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Environmental expenditures include all environmental protection expenditures to prevent, reduce and control environmental aspects, impacts and hazards, in addition to the costs of disposal, treatment, hygiene and cleaning. Environmental protection expenditures are defined as investments of enterprises allocated to reduce direct environmental pollution. In this scientific paper we will address the topic of environmental costs of enterprises in the mining sector in Kosovo. All enterprises of the mining industry in Kosovo are obliged by legislation to allocate or plan a budget for environmental expenditures. The Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals is an independent agency defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, which regulates mining activities in Kosovo in accordance with the Law on Mines and Minerals, bylaws issued in accordance with the Law on Mines and Minerals and Kosovo Mining Strategy. This institution has determined by administrative instruction the expenses which the enterprises of the mining sector are obliged to deposit in the form of bank guarantees, for the closure of the mine, after the expiration of the license or permit. This type of expense for the company is otherwise called insurance "for all risks to third parties". Collecting high quality and reliable environmental expenditure data is essential for policymakers to develop effective environmental policies and for donors and financial institutions. Environmental criteria consider how a company performs as a nature manager. Mining areas often experience a theme of social tension due to the potential compromise between the expected impact of employment and concerns about environmental damage. Pollution control is a necessary condition for welfare benefits despite new job opportunities in the mining sector. Mining operations often require intensive use of water resources, require land and can create severe environmental externalities, including soil erosion and pollution, air and water, pollution from acid mine drainage, to chemical leakage and sedimentation. During this paper we will be based on some methods of scientific research such as: analysis, synthesis, generalization, specification, etc. We will be based on publications or official reports of relevant institutions, Kosovo and international legislation related to the topics addressed as well as field visits to the mining sector enterprises in Kosovo, which allocate more budget for environmental expenditures, for due to the activity they exercise. Finally, we will give our conclusions regarding the adequacy of environmental expenditures made by mining sector companies in Kosovo, the legislation in force and the need to amend or supplement this legislation, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dematerialization of local governments and environmental economics go hand in hand in pursuing sustainable development and environmental protection. Dematerialization, a concept in environmental economics, refers to reducing material consumption enabling economic growth without a commensurate increase in content consumption and associated environmental impacts [2]. This tendency to do more with less is essential to the municipalities' environmental economy. Advances in technology and the digital skills of municipal employees will be critical in accelerating the adoption of dematerialization practices in municipalities. One of the ways municipalities can transition to dematerialization is through digital management processes. Employees' digital skills are essential for the change to take place successfully. First, it is necessary to assess employees' existing skills in detail, then, based on the research results, develop a plan for improving the weakest skills in particular courses. The aim of this study was to assess the digital competencies and work habits of municipal administration employees in municipalities of three different countries - Liepaja Municipality (ML) (Latvia), Vila Nova de Poiares Municipality (MVNP) (Portugal) and Mielec Municipality (MM) (Poland). The research was based on a survey of city council department employees and a review of the relevant literature. The survey was conducted in 2022; 279 respondents participated in it, answering 72 questions. As a result of the research, recommendations were developed for the employees of local government administrations to improve digital competence and the transition to electronic document management, which could reduce the local government's impact on the environment and support the implementation of an environmental economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest aluminum factory in Eastern Europe is located near Slatina. Before Romania acceded to the EU in 2007, many environmental protection rules were omitted in this area. The paper analyzes the water table pollution along the Olt River for about 15 km. There are considered the tributary flows on the river, the concentration of discharged pollutants, and the pumping regime from the catchment front. It is built at about 500 m from the river, on the left bank, parallel to the river, and consists of 44 wells, of which only 34 are functional today. The flow from the phreatic aquifer is analyzed for a measured hydraulic conductivity of 35 m/day and transmissivity 350 m²/day. The main directions of pollutant flow and transmission were determined. The mathematical and numerical modeling of the water pollution in the water table is illustrated and compared with the experimental results obtained based on the measurements of the flow rates and concentration of pollutants on the Olt River during one year. The results are presented in 3 variants: tributary flow on the river at average values with pollutant concentrations below 10 mg/l and continuous pollutions, average flow on the river with higher pollutant concentrations between 15-35 mg/l and continuous pollution, and the variant with concentrated pollution, step type of 100-150 mg/l, for 8 hours. Finally, some conclusions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is concerned with the evaluation of the influence of the proximity of important protected location on the market value of land compared with the market value of land outside these locations. The database of values of land near or directly inside the locality classified as a protected natural site will be created in the paper, as well as the database of similar land outside such locations. The market values will be created from these databases. Then the paper will deal with the comparison of these values with regard to the location of the land. The comparison will be held between the locations of urban areas with similar population and similar proximity to larger urban areas. The paper will also describe the facilities of the compared urban areas and the services they provide. It will also mention the characteristics of particular protected natural sites, the means of their establishment and in brief also the level of environmental protection in these locations. The paper will be prepared under the legislation of the Czech Republic and will be concerned with the locations in the Czech Republic. The conclusion of the paper will show actual problems arising from the market values of land and evaluation of the land in protected sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of land communication use large quantities of material from processing plants (earth, natural aggregates including filler and binder). It is noted, however, that their diversity is limited. It is recommended to introduce and promote manufacturing technologies that have a low environmental impact. An artificial material used for road structure is the steel slag from steelworks. Ferrous metallurgical slag processing plant benefits in terms of environmental protection, in terms of agriculture and the community or technically: slag of ferrous metallurgy factory, being non-toxic materials, but with similar physical and mechanical properties of rocks are a viable alternative in some applications even more valuable than natural variations constructions. Steel slag is the main by-product ferrous metallurgy and reuse them make the most important economic and environmental benefits. Steel slag are by-products, essential processes for developing iron and steel, with a welldefined technological role. In this paper we consider the two aspects - ecological and economic, the solution founded for the processing of waste being based on conventional crushing and sorting processes. The crushing process of this kind of particles can be obtained through several methods. Indifferent of the used method for the crushing process, you need to act on the material so that in some of these places appear tensions exceed their breaking limit. Crushing method is chosen depending on the physical and mechanical properties of the material, its initial size, degree of crushing etc. In this paper it is presented the choice of an optimal technological flow for obtaining polyhedral shape on different grain fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional ‘linear’ path of business doing must be changed according to the new principles of circularity, because the circular economy is considered to be a new economic system for society and economies at a macro level. At a micro level, the circular economy represents the ultimate business strategy. The circular economy eliminates the concept of waste, because waste is conceptualized as a resource. The mission of the circular economy as a new philosophy is to change the production of global economies, as well as consumption. By this concept, the ecosystem will circulate value. The paper is focused on the perception of the tripartite nature of the circular economy and its multidisciplinary feature. On the one hand, its affects world and national economies; on the other, it affects consumers; and then, again, it concerns (business