The scientific dissemination project Castells de ciència (Human Towers of Science), promoted by the URV Science Communication and Outreach Unit with support from Repsol, has published a new article addressing the relationship between the casteller world and the effects of climate change. The study, titled Challenges of the casteller tradition in the face of climate change, analyzes how rising temperatures and extreme heat episodes can affect the safety and practice of this activity, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
The article is based on research by the URV Geography Department, which analyzed historical meteorological data records between 1951 and 2023. This analysis confirms a sustained trend of temperature increase during summer gatherings (diades), with rises of between 0.3 and 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade in key municipalities such as Valls, Tarragona, and Vilafranca del Penedès.
To obtain firsthand data, the research team installed temperature and humidity sensors in various casteller squares during 2024 and 2025. Measurements indicated that most gatherings exceed 30 degrees Celsius, with significantly higher temperatures in the urban squares compared to the nearby rural environment, a phenomenon attributed to the “urban heat island” effect.
The study incorporates the perception of 109 castellers from 10 different groups, who set the optimal temperature range for the activity between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius, and establish 35 degrees Celsius as the extreme threshold necessary to guarantee participant safety.
Based on this collected data, researchers propose urgent adaptation measures. These include generating shade, ensuring access to cool water, adjusting the schedules and duration of the gatherings, reviewing clothing, and increasing medical provisions to cope with increasingly adverse climatic conditions.
