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Soil erosion represents a complex ecological issue that is present on a global level, with negative consequences for environmental quality, the conservation and availability of natural resources, population safety, and material security, both in rural and urban areas. To mitigate the harmful effects of soil erosion, a soil erosion map can be created. Broadly applied in the Balkan Peninsula region (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece), the Erosion Potential Method (EPM) is an empirical erosion model that is widely applied in the process of creating soil erosion maps. In this study, an innovation in the process of the identification and mapping of erosion processes was made, creating a coefficient of the types and extent of erosion and slumps (φ), representing one of the most sensitive parameters in the EPM. The process of creating the coefficient (φ) consisted of applying remote sensing methods and satellite images from a Landsat mission. The research area for which the satellite images were obtained and thematic maps of erosion processes (coefficient φ) were created is the area of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Brčko District (situated in Bosnia and Herzegovina). The Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform was employed to process and retrieve Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) satellite imagery over a period of ten years (from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2020). The mapping and identification of erosion processes were performed based on the Bare Soil Index (BSI) and by applying the equation for fractional bare soil cover. The spatial–temporal distribution of fractional bare soil cover enabled the definition of coefficient (φ) values in the field. An accuracy assessment was conducted based on 190 reference samples from the field using a confusion matrix, overall accuracy (OA), user accuracy (UA), producer accuracy (PA), and the Kappa statistic. Using the confusion matrix, an OA of 85.79% was obtained, while UA ranged from 33% to 100%, and PA ranged from 50% to 100%. Applying the Kappa statistic, an accuracy of 0.82 was obtained, indicating a high level of accuracy. The availability of a time series of multispectral satellite images for each month is a crucial element in monitoring the occurrence of erosion processes of various types (surface, mixed, and deep) in the field. Additionally, it contributes significantly to decision-making, strategies, and plans in the domain of erosion control work, the development of plans for identifying erosion-prone areas, plans for defense against torrential floods, and the creation of soil erosion maps at local, regional, and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Check dams are built to control erosion processes and torrential floods. In Serbia, legally binding documents, VOS (2002) and PPRS (2010), provide the concept for the water supply of the population and industry by regional systems for which water is provided by building high dams and formation of reservoirs. With this concept, it is often not possible to meet the needs of local communities in mountainous areas. In order to contribute to solving the water supply problems of these mostly poor villages, research was conducted on the possibility of using check dam aggradation groundwater for this purpose. Field investigations and analysis of project documentation for numerous check dams and aggradations in Serbia were carried out. Potential quantities and quality of groundwater in the aggradations were analyzed as a resource for the water supply of the population. The results of the research indicate very favorable possibilities of the aggradations for the accumulation of groundwater in the form of unconfined or phreatic aquifer with a free water table, in quantities that can be used for water supply. It was stated that: 1) under favorable conditions, with check dams on watercourses with constant flow and large-scale aggradations, there is a possibility of accumulating sufficient quantities of groundwater as a resource for water supply, 2) improving the quality of infiltrated waters by the process of filtration through intergranular porous media of the aggradation, and reaching the level of water supply quality, and 3) favorable economic parameters for opening the source at the aggradation, compared to other types of water sources. The possibility that check dams, in addition to their traditional role, could be used for local water supply facilities was also highlighted. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR 37008]

Annex to the interpretation of the role of geoenvironment in the formation of extreme discharges of the Rosomačka River provides exact and empirical evidence of the significance and the need for its knowledge. For hydrologically unstudied watercourses, especially for those which do not have continuity of discharges, the knowledge of the role of geoenvironment in the emergence of their extreme discharges contributes to a more realistic response to practical water management issues, protection against adverse effects of waters, defining the ecological aspect of watercourses under the influence of various changes in the near future (climatic, anthropogenic, hydrological), preserving the quality of river water, meeting the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000. The aim of the paper is to understand better the river systems and their runoffs in the form of high and low waters or complete drying up of hydrologically unstudied but also of hydrologically studied watercourses, and through the representation of the role of geoenvironment. On the concrete example of the Rosomačka River, a hydrologically unstudied watercourse, the significance of geoenvironment in the interpretation of its extreme discharges was emphasized. The contribution of the following elements of geoenvironment of the basin area was analyzed: lithological, neotectonic, hydrogeological and morphological. The research method is based on field research, quantitative geomorphological analysis, systematization and synthesis of the obtained results, as well as the analysis of published papers. Additionally, the contribution is reflected in emphasizing the need for communication between experts of various specialties dealing with hydrographic systems. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 37008]