and other) organizations. Following the “What’s in it for me?” model, each participant of the economic (business) and social systems must find their own interest in leaving the linear “take, make, waste” model. The participants of the social system will become aware of the significance of the circular economy for the protection of the living environment, economic growth and the creation of new jobs (governments and economic policymakers), the source of innovations and competitive advantage, a rational use of resources (companies), then the protection of the living environment and health (citizens). The circular economy is a broad platform that includes all social actors in solving ecological problems and ensures benefits for them. The role of innovation and the importance of information technology are emphasized. In the paper, the institutional efforts of the Republic of Serbia in building the circular economy are considered, the most significant projects of the circular and green economies, as well as their respective potentials, including also the observed weaknesses with respect to the bad management of waste, the uncontrolled import of internal and hazardous waste, and the inefficient consumption of energy (which on its part generates big quantities of carbon-dioxide) are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main objectives, which must be achieved in the compound feed production process, is the alignment to the imposed regulations by European Union regarding quality, safety and environment protection. In order to reach this goal, the compound feed factories need to be equipped with high-performance installations, which be endowed with special filters that can retain particles released by cooling systems for granulated finite product, with a high degree of automation and computerization, which allows permanent updating of the working parameters to meeting the protection norms for both the hired personnel and the environment. In this paper it is presented the experimental research carried out in the final stage of the combined fodder production process, when the cooling of the granules that are to be packaged with the help of the air jet produces the detachment of small particles forming fine powders which are released in the atmosphere. That is why the dust eliminated by the cooling systems must be monitored permanently so that dust concentrations can be maintained between limits allowed by the European legislation. The direct measurements have been conducted at a compound feed factory that produces different sorts of nourishment for Broiler chickens. The dust concentration levels obtained after the conducted measurements indicated the good functioning of the working installations and of the filters, with keeping within the limits of environmental protection imposed by the European Union norms in force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand on the hardly accessible petroleum resources drives the E&P sector to find better solutions for the drilling and production systems. The drilling operation’s environmental impact is being more and more important where the role of drilling fluids is the key factor. The use of the nanotechnology promises new opportunities in both efficiency and environmental protection. Nano-additives can meaningfully affect the drilling fluid properties in small concentration help to their small particle sizes. Nano-additives can reduce significantly the formation damage and can improve the drilling mud rheological properties in higher temperatures as well. The effect of the Nanoadditives from the view of the driller is an important question. The advantages of using Nano-additives is getting widely investigated in the scientific works, but the drilling crew meet at the rigsite first the rheological effects of the additives. Rheological properties are important during the normal rotary drilling procedure. This paper is a study about the rheological and drilling process related outcomes of the Nano-additives. The effect of different Nano-additives concentration will be analyzed on a reservoir-friendly drilling fluid. The drilling-process related drilling fluid parameters will be tested and analyzed. The Nano-additives are treated with surfactants to reduce the chance of undesirable interactions between the different particles and to reduce the chance of the particle’s aggregation. The laboratory measurement results are analyzed from the driller’s view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the environmental impact produced by fish and meat canneries. The TULCO SA factory in Tulcea County is presented as a case study. Located on the Danube banks, it has a guaranteed and permanent source of fish and meat; fish from the Danube and fish farmers and pork and beef meat from a nearby breeding complex. Some specific analyzes of the impact on wastewater, air, and soils are illustrated. Impact on wastewater is detailed for the production of canned fish and pork and cattle meat, at different manufacturing stages, starting from unloading, removing scales, section of cutting and cleaning, until washing and degreasing the cans in which the fish and meat will be packed. Some results obtained based on local measurements are presented. Wastewater is cleaned in a treatment plant. Depending on the water temperature and charge with organic matter, the minimum hydraulic retention time is estimated to ensure the water quality that will be discharged into the Danube. The impact on the air is determined by the plants that operate continuously 20 h/day. Emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur are analyzed. The impact on the soil is estimated by analyzing the waste or different substances resulting from the cans manufacturing process that can infiltrate into the soil. Finally, an environmental impact diagram is presented, considering all these aspects so that the overall effect remains negligible for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper raises the problem of reducing air pollution induced by low-stack emission. It is one the most serious problems, especially in such countries as Poland, where the Southern regions belong to the most polluted ones in EU. The objective of the paper is to identify the social expectations towards research projects and other initiatives undertaken in order to stop low-stack emission. The objective was achieved using a survey method. The survey was conducted in 2017 in three target groups: among the participants of Scientific Conference "Coal and low-stack emission", among the municipal and township-level managers and business managers. In total 168 questionnaires were completed. The results obtained may serve as directing the government actions to support the initiatives for low-stack emission in the given target groups (local councils, economic entities, scientific circles). The results also constitute the identification of research gaps that should be examined or where the previously conducted research should be extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed paper presents the situation of the Teba-Timisat hydroameliorative arrangement located in the western part of Romania. Teba-Timisat hydroameliorative arrangement was realized in 1962 and the completion of the land improvement works in this arrangement was executed between 1985 and 1987. Since the execution, a series of rehabilitation works have been carried out, due to changes in agricultural practices in the area affected by climate change. This research assesses the state of the art as well as its functional characteristics, taking into account the possibility of accessing budget funds for the rehabilitation of technologically degraded or degraded components, based on sustainable development and environmental protection. Farmers need to get a better crop yield, but also the current legal framework, make this subject a topical subject. The purpose of the paper is to synthesize the design works and to identify the critical points in which intervention is required, from public or private funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed paper presents the situation of the Aranca hydroameliorative arrangement located in the western part of Romania. The Aranca hydroameliorative arrangement was realized in 1965 and the completion of the land improvement works in this arrangement were realized between the years 1974-1977. Since the execution, a series of rehabilitation works have been carried out due to changes in agricultural practices in the area affected by climate change. This research assesses the state of the art as well as its functional characteristics, taking into account the possibility of accessing budget funds for the rehabilitation of technologically degraded or degraded components, considering the sustainable development and environmental protection. Farmers need to get a better crop yield, but also the current legal framework, make this subject an actual subject. The purpose of the paper is to synthesize the design works and to identify the critical points in which intervention is required, from public or private funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of environmental education becomes a topical issue of educational policy and secondary school in Bulgaria. The efforts are mainly focused on integrating and promoting environmentally friendly activities for children indifferent age groups.The paper explores new approaches to stimulate motivation and extension of activities related to sustainable development and environmental protection;new methodologies with a similar focus are interpreted, and specific models for implementation are proposed.The paper offers a general description of Maria Montessori's methodology in the context of environmental education.The author studies the possibilities of geography training for the implementation of environmental education among students.It is considered that using certain notions of Montessori methodology will not only enrich