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On a global scale, traffic incidents are a leading cause of mortality and material damage. Romania exhibits the highest rate of road traffic fatalities both in the European Union and worldwide, requiring a comprehensive examination of its overall influence on a national level. The current study uses an extensive approach centering on a spatial analysis model based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Employing a series of spatial databases, this model delineates the geographical distribution and characteristics of road accidents to establish both their cumulative national impact and the identification of high-risk areas. The spatial database, containing traffic incident data, is constructed using geolocation techniques and integrated through network analysis to evaluate the impact in relation to distance. The AHP framework is applied in analyzing the impact across five key dimensions: accident severity, occurrence mode, prevailing weather conditions, traffic restrictions, and road markings. This multi-level AHP analysis not only identifies high-risk hotspots but also confirms the effectiveness of the proposed spatial model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has had a significant influence on public transportation usage and service provision. As many countries begin to return to normality, new public transportation planning standards are being developed. Considering these new standards, there is a critical shortage of understanding the possible impact of the pandemic on public transportation systems and models that can help service planning face these challenges. This paper analyzes data collected in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), from late- February 2020 to late-March 2021. As local authorities began to remove restrictions aimed at limiting the propagation of the SARSCoV-2 virus, the study investigates the travel changes in various modes of transportation, travel plans, and user categories. Results confirm that low-income groups depend on public transit the most; consequently, they had considerably lower declines in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also identifies various daily average patterns of demand for public transportation in Cluj-Napoca throughout each stage of the pandemic. All of these data contribute to extending the global understanding about COVID-19's influence on transport usage by comparing these outcomes with the ones from other cities. They offer pertinent information for transportation authorities to develop adaptation policies to a major event like this pandemic. Although there is still apprehension about using public transportation, the collected data show that the regular public transport users from before the pandemic have been gradually returning to their transport of choice once the restrictions have been relaxed (March-May 2020). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region of Romania is characterized in terms of continental temperate climate with oceanic influences. Thus, the precipitation regime and the thermal regime in this part of Europe are strongly influenced by the frequency of cyclones whose trajectories cross Europe from west to east coming from the Atlantic Ocean. The present study analyzes the variation of the amount of precipitation in Romania depending on the frequency and variation of the geographical position of the trajectories of the North Atlantic cyclones in the area of the European continent. Using the classic method of identification and tracking, 1189 cyclones were found that crossed Europe north of the Alps in a period of 30 years between December 1, 1985 - November 30, 2015, of which 71% generated precipitation in Romania. Their influence on the amount recorded at meteorological stations in Romania varies between 43% in the northwest of the country to 13% in the southern regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper represents the third part of a larger study concerning tourism in Sălaj County, taking into consideration the tourism infrastructure in the county. The paper analysed statistical data regarding the accommodation establishments and their capacity, available online from the National Institute of Statistics (TEMPO-ONLINE database) for a period of 33 years, between 1990 and 2022. The total number of accommodation establishments dropped from 23 in 1990 to 16 in 2007, but then increased significantly, reaching 127 accommodation units in 2022. Most of these recently emerged units, such as bungalows and guesthouses, have however a small capacity. Therefore, the evolution in terms of the total number of available beds in certified accommodation units has not been equally spectacular. There was the same decreasing trend, from 1922 beds in 1990, to 754 beds in 2008, followed by an increase, which nevertheless reached a maximal value of 1923 beds in 2016. Since then, the overall capacity has slightly decreased. Most of the beds are currently available in accommodation establishments located in towns (mainly in Zalău) and spa resorts, especially in hotels, hostels, and guesthouses. The general trend in recent years has been to improve the degree of comfort, which in Zalău gave rise to several 4-star hotels, in addition to the existent 3-star hotels. Recreational facilities are mainly available in the two spa resorts, Băile Boghiş and Bizuşa-Băi, but there are some similar facilities in Zalău, Jibou and şimleu Silvaniei, while most of the seats in public catering facilities are located in Zalău, Boghiş and Ip. The positive trend in terms of tourism infrastructure is expected to be maintained in the following years, as tourism is the economic activity most likely to be strategically important for the sustainable development of Sălaj County in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research is to develop a set of vulnerability indicators and to analyze the effect of climate factors on social vulnerability. While the main aim of the study is to improve the existing methodology by quantifying the effects of climate change on social vulnerability, it also represents a novel scientific contribution in the field, as it delimits for the first time in the Romanian literature the most vulnerable areas from this point of view. This study aims to facilitate the decision-making processes and planning efforts targeting the increase of resilience and adaptive capacity of local communities. By applying the principal component analysis, we have selected 45 variables and have constructed four aggregated indexes. The Climate-Related Social Vulnerability index (CleSoVI) has pointed out that the largest impact on the current vulnerability of settlements in the test region (Cluj County) can be attributed to the lack of adaptive capacity and increased poverty, the most vulnerable areas being represented by the eastern and north-western parts of the county. From a socio-economic point of view, local authorities' efforts should concentrate on reducing the vulnerability of these regions and preparing them to cope with- and adapt to the impact of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anthropogenic heritage represents an integral part of the primary tourism supply. Together with the natural attractions, manmade attractions represent the essential reason for the emergence and development of tourism in Sălaj County or anywhere else. The identification and structuring of the anthropogenic attractive resources in Sălaj County was adapted to the configuration and specificity of the existing heritage