outdoor activities.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025636854. Unique Identifier: CRD42025636854.
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