the practice but will increase substantially the engagement and responsibility of every child. The current paper emphasizes the following important aspects:•How children connect with nature•The positive impact of the Montessori teaching method on the child in order to develop respect and caring attitude for the environment•To offer new methods and activities in training process with children in order to achieve environmental protection•To create interactive outdoor spaces for children•To increase the civic engagement of children and improve their ecological literacy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the possibility of software tools to control the environmental crime. The original software tool was developed to control the criminality on social networks. The main idea is to focus on the criminality related to the environmental crime. The paper describes the system of the software control, its application and usability. Also other known software tools are mentioned in order to compare the advantages and disadvantages of their use. The previous approaches to create the software tools able to predict criminality. There are several software trying to predict the criminality by different approaches. Two of them are described. The specific social environment of the social networks need also a special software approach. The communication or interaction among social network users was proofed as a main reason of the social network use. The premises of social and community crime prevention are discussed including economic, legislative and historic factors. The factors influencing environmental crime sensitivity are listed. The important question of such a software tool use is closely related to the national legislation and legal conditions of its application by government or municipal units. The safety and the environmental protection is in contradiction with the trend of freedom in everything mentality. The balance of these current approaches need to be found in order for effective protection and safety of environment as well as the people living in it. Current law officially protects both the environment as well as social freedoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment Protection is becoming part of the international and national legislation on human rights. The link between the environment protection and human right is the focus of such paper. Alongside, the paper will raise also the question of environment protection as dispensable mean for the protection of one fundamental right such as the right to life. Indeed, the debate about the relationship between the environment protection and human right at international level is going on for more than forty years. Moreover, the legislation has been developed also on this regard at international level and at certain degree at national level. The development of such legislation in all the countries is very important considering the fact that the environment protection depends not only on one country but also on neighboring counties. The present paper will analyze the existing constitutional national legislation of Western Balkan countries as candidate and potential candidate countries to join the EU in order to identify the need for legal intervention on those countries for the purpose of recognizing the link between environment protection and human rights and foreseeing explicitly the environment protection as human right. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution follows the issues included in the contribution "Influence of a possibility to emplace a building and a type of a building being placed on the value of the land" published in the conference proceedings SGEM 2016. The authors of the contribution focused on issues related to the conditions for the building placement on the land. They will examine what conditions must be met to place a building, in response to various forms of placement permits. The conditions of the building placement determine the type of a building being placed and the way of its future use. In general the conditions have a crucial impact on the value of the land. For this reason, the authors focused not only on the issues from the perspective of the valuation, but also in terms of potential emplacement of certain types of buildings on specific lands. In the first part of the paper, authors dealt with the issue of the buildings placement conditions from the perspective of specific requirements for the protection of public interests, eg. in terms of environmental protection, EIA, etc. These issues were examined not only under the legislation of the Czech Republic but also under legislations of other selected European Union countries The conditions for the building placement determine the particular type of a building that is allowed to be placed. In the contribution published in 2016, there were stated that mentioned conditions have an impact on the value of the land. In the current paper the authors focused on the valuation of these impacts (conditions) using method "High and best use"(hereinafter "HABU"), because the basic principle of this method is to evaluate the future use of the land and thus determine profitability of land as a future investment. The HABU method evaluates in total four criteria, namely whether the proposed future land use is legally permissible, physically possible, financially reasonable and most productive. Conditions which determine the possible type of a construction are essential for solving the first criterion "legally permissible". The paper lists the basic procedures and formulas of the HABU method so that it is possible to determine the value of the land and evaluate the impact of the type of buildings on the land price with reasoning. At the end the method is applied to a particular example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of soil properties is based on soil sampling with low resolution (1- 2 or more samples per hectare) and their analysis in the laboratory. This method does not provide sufficient data to highlight the significant variability of the soil properties for the analysed parcel. This leads to a uniform distribution of the nutrients that can also be synthetic chemical substances (pollutants). Since the soil properties can influence plants growth, high-resolution mapping is required by the help of some sensors mounted on systems in motion, correlated with the GPS spatial location, in order to collect data. On the other hand, it allows distribution of the nutrients locally, according to the necessary, and thus obtaining nutrients and fuel economy that has positive effects on the environment. In addition, other adverse effects are added, due to the intensive usage of heavy machinery with several crossings through the farmland, which causes degradation of the soil structure and possible increase of soil compaction. A solution to all these problems consists of combining multiple sensors into a single system simultaneously. The paper presents the combining mode of the sensors in motion, in order to determine the soil properties with implementation to a pH sensor. The soil pH is an important indicator in determining the necessary of nutrients in the soil and is in correlation with agricultural production. In this paper are also presented the architecture of a measuring module in motion with pH sensor, the command and control algorithm and the interfacing with other measuring modules for other types of sensors, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the development of the bioeconomy in Latvia, assessing its role in the development of the agricultural sector. Nowadays, the development and sustainability of natural resources are of great importance. The bioeconomy can be considered as one of the oldest sectors of the economy, which life sciences and biotechnology can transform into one of the most modern sectors of the economy. From a number of perspectives, one of Latvia's development opportunities is the more sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. The bioeconomy provides a combined approach to integrating knowledge-based economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, respecting the principles of the circular economy. The aim of this paper is to provide information on a study carried out to investigate and analyse the development perspectives of the bioeconomy and organic farming in Latvia. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and a framework of factors influencing the bioeconomy. The study uses the Delphi method, collects data from expert interviews and surveys, uses the Porter's hypothesis method, and analyses the competitiveness of organic farming enterprises in Latvia based on Porter's five forces method. The development of the bioeconomy is mainly related to the production and efficient processing of bioresources. Rural areas and regions are therefore the ones with the greatest potential for development. Research data show that the growth of the bioeconomy will contribute to the development of Latvia's rural areas and regions and that Latvian organic farming enterprises have great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and global environmental challenges pose an existential threat to the world, including Europe. Dealing with the current climate and environmental challenges requires an urgent and ambitious response. The global challenges are also an opportunity for companies, especially those engaged in environmental protection, to innovate, as they both increase their competitiveness and export potential. The relevance of the research problem is additionally supported by the fact that the European Union is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and fulfilling its obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement as well as making the implementation of the European Green Deal an obligation for each EU Member State. Accordingly, identify the role of eco-innovation in the competitiveness of companies