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Urban green spaces (public gardens, parks, urban and peri-urban forests) offer multiple-use opportunities and spaces for recreational activities and played a key role in supporting mental and physical health of dwellers during covid-19 pandemic, being ones of few places where outdoor and social activities where allowed. This study was conducted in Brașov city (also known as Kronstadt, by its German name), the second largest metropolitan area of Romania and surrounded by a significant area of peri-urban forests in Transylvania. Brașov city own just 5.62 sqm of urban green space/inhabitant, one of the lowest in the country, so the presence of a large peri-urban forest area become very valuable for locals and tourists visiting the area. Due to its importance and because understanding visitors' expectations and perceptions is a key element to support decision-makers and ensure proper management of these forests, the Brașov’s forests administrator (Kronstadt Local Public Forest District – RPLPK) decided to investigate how dwellers generally interact with the peri-urban forests and to identify opportunities for improving the capacity of forests in providing social and recreational services. Data were collected through the administration of CAWI (computer assisted web interview) to 314 respondents at beginning of 2021, at exactly one year distance after the pandemic lockdown was imposed all around the country. Analyzing the participants responses, a surprising fact become evident: the use of peri-urban forest is not gender equal, women being less able than men to access these green natural spaces and, therefore, to uptake the benefits provided by the peri-urban forests.

Torrential watershed management actions should be integrated and their results designed to last for a long time. In Romania and in other countries, these actions cover the entire area of the watershed (slopes, banks, and riverbeds). They consist of complex sets of structural and non-structural measures and works designed to control runoffs and erosion, protect social-economic objectives and improve degraded lands. The most vulnerable structures are the hydrotechnical structures, which are placed on riverbeds in direct contact with torrential flows. Being limited by environmental factors (such as violent flash floods loaded with sediments and woody debris) and isolated conditions, these works should be monitored continuously and systematically. Research focusing on the deficiencies uncovered during torrent control structure servicing led to a substantiated monitoring system based on repeated inventories (once every 5-10 years). This paper presents the evolution of the physical states of 192 transverse structures between two successive inventories. It analyses the influence of some features (structure s age, initial condition rate, height, building materials) on a structure s condition rate variation. The results reveal the high influence of a structure s height on the annual decay of the structure. Due to the poor quality of building materials and improper technologies used after 2000, those structures have more damaged between inventories. The functionality of torrent control structures is affected by various factors that cause unembedding, undermining, cracks, breaks, and abrasions. In order to improve the maintenance of these structures, a substantiated monitoring system is required, as well as a well-trained staff (designers and builders).

Decision-makers need tailored information regarding future climate, land use, forest management and societal scenarios for sustainable watershed management. Such information can be attained by integrating the water-energy-land nexus approach with climate services. To support decision-makers from Brașov metropolitan area (Romania), we co-developed land use, forest management and societal scenarios and analysed their impact on the water-energy-land nexus under climate change. We applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to the Săcele reservoir from the Tărlung river basin in order to spot the interrelations between nexus components under different climate and societal scenarios. In particular, we applied four bias-corrected GCM & RCM model combinations for two climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, nine land use and forest management scenarios, and twelve societal scenarios. Modelling results were analysed between 2020 and 2099. The results for the study area indicate that the projected average annual precipitation is close to historical averages in most climate scenarios explored, while the projected average annual temperature is increasing. Furthermore, the analysed data suggest an increase in severe dry intervals from approximately 6% (for the period 1961–2013) to 12% by the end of the 21st century, indicating that precipitation variability may change considerably. The SWAT model results show no significant changes in the water flow under different forest management scenarios. In contrast, model results for scenarios that imply forests' clearcutting and their replacement with pastures or meadows indicate that water quality is affected by increased sediment flow. Regarding the number of months with water scarcity in the Săcele reservoir (i.e. water demand exceeds water supply), we found an increase from 0.4 months in 2020 to 1.5 months in 2099. The model results also revealed that climate change significantly influences the water supply in the reservoir. To conclude, the regional stakeholders highly value the model results for the co-developed scenarios, which have been already used to promote sustainable resource management.

This study aims to build and test the adaptability and reliability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool hydrological model in a small mountain forested watershed. This ungauged watershed covers 184 km2 and supplies 90% of blue water for the Brașov metropolitan area, the second largest metropolitan area of Romania. After building a custom database at the forest management compartment level, the SWAT model was run. Further, using the SWAT-CUP software under the SUFI2 algorithm, we identified the most sensitive parameters required in the calibration and validation stage. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis revealed that the surface runoff is mainly influenced by soil, groundwater and vegetation condition parameters. The calibration was carried out for 2001–2010, while the 1996–1999 period was used for model validation. Both procedures have indicated satisfactory performance and a lower uncertainty of model results in replicating river discharge compared with observed discharge. This research demonstrates that the SWAT model can be applied in small ungauged watersheds after an appropriate parameterisation of its databases. Furthermore, this tool is appropriate to support decision-makers in conceiving sustainable watershed management. It also guides prioritising the most suitable measures to increase the river basin resilience and ensure the water demand under climate change.

The water-energy-land nexus requires long-sighted approaches that help avoid maladaptive pathways to ensure its promise to deliver insights and tools that improve policy-making. Climate services can form the foundation to avoid myopia in nexus studies by providing information about how climate change will alter the balance of nexus resources and the nature of their interactions. Nexus studies can help climate services by providing information about the implications of climate-informed decisions for other economic sectors across nexus resources. First-of-its-kind guidance is provided to combine nexus studies and climate services. The guidance consists of ten principles and a visual guide, which are discussed together with questions to compare diverse case studies and with examples to support the application of the principles.

The present study evaluates the applicability performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in small forested watersheds (less than 1000 km2). This open-source software is widely used in investigations focused on water availability and quality. Overall, SWAT model performance ranges between satisfactory to good. Normally, underestimates daily peak discharges. The limitations of the model are related to the accuracy of climate data used and to the time period used for validation. Watershed area, forest cover and streamflow spatial distribution have an important influence on modeling processes. Overall, from the analyzed studies, we observed for discharge a decreasing tendency, more pronounced towards the end of the 21st century (up to −54%). For surface runoff, was noticed the same decreasing tendency up to 41%. Regarding sediment yield, the results vary within very wide limits. These findings vary according to watershed location, scenarios adopted, and the eligible period of time.

The management of torrential flood risk areas located in natural protected sites requires special approaches. Also, those processes can cause casualties and damage socioeconomic structures (roads, railways, houses, etc.) The processes intercept protected landscapes, sometimes endangering protected species and habitats. The restoration of the streambed's stability in protected areas and the protection of the economic objectives affected by the torrential floods, imply special measures of planning. The planning measures are based on the use of ecological materials and technologies with minimal impact on the environment. The article presents a methodology for identifying small river basins with high torrential risk and the endangered economic objectives, as well as applying this methodology into three Natura 2000 sites from central Romania (ROSCI0207 Postavaru, ROSCI0195 Piatra Mare and ROSCI 0038 Ciucas). Identification of the basins was made considering their geomorphological and hydrological characteristics and the vulnerability of the intercepted socio-economic objectives. Into identified watershed, measurements of the streambed topography and the geometric characteristics of the endangered structures were made. Based on hydraulic simulations, maps were generated for floods with a 100-year return period. Using these flood maps, the maximum water level was determined to highlight the flood risk areas for each socioeconomics structural objective. In areas identified as floodplain, special structural and nonstructural solutions are proposed for guiding water into convenient paths to avoid the endangered structures.