in the analysed space, including the following types: archaeological sites and historical monuments, museums and memorial houses, monuments, statues, cultural and artistic events, as well as the intangible heritage (traditions, customs, music, dances, crafts). The data were collected from various bibliographical and online sources, as well as directly in the field. However, except for Porolissum archaeological site and Jibou Botanical Garden, many of these attractions are virtually unknown even in Romania, and they are mostly visited by locals, and by pilgrims in the case of churches and monasteries. Therefore, there is need for the setting up of a better overall image of Sălaj County as a tourist destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results indicate a different degree of clergy involvement in the electoral process, depending on the impact of the political event on church reliability. thus, Romania's church-based electoral capital is assessed using spatial and statistical analysis, resulting in territorial patterns based on voter turnout results. Performing Democracy An Analysis of Church-Based Electoral Capital in Romania e len A-m Anuel A b îr Sã nuc, e m Anuel A-Adin A c oci ª, v iorel Gli Gor, t itu S-c ri Sti An m An, Alex Andru-SAbin n icul A, m ihne A-Simion Stoic A Introduction R esearching politics has always been a laborious task, mostly due to the complexity of the subject as well as to the geographic, social, and economic implications. With results that rely on the election rates and statistics made at the level of 603 administrative units hosting the 863 monastic sites identified, spatial patterns of voter turnout are derived and the relation between electoral behavior and the clergy political implications is modeled. the results of two electoral events (one with political implications compared against one with social valences) from Romania are analyzed in order to assess the level of church and clergy influence on the electoral proceedings. [Extracted from the article]

Salinization occurs in natural conditions as a result of a complex of factors such as climate, topography, and hydrogeology. Salinity principally occurs in sub-humid to arid regions but secondary salinization is a consequence of direct human activities it extends by the day. In the field, soil salinity is deduced from apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) by using a range of devices. Although a number of proximal sensors have recently been used worldwide to simplify fieldwork, few studies using new technologies have been addressed in Romania. The objective of this study was to assess the spatial variability of the apparent electrical conductivity of saline soils using a DUALEM instrument in Valea Sărată (Cluj). Spatial variability maps were generated by using of a geostatistical method. Significantly higher ECa was detected in poorly drained areas close to water channels (ECa above 1000 mS/m), while lower and less variable ECa values were recorded on the side slopes (ECa<200 mS/m). These areas correspond with eutric salic regosol identified on upper lands. The map of ECa measurements at surface show a higher variability of salinity then at depth at which the ground water disolved the salts. The instrument proved to be more efficient compared with traditional methods, regarding soil salinity mapping and delineating the soil boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban sprawl and population growth are the main triggers of land use reconversion around big cities. Due to the expansion of metropolitan areas, many land use categories (grasslands, arable lands, forests, pastures) have been transformed in living spaces. Determining the built-up area growth rate from satellite images, in correlation with demographics and dwellings data, leads to a better comprehension of sustainable urban development and the negative effects of chaotic urbanization. This study analyses the built-up area expansion growth rate in Cluj Metropolitan Area in 1991-2017 using the normalized difference built-up index and soil-adjusted vegetation index applied on Landsat imagery. Results highlight different spatial patterns within the studied area, based on the correlation between the growth rates of built-up area expansion and demographic data. The land use types most impacted by the urban sprawl are meadows and arable lands near the metropolitan centre and grassland in areas located at the periphery of the metropolitan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the anthropogenic tourism resources of Iara-Hăşdate Basin, which are the result of the combining effect of history, development of human civilization and typology and traditions of ethnic groups inhabiting the basin. The result is a unique cultural heritage belonging to both material and spiritual legacy, with visible attractive products for tourism materialized mostly in architecture, clothing, customs, music and gastronomy. The historical evolution of the area is reflected not only by culture, traditions and attitudes of the people towards lifetime events, but also by the relatively high number of tourism attractions from different historical periods, generating iconic architectural, historical and religious landmarks. Considering the complexity of tourism resources available in Iara-Hăşdate Basin, there are multiple types of tourism offered by the area. Existing natural conditions favor various forms of recreational mountain tourism from traditional winter leisure tourism, hiking and hunting tourism to more extreme ones like mountain climbing, caving and extreme tourism. The rich historical cultural heritage of the studied area offers very good premises for the development of various cultural tourism forms, mostly rural and religious tourism. The results of tourism resources assessment can be used to coordinate tourism development strategies for a superior endorsement and to better prioritize tourism related policies with a focus on economic development, land use management, territorial identity and environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the spatial and economic characteristics of commuting to work in one of the most dynamic areas of Romania, Cluj County. Based on the 2011 census data, the study reveals a strong connection between accessibility and commuting intensity, while the urban network determines the spatial orientation of the dominant commuting flows. However, we found no significant relation between dynamic economic performance and commuting intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the spatial structure of accessibility in Romania before and after the implementation of some major national and/or European road infrastructure projects. This study suggests a new index for accessibility measurement by combining gravity-based models with Place Rank and adapting it to the Romanian system of settlements. Based on the GIS estimation of travel time, this index evaluates not only the geographical position of a specific community relative to the road network, but also the level of accessibility of rural and urban communities to the social services located in central places. The GIS-based maps indicate the existing disparities (between well-connected and isolated regions in terms of accessibility to the central places) and the impact of new infrastructure projects on these disparities. The resulting maps can be used as efficient tools for transport planning and development at different scales (international, national, regional and local). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]