based on the guidelines of the European Green Deal. The research employed the following methods to achieve the aim: case study, PEST analysis, expert analysis methods. Information sources used: specific economic literature, published research papers, scientific conference proceedings from databases: EBSCO, ScienceDirect and Scopus, as well as the European Union's legal acts and directives, statistical data from Eurostat, European Innovation Scoreboard reports and World Economic Forum competitiveness reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, the environment is the result of the interdependence between natural elements - water, air, soil, living things, and elements from human activity. Environmental pollution can be generally defined as the negative result of the domestic or industrial activity of any living thing that generates pollutants in the atmosphere or waste that reaches the ground or water. Numerous causes of pollution have made environmental protection one of the most important and essential problems in the world, pollution, and lack of protection measures affect people's quality of life. In this regard, the National Waste Management Strategy has been developed in Romania in 2019. This proposes a framework of measures to ensure the transition from the current development model based on production and consumption to a model based on the prevention of waste generation and the use of raw materials in industry, recovery, and recycling, thus ensuring the preservation of national natural resources. In this context, the current paper illustrates the achieved results from the experimental activities carried out using a closed composting system, that is a mobile one. The input materials in the composting process were sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (26%), market waste (vegetables and fruits - 18%), and wood chips (56%). The results showed that, for the analyzed heavy metals, the concentrations in compost do not exceed the limit values for the second category of compost according to the Romanian regulation in force (Law 181/2020 - on the management of non-hazardous compostable waste). Consequently, the obtained compost from a mixture of sludge from the wastewater treatment plant, waste from the market (vegetables-fruits), and wood chips can be used on agricultural land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study and research undertaken over a long period of time has its origins in current scientific and practical concerns regarding the accumulation of knowledge about the physical-geographical characteristics and of its zonal particularities, as an element that define the structure of the land fund and the quality of soils, necessary to substantiate the technologies of sustainable management of the physical, geographical, climatic and edaphic conditions from that space. The issue addressed is a complex one and refers to an area of 116987ha (of which 45051 ha, - 38.51% are agricultural land and 68832 ha-58.84% forests), from Valea or Tara Almajului, which is an authentic intramontane depression along Valea Nerei (Nerganiului), known as the Bozovici-Almaj Depression. The Nera River gathers the waters of the primary course from the Semenic Mountains, from the area Piatra Goznei Peak - Semenic Peak - Piatra Nedeii Peak and follows the North-South direction until the Almaj Depression. From Patas it changes its course to the Southwest to cross longitudinally the depression where it calms its waters in a wide riverbed, fact for which the zonal particularities of the studied space determine great diversity of conditions, generated by the variability of factors (cosmic, atmospheric and edaphic) which contribute to the environment where plants grow and give proper harvests. This scientific paper provides basic information and elements for the evaluation of land process and for the characterization of natural and anthropically resources, hopping that the information will be of interest for those involved in this particularly important study field to mankind, so that in the near future, the agricultural activities, together with the protection of the environment, could work together for making interdisciplinary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents some results of ongoing research at the Department of General and physical chemistry, National Mineral Resources University (Mining University) under supervision of prof. V.E. Kogan. The aim of these researches is to establish the relationship between the physicochemical regularities of crude oil and oil products absorption by sorbents based on vitreous materials, in particular, inorganic glasses. The authors of this paper are convinced that only such studies and expanding the range of materials for producing sorbents will lead to the creation of scientific bases of obtaining oil sorbents with given set of physicochemical properties and operational parameters. The last will promote the optimum solution of questions of localization and elimination of emergency oil spills and oil products. Testing of prescription-technological parameters of receipt of the oil sorbents on the basis of glasses was based, primarily, on the study of buoyancy and oil absorption of test materials. Sorbents produced on the basis of the industrial silicate foam glasses, and sorbents produced on the basis of phosphate foam glasses of own developments were investigated. Both type of glasses are demonstrated the similar specific shape of kinetic curves of oil and oil products absorption. Character of kinetics curves is interpreted by specifics of the vitreous state (chemically micro heterogeneous structure and the lack of long-range order). For the sorbents obtained on the basis of phosphate foam glasses the issue of regeneration of the sorbent is resolved. The sorbents are suitable multiple use and do not require recycling. The developed sorbents can be used not only for elimination of emergency spills of oil and oil products, but also for the manufacture of new structures of enclosing booms for effective localization of accidental spills by minimizing the amount of oil and oil products, penetrating under the boom barriers known designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Western Balkan Countries, environmental issues have not been properly addressed. After the advancement in education, economics and partial emancipation in these countries has begun to think about the environmental effects. Western Balkan states have a small territory, most of these countries have emerged from the war after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Therefore, for a period of time they have not been able to find a space, in order to include the environmental impacts among the state priorities. For more than 20 years they have had other priorities. Even though Western Balkan states are small in territory, they have a large number of inhabitants, so the geography of these territories "forces" them to develop co-operation in managing environmental impacts. As the environment every day becomes more and more the main topic in domestic state policy agendas in Western Balkan Countries, the need of cooperation with neighboring countries to achieve internal objectives is increased. It should be noted that all Western Balkan Countries have ambitions to join European Union, and as such some of them earlier and some of them later have developed or are developing a framework of environmental policies based on the European Union environmental Acqui. This paper aims to evaluate the cooperation of Western Balkan Countries in environmental policies development, seeing their internal organizational development through agencies, inspectorates and other state institutions. In order to complete this paper, we are going to use a qualitative measurement, including documents, existing literature, monographs, reports and other materials that have provided the required results. International cooperation for Western Balkan countries in achieving environmental impacts is very necessary, because all countries aspire the membership in the European Union and in order to be developed they need each other to cooperate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper handles the sustainable development tools used to support the development in bi centric Hradec Králové - Pardubice agglomeration. Because the agglomeration is unique in its type - a conurbation forming the agglomeration core - the adjustment of mutual relations in the cooperation towards sustainable development of the agglomeration is important. One of the tools is ITI strategy which is aimed to set up and deepen the cooperation of not only the core cities but also other municipalities situated in the agglomeration territory. The strategy enables to detect the primary and secondary objectives of the development and proposes the form of their financing from actually available sources. Referring to sustainability pillars the paper deals with economic sustainability pillar in relation to the strategy which provides an efficient tool for the agglomeration sustainability. In order to develop sustainable behaviour of society and ensure long-term prosperity it is necessary to create balance between the production and consumption volumes based on supply and demand. Theoretical essays offer ideas of long-term influence on supply and demand bearing on the behaviour of economic entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Regulation Rules are an air protection device available to municipalities pursuant to Act No. 201/2012 Sb., on Air Protection (effective from 1 September 2012), which is based on EU requirements. It is a short-term device for dealing with smog situations, i.e. extreme conditions of high levels of air pollution, where the threshold values of selected pollutants are exceeded. The paper deals with the legislation on the Regulation Rules of municipality in the Czech Republic (the requirements for the issuing of the Regulation Rules and the requirements for their content and form). The Regulation Rules are issued in the form of municipal regulations. The paper therefore deals with the aspects of the Regulation Rules as a municipality regulation and refers to the supervision of the issuing and the content of the municipal regulations. The main shortcomings of the current legislation are pointed out, the legislation being compared with the previous legislation effective until 31 August 2012. Is the legislation on the municipal Regulation Rules an adequate device for air protection? What does a limitation in the Regulation Rules mean if it only regulates the operation of motor vehicles in the event of a smog situation? And what is the relation of the Regulation Rules to the low emission zone as another device for air protection? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tackles the issue of the culture of ecological security and the ecological security sector, which both constitute a subfield of the culture of security and the culture of national security. The concept of sustained development provides important context for the issue. The dissemination on an individual, collective, and eventually global scale of a properly-cultivated ecological culture should allow for implementing changes in already existing policies regarding the exploration and utilisation of our planet, changes which would allow us to utilise in a sustainable way the resources and advantages which the natural environment provides, and which are not inexhaustible. I start by discussing the pivotal term - the culture of security, and the remaining part of the paper focuses on the terms which constitute the particular parts of the phenomenon, which is central to our striving towards freedom from threats. These terms include the culture of ecological security and the ecological sector - terms which act as useful tools when analysing the culture of security from the point of view of meeting the increasingly relevant need to make existing development processes sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling is used to predict the effects of chemicals at the a global or regional scale. Several models have been developed that describe the fate of chemicals in the environment, which are used to assess the mercury footprint of a country or even entire regions. For example, the following models are implemented in the form of software packages: CalTox, BETR, USEtox and others. However, imminent studies and models practically do not evaluate the spatial differentiation of the residence time of chemicals in the compartment of the environment, which is most significant for the hydrosphere, since there is a directional movement of chemicals with water masses. Several authors have shown that taking into account spatial differentiation makes it possible to increase the accuracy of calculations, and its absence often leads to a decrease in the reliability of the estimates obtained. This is due to the difference in orders of life-time, of the chemical, in different parts of the study area, which is typical for example when calculations are made for local systems, that are comparable in size to the areas of countries and/or regions. In this paper, we present an approach to allow for spatial differentiation in the calculation of chemical and indeed mercury and its compounds footprints, which consists of in the modification of the USEtox model with the simultaneous use of GIS. For the modification of the USEtox model we use the algorithm of calculation of mass transfer, coefficients of chemicals in the hydrosphere and atmosphere, with the use of geographic informational systems and software for the processing of large data bodies. The algorithm will provide large amounts of data on migration and transportation of chemicals, with water and airflows and their accumulation in various environmental compartments. The algorithm is based on the use of global databases containing the required data for the entire globe with a spatial grid of 0.5°X 0.5° resolution, in particular such data for rivers are collected in river basins database Simulated Transfer Networks (STN-30p). The topology of this river grid is derived from a digital landscape model and agreed with independent data on river routing. Flows and surface runoff data specific to the grid is obtained by matching the empirical data on flows with the flows calculated using the water balance model.The advantage of the method described in this paper is the relative simplicity and speed of the research (creating a model for the distribution of chemicals remotely from the research object). Another advantage is that we can consider the migration and accumulation of chemicals on a global scale, but, taking this into account, there are errors in the calculations, over the elimination of which we are working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the case of excavation reclamation after exploitation of gravel, located in the Sola River valley in Rajsko, in the range of the Nature 2000 area Lower Sola Valley (PLB120004), within and the vicinity of the Nature 2000 area of Lower Sola (PLH120083), the vicinity of breeding ponds. There is a Quaternary aquifer in the excavation bottom. 540,000 tonnes of waste from a nearby hard coal mine were used for ground works, which filled the excavation after exploitation of gravel. As a part of the field work, conductivity profiling in water reservoirs was performed and physicochemical analyzes of the samples taken from them were performed as well. On the foreground of deposited material, the water conductivity in the reservoir residue exceeded 14 mS/cm. The concentration of chloride was 4667 mg/L - more than 200 times higher than in ponds situated outside the influence of post mining waste. The static leaching tests of the material used to fill the landfill were performed and their chemical composition was determined. Additionally, XRD and XRF analyzes of mining waste, used in engineering works were made. Performed research allowed us to estimate the load of pollutants that will be released into the environment from material that was found harmless in official documents. This paper has systemic importance for the change in the approach to post-mining waste. The authors pointed out that the use of mining waste can only take place in the areas where it will not lead to pollution of the soil and water environment and the need to monitor their actual impact on the environment. They emphasized the need to monitor the impact of the reclaimed area on the environment. It was noted that contrary to common practices, mining waste cannot be treated as an environmentally neutral aggregate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the implementation of modern techniques and methods of surveillance in closed mining sites, for monitoring, assessing the real state and forecasting possible changes to provide an integrated picture of the state of the natural environment. The proposed system is designed as a tool with practical applicability in the decision making process of ecological restoration strategies of closed mining sites. Closed / abandoned mines have an acute need to deploy a sensor network due to their lack of work or abandonment, but also the space-time complexity of chemical, hydrological and ecological parameters and the difficulty of sampling in the especially for remote locations or unfavorable conditions. In order to solve the main objective of the paper, the specific objectives, which are developed successively, are set in the paper: establishment of pollutants to be monitored; the delimitation of the environmental impact area; location of emission sources by types of pollutants; the frequency of observations and the configuration of an environmental monitoring application through a network of GSM sensors in order to ensure safety and environmental parameters. The final objective of the thesis is to create a zone monitoring network that will be able to monitor and control the impact of closed / abandoned mining sites on the environment and to intervene to stop pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between vessels and water environment in which they do exploitation tasks are presented in this paper. In conjunction with that fact that vessels are the biggest means of transport, they also have the biggest propulsion units having substantial influence on polluting the natural environment. Therefore an attempt of analysis whether replacing liquid hydrocarbon fuel with alternative fuels reduces degradation of the environment was made. For this purpose an analysis of alternative fuels, mainly biofuels, was made. A problem of fair assessment of alternative fuels' efficiency in the economical, ecological and safety aspects was presented. Ambiguity of terms used in economical accounts presenting measurable values, omitting those immeasurable such as power safety, people's health or social part related to workplaces in biofuel production was highlighted. In the paper proposed were exemplary criteria of choosing fuels to run vessels' propulsion systems in dependence with the area and the type of the exploitation task done. These criteria ensure both safety of sailing and protection of the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Method of risk expression for waste disposal as the potential pollution sources is presented in the paper. There are numerous environmental problems caused by waste disposal. The paper deals with risk analysis, applying it, solutions, procedures and final results and it shows the importance of risk analyses in all technical and environmental fields. The method is based on risk scores assigning for the technical and environmental parameters as a result of preliminary risk assessment conducted on each parameter. The specific data connected with the waste disposal end environmental and technical parameters are used. Case study of this paper will explain their importance and methods nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining are human activities affecting both the basement and the environment and buildings at ground surface by creating underground voids and soil, air and steppes from the surface. This paper aims to determine the best use of land that is stored ashes from Thermal Paroseni within Hunedoara Energy Complex. In this paper we intend to try to determine the factors that influence land use change affected by the ash from the power plant and to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each type of use of this land both in terms of protecting the environment as and in terms of costs that result from these changes of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the restoration of extinct ponds. The number of extinct ponds in the Czech Republic is very high as many ponds ceased to exist since the Golden Age of fish farming which is dated to 15th century. The restoration of such ponds is considered as one of possible ways to increasing landscape retention capacity which is supposed to be a part of measures for mitigation of considered climate change impacts. These are expected to result in more frequent floods having higher magnitudes and on the other hand in longer and more frequent periods of droughts. The restoration of extinct ponds can be advantageous mainly with respect to the possible use of dam residues for building new reservoir which can save a lot of financial resources. Another reason for consideration of extinct pond areas for given purpose is the suitability of their profiles as these were mostly carefully selected in past. However, there are also aspects which make the restoration impossible or inappropriate. These are besides others the urbanization and nature protection or environmental issues. This paper focuses on the assessment of above mentioned aspects which can be a reason for which the restoration is not possible. The results show, that from the point of view of frequency the urbanization is more important aspect than the environmental issues. However, there are still many extinct pond areas which could be restored into water bodies even after exclusion of those which cannot be restored due to urbanization or environmental issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewerage networks form an integral part of urban infrastructure. It is necessary to reconsider the outdated concept of sewer networks and rainwater management in cities that do not meet sustainable development ideas. The new understanding of rainwater management needs to be adapted to the new environmental conditions caused by climate change. The occurrence of pluvial floods has recently become an increasingly common phenomenon. The reasons are outdated sewer networks, rapid urbanization, an increase in impervious areas, and changes in the characteristics of rainfall events caused by climate change. The aim of the paper is to examine the conditions of pluvial floods in urban areas. With the help of literature research, the leading causes and primary conditions of urban floods were summarized. More than 40 scientific publications in this area were studied during the research. The results of the investigated studies demonstrate the need to change the design concept of urban sewer networks. The usual method of wastewater management in cities was based on the concept of the fastest drainage of water from an urbanized area. This concept ensures the prevention of endangering human lives and property, limiting traffic and the negative impact of these waters on surface and groundwater quality. At present, high demands are placed on the protection of the urban environment. Many sewer networks were designed in the last century based on the conditions of the time. Due to the new conditions resulting from climate change, it is necessary to re-evaluate the functionality and capacity of individual networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study performed a hygienic analysis of pollutant emissions from stationary and mobile sources and hygienic assessment of air quality for 2007-2019 according to official statistics of the Russian Federation. It was found that the main sources of emissions are motor vehicles, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, fuel and energy complex, machine building, timber, woodworking, coal, mining, pulp and paper, chemical and oil refining industries. As results of hygienic analysis showed, the total amount of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere in 2019 was 32.4 million tons (from stationary sources – 17.1 million tons, from motor vehicles – 15.1 million tons). During this period, a decrease in total mass of emissions was recordedincluding suspended solids emissions decreased by 552 thousand tons. Emissions of volatile organic compounds mass (VOCs) in 2019 increased by 580 thousand tons. In the period from 2007 to 2019, the share of atmospheric air samples taken in settlements in the Russian Federation with exceeded maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) was recorded for benzene (up to 4.83% of samples with exceeded MPC) and suspended solids (up to 2), 2%), carbon (up to 3.7%), phenol (up to 1.57%), copper oxide (up to 2.72%), methanol (up to 4.46%), nickel oxide (up to 8.95%), nitrogen dioxide (up to 1.41%), fluoride gaseous compounds (up to 2.55%), inorganic fluorides poorly soluble (up to 1.12%) and others. Based on the results of a hygienic analysis of the ambient air quality, a list of 17 priority pollutants was established: phenol, benzene, dimethylbenzene, diVanadiumpentoxide, nickel, copper, lead, ethylbenzene, carbon disulfide, formaldehyde, etc. It was found that the increase in the share of non-standard air samples is influenced by the low expenditure on environmental protection, an increase in the total mass of the emission, deteriorated economic indicators of a region, etc. The results of typologization of territories allowed dividing regions in the Russian Federation into 4 clusters, similar in parameters of factors influencing the state of atmospheric air. Based on the epidemiological analysis, a number of reliable mathematical models have been obtained that link the frequency of violations of hygienic standards and the incidence rates of the population. In the dynamics for the analyzed period the number of additional cases associated with air quality decreases (from 1,238 cases per 100 thousand people in 2012 to 598 cases per 100 thousand people in 2019). The priority classes of diseases in terms of the absolute number of additional cases are: respiratory diseases (69.4% in 2019), digestive diseases (9.75%), circulatory diseases (9.07%), diseases of the blood, hematopoietic organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (4.34%), musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (3.81%), nervous system (3.67%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper has been prepared in accordance with the stipulations of the regulations in force issued by the Ministry of Waters, Forests and Environmental Protection of Romania. The objectives of this research were: the study of the physical changes resulting from the implementation of the water supply network, the analysis of potential sources of pollution of the main environmental factors, and the highlighting the impact on biodiversity of National Park “Cheile Bicazului - Hășmaș”. These were achieved by: study of the aspects regarding the location of all components of the water supply system, identification of sources that may affect surface water quality, of groundwater on site, the sources that can affect soil and air, establishing and describing the aspects aimed at affecting the habitat of plant and animal species protected and conserved in the studied National Park. The aim was to identify, establish and describe, according to the legislation in force, direct and indirect, synergistic, cumulative, main and secondary effects arising from the implementation of the project for the establishment of this water supply network in the analyzed area. The water supply system of Bicaz Chei village ensures the capture of a flow of 13.08 l/s from Maria Spring, the water transport through the supply pipe to the water household, where it will be disinfected and distributed metered to the distribution network. We have also considered any accidental pollution that may occur at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The competitive markets complemented by the concern for resources and environmental protection represent real and actual challenges factors for any organization. The customers call for special attention and organizations integrate the customer-centred approach in their strategies as main vehicle for achieving performance objectives. One of the well-known methods in this matter is referring to the Total Quality concept which supports checking and implementing different quality models needed to improve the competitive advantage. The paper targets the methods suitable for operational level since improvements in operational activities may be obtained with the aid of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and SIPOC (Supplier - Inputs - Process - Outputs - Customers) methods, both applied within business process management (BPM) concept, as key means for targeting complex business scopes. The results revealed a new way of using these methods by considering only the characteristics which create added value to customers. By performing the proposed methodology in order to resolve specific customers' needs, the authors used QFD structure, steps and purpose, whilst process components were taken from SIPOC method in order to ensure the structural visibility of both methods considered. Finally, the process flow diagram may be performed before starting to apply QFD matrix and tables, so as the flow of activities become better understandable and more clear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, environment pollution, environmental pressures force all entrepreneurs to implement actions arising from the laws and take additional management initiatives to protect the environment. Environment management system according to ISO 14001 can be a useful tool in this field. Environment management system is a part of the whole enterprise management system that includes organizational structure, planning, distribution of responsibilities and resources needed to develop, implement and lead management to take account of environmental problem. In Poland, managers of different enterprises, organization began to be interested in management systems in the 90's of the XX century. Today, many enterprises have implemented at least one management system, including environmental one. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the functioning of the environment management systems in Polish enterprises and their popularity. The research took the form of survey that has been filled by senior or lower managers of different types of enterprises located in south of Poland. In this survey they could share their opinion on the research system, its implementation process, problems during this process, functioning of the system, the benefits achieved after its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprise investment in environment protection means traditionally are seen as a burden induced by environmental policy. It is claimed that these investments do not support increase in output and productivity and rise production costs. Environmental investments directed to reduce abatement cost may not produce the productivity growth effect if the productivity gain do not outweigh the increase in abatement cost. Though environmental investments of firms are seen as less productive allocations, strong version of the Porter Hypothesis implies that investments to production process innovation, induced by environmental policy requirements, might lead to extra profits, which can exceed the cost of investment. Enterprise' investment to innovations related to environment protection, targeted to the production processes, technologies, activities and product design are likely to improve profitability and competitiveness of the firm due to the production cost savings and product improvements. Empirical evidence on the effect of environmental investments on productivity is inconclusive. This paper investigates the effect of enterprise' environmental investments on industry level productivity growth. Cobb-Douglas production function framework was extended to allow for effects of environmental investments. The endogenous growth approach of production function is augmented with variables of investment to environment protection remedies and investment to production process improvement, associated to the production factor of knowledge. Investment to environmental innovations of production process and products is interrelated to the accumulation of the stock of knowledge. The extent to which variations in productivity can be explained by the environmental investment is estimated from regression analysis of Lithuanian industry sectors' level data for the period of 2000-2015. The results revealed insignificant average productivity effect of the total environmental investment, integrating the impact of different types of investments - investment aimed at reducing environmental impact of production and also investment aimed at production process improvement. However, there is evidence, that environmental investment in production process improvement has statistically significant effect on sector's productivity growth. This result supports the strong version of the Porter Hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the waste management practice for the Arad County located in the western part of Romania. Together with Timis County it forms a prosperous region in Romania, attracting numerous foreign investors, especially because its proximity to the border. The transformations that led to the modernization of land in this county were radical and occurred unevenly. The main driving forces of resource consumption are economic growth, technological developments and changing consumption and production patterns. About one third of resources used are turned into waste and emissions. The use of resources is partly due to increased consumption of goods and services. In terms of waste management all economic changes must be reflected in the integrated waste management practices. The real issues concern the growth of the quantity and variety of wastes in contrast with the inadequate facilities and locations. This continuous neglect will led to the deterioration of the water, soil, air and health resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a market where footwear quality involves both health improvement and a better environmental protection, "environmentally-friendly footwear" that minimizes environmental and health impact, guaranteeing a certain level of quality, may fulfill the requirements of today's consumer. Throughout their life cycle, from leather processing to the finished footwear, resulting waste and chemicals contained in some of the products may be harmful for health and the environment. In accordance to European law, waste from the leather and footwear industry must be recovered by reuse, recycling, energy recovery, exploitation by chemical and biochemical degradation, by recovering useful organic compounds. One of the possibilities to recover solid waste with low costs is biodegradation. The purpose of this paper is to comparatively study biodegradation under aerobic conditions in liquid medium of three types of materials used in the leather and footwear industry, namely: chrome tanned leather, leather tanned with vegetable compounds, and leather substitute. The biodegradability study was conducted in accordance with SR EN 13432/02 in a waste biodegradation plant in liquid medium under aerobic conditions (SR EN ISO 14852-05). To characterize the biodegradation process, the following were monitored for 100 days: conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC) content, total organic nitrogen (TON) content, and waste biodegradation degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building industry is one of the most main factors of environment pollution. Constantly are increasing the requirements for environmental protection. This environmental protection means adopting documents, which define the measures intended to achieve energy savings and environmental protection. The European Commission adopted main papers that are setting the most important goals for energy and energy efficiency. These are intervening also in the building construction industry. It is necessary for implement these requirements into the legal system of each member of the European Union. Modern methods of construction (MMC) can be the way, how to achieve buildings, that can minimalism the negative impacts of building industry on the environment. MMC can, in addition to increasing the efficiency of the construction, ensure the requirements resulting from Agenda 20-20-20 in energy consumption. This paper brings also some case studies about the impact of MMC on building construction and their energy efficiency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing environmental impact from the construction becomes a serious problem that can cause significant damage, not only to ecosystems but also to the health and wellbeing of field workers and nearby residents of construction sites. Therefore, is necessary to approach and continuous effort within the industry in order to achieve the objectives sustainable construction and reducing of the environmental impacts of construction. A recent study shows that construction is the third largest industry sector in terms of environmental pollution and construction waste presents 25% of the total waste volume. Therefore, it is necessary to consider possibilities for reduce of construction waste origin, whether conventional or unconventional ways. One of the possible solutions is the use of modern methods of construction (MMC) that offer significant potential to minimise construction waste. The submitted paper describes the current opportunities to exploit the MMC. Modern methods of construction primarily involve the manufacture of construction in factories, with potential benefits such as faster construction, fewer housing defects, and reductions in energy use and waste. The paper analyses ways to reduce construction waste through the using of modern methods of panels or modules construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors want to emphasize in this paper the role of environmental resources in ecotourism. In previous international studies on the motivation of tourists it could be seen which the elements that interest them are: namely to travel to wild places that provide visual and unique cultural experiences. These tourists are trained and want to know more about the elements sauce as flora and fauna, natural phenomena and unique cultural forms. Activities that they prefer are hiking observing landscapes, birds, etc. Ecotourism is the type of tourism that satisfies these needs. Romania has specific and sufficient resources for carrying out this type of tourism.The investigation methodology is based on theoretical and practical elaborations of researchers and practitioners in Romania and abroad, on systemic analysis of economic processes. Analyses, calculations, trends are made based on statistical data in the country, the World Tourism Organization, Eurostat, in a series of scientific papers sauce as this. Researchers have revealed some managerial, economic-financial, marketing, advertising and promotion, problems on tourist services market forecast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current methodology of geography training in secondary school is aimed at finding opportunities for the implementation of an effective educational process.Recent studies prove the effectiveness of the so-called outdoor lessons. And this is no coincidence, given their impact on learning motivation intraining process. They practically operationalize the methodological principle of "learning through experience",especially relevant to modern didactic. However, how can this type of lesson be organized in the context of a centralized classroom educational system? In our opinion, a study excursion(field trip)is a very good option. In comparison with the traditional geography lesson, it shows a number of advantages: it promotes the development of one's own experience, develops an emotional connection with the homeland and the living space, emphasizes the social importance of geography, contributes inevitably to the development of environmental education in students, it is a main aspect of sustainable development education, etc.Of course, the implementation of a study excursion(field trip) is accompanied by a number of problems and difficulties, which in our view could be over come and justified. This is the basis for a deeper study of the issue in future. This paper proposes the most general up-to-date characteristic of a study excursion(field trip)in geography training in the context of educational tourism.The author explores the essence, typology and ways of implementation of field trips. Specific possibilities for their realization in the border municipalities of the Republic of Bulgaria with the Republic of Serbia are indicated.The author highlights the promotion ofthese municipalities as places for extra-curricular activities and defines these territories as suitable for organizing specific educational tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A current global concern is environmental protection. Many of the human activities affect the environment and implicitly have economic repercussions. Economic and social development must be achieved so that economic activities cause as little damage to the environment as possible. The financial amounts allocated depend on the economic situation of each country. Expenditures for environmental protection represent an indicator regarding the actions undertaken by economic agents and the public administration concerning the state of the environment. The purpose of the paper was to evaluate the environmental protection expenditure of different groups of environmental service providers and their influence on the evolution of GDP, in the period 2010-2018 in Romania. The indicators taken into account were total expenditures for environmental protection by specialized producers, non-specialized producers and public administration, as well as environmental taxes on various activities, the share of environmental taxes in GDP, but also the share of environmental expenditures in GDP. During the period analyzed, public environmental expenditures increased from 18.4 million lei in 2010 to 20.8 million lei in 2018. The analysis of environmental expenditures indicates an increase in public efforts for environmental protection. The strongest correlation is between GDP and specialized producers: r=-0.752, meaning a strong negative correlation and an inversely proportional relationship between economic growth and environmental protection expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, eco-innovation represents a tool for vitalizing the circular economy – an urgent problem – both at the global as well as at the national level. Eco-innovation is the key to the future competitiveness of any country that contributes to the circular economy and a sustainable future while also promoting environmental protection and more efficient use of resources. Eco-innovations are implemented in all Member States, sectors and markets of the European Union, yet the intensity of this activity is still insufficient. In Latvia, too, the intensity of eco-innovation is low. Therefore, the research aims to identify eco-innovation performance in Latvia and correlations between the factors affecting it. To achieve the aim, the following research methods were employed: monographic, statistical analysis and quantitative and qualitative analysis. Information sources used: specific economic literature, published research papers, scientific conference proceedings from databases: EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, as well as the European Union’s legal acts and directives, statistical data from Eurostat, the OECD and other international institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main difficulties nowadays in Bulgaria in agricultural land governance, land administration and land management stem from weaknesses in the legal framework. To this can be added the historically accumulated lack of interest in land stewardship and the inherited soil degradation processes. Nowadays chaotic land use does not provide territorial conditions for taking advantage of modern agricultural technologies. The socio-economic development requires complicated interaction between the private, state, municipal, and public interests in agricultural land-use. The main issues are the protection of land tenure, conservation of soils, protection of the environment, and economic prosperity of the farms and regions. Solving them requires a number of activities such as conducting research on soil quality and their condition; land capacity assessment; land valuation, development of agricultural cadastre; taking measures to limit the processes of soil degradation, protection of the environment and the landscape and as a basis for all these activities - agricultural land-use planning. The purpose of the paper is to present the results of a questionnaire among professionals and producers in agriculture, to make an analysis and to draw conclusions about the need for agricultural land-use planning. With a critical approach of the authors, new principles and new characteristics of agricultural land use planning have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research goal of the paper is mathematical description of the physical process of forming the surface waters quality on the exampleof the Lower Section of the Ingulets River.The methodology in which the chemical status of a water body (category and class of water quality) is assessed based on the analysis of observational data (concentrations of priority hazardous pollutants) was used. Based on a general assessment, the suitability of surface waters for use in various economic purposes is established.We propose to represent dependence of the category of water quality on the concentration of hydro chemical ingredients in the form of regression equations.The article provides examples of such a representation of the dependencies of the water quality categories on the values of hydro chemical ingredients for the Lower Section of the Ingulets River. An environmental assessment of the surface waters quality of the Lower Section of the Ingulets River was carried out on the basis of the analysis of hydro chemical ingredients in accordance with the fishery standards for the observation period of 2018 year with subsequent calculation and generalization. The results can serve as a basis for visualizing the results of modeling the ecological state of surface waters using GIS technologies, determining the impact of anthropogenic load on ecosystems of water bodies, estimating changes of water quality, informing the public, solving economic and social issues, related to the rational use of natural resources and ensuring environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of increasing the capacity of the Russian Arctic harbors has been gaining momentum in recent years due to the environmental change associated with the global warming process and increasing role of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). An important component of this process is the operation of the Sabetta seaport in the Ob Bay, Kara Sea, intended for the transportation of hydrocarbons (oil and gas products) produced on the Yamal Peninsula in the NSR. The construction project of the Sabetta seaport includes the regular dredging to ensure navigational depths in the approach channels, and in the port at the piers. The regular dredging work can cause negative stress effects on water bioresources (fish) and thereby increase the risks of environmental management for coastal eco-socio-economic system. The total volume of planned annual dredging is 2554.4 thousand cubic meters of dredging material. To reduce risks, it is necessary to carry out environmental control measures for dredging operations, including determining of possible damage and developing compensatory measures that reduce negative effects and contribute to the restoration of biological resources. The paper provides an assessment of possible impacts on aquatic bioresources from dredging in the waters of the Sabetta seaport in the period from 2018 to 2027 and determines the amount of costs for environmental protection measures and compensation payments. The projected amount of damage to water biological resources during the dredging operation will be 176 tons of fish per year. It is shown that the most significant expression of the anthropogenic risk, associated with the implementation of dredging in the aquatory of the Sabetta seaport, will be decrease of biomass of biological bottom communities (zoobenthos). As a result of that, the decrease in bottom-feeding fish stocks is expected, but this process will be temporary. The estimated amount of expenses for compensation measures for three proposed fish species - objects of reproduction of yearlings for 1 year – will be: for peled C.peled – 64.82 million rubles, for Siberian sturgeon – 139.03 million rubles, for muksun C.muksun – 98.03 million rubles. To minimize this risk of environmental management, a number of environmental measures are proposed that will allow the Sabetta seaport to maintain its status as the first environmentally friendly port in the Russian Arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]