Floods cause soil degradation, leading to a reduction in agricultural production, which interacts with the socio-cultural, economic and natural environment. The frequency of flood events may be due to synergistic actions of all factors both natural and anthropogenic. Local community in the river Kolubara catchment was exposed to the catastrophic flood in May 2014. and suffered a lot of damage. This paper analyzes the consequences of these floods in the flood zone of the Kolubara River as well as their impact on soil properties. Since the local community in study area depends primarily on agriculture, the impact of flood from socio-economic aspect was analyzed using the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) method. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 43007: Studying climate change and its influence on the environment: impacts, adaptation and mitigation]

Soil is an important natural resource whose proper use requires a good knowledge of all endogenous and exogenous factors that cause different types of degradation. Erosion is one of the forms of soil degradation. Erosion processes are characterized by a distinctive complexity and the factors affecting them are dynamics and change in space and time. A complex system degradation requires a multidisciplinary approach to the use of modern methods and techniques. Today, a large number of models are available for the assessment of soil loss through erosion as well as the levels of risk from erosion, today. Most of these are based on the logics of GIS thanks to its ability to sublimate heterogeneous information. In this paper, the analysis of spatial and temporal degradation of natural resources is carried out in the Likodra River watershed. The Likodra River is located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Serbia, and is positioned in the municipality of Krupanj. The main stream in the immediate vicinity of the town of Krupanj formed from four small streams that have expressed torrential character (the Bogoštica with the Kržava and the Čađavica with the Brštica). In May 2014, the urban area and rural parts of the municipality Krupanj were affected by catastrophic flash floods that resulted in the loss of human lives and enormous material damage. Soil degradation in the study area was analyzed using the Erosion Potential Method (EPM). The method is characterized by a high degree of reliability for determining the intensity of erosion, calculation of sediment yield and transport. The advantage of this method compared to other methods its lower complexity in terms of quantity of input parameters, simplicity and the possibility of application in GIS. In addition, the method has the advantage of choice, because it was developed in this area. The method is based on the analytical processing of data on factors affecting erosion. As the erosion spatial phenomenon appears on the map according to the classification on the basis of the calculated analytical erosion coefficient (Z), which depends on the characteristics of the soil, vegetation cover, relief and visible degree of erosion. By applying the Erosion Potential Method (EPM) an erosion map has been developed, showing the spatial distribution of erosion processes in the catchment area of the Likodra River watershed. The erosion map provides an insight into the state of erosion processes of different intensity and character. For the study basin, all its visible manifestations are manifested in the medium coefficient of erosion Zsr = 0.204. The current state of erosion was analyzed in comparison with the situation in the original 1983 erosion map of FR Serbia.

Very often, outputs provided by GIS functions and analysis are assumed as exact results. However, they are influenced by certain uncertainty which may affect the decisions based on those results. It is very complex and almost impossible to calculate that uncertainty using classical mathematical models because of very complex algorithms that are used in GIS analyses. In this paper we discuss an alternative method, i.e. the use of stochastic Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the uncertainty of flow accumulation. The case study area included the broader area of the Municipality of Čačak, where Monte Carlo stochastic simulations were applied in order to create one hundred possible outputs of flow accumulation. A statistical analysis was performed on the basis of these versions, and the "most likely" version of flow accumulation in association with its confidence bounds (standard deviation) was created. Further, this paper describes the most important phases in the process of estimating uncertainty, such as variogram modelling and chooses the right number of simulations. Finally, it makes suggestions on how to effectively use and discuss the results and their practical significance.

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