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Authors: Cathy Fricke, Rita Pongrácz, János Unger

Abstract: Urban air (Ta) and surface (Ts) temperature patterns depend mainly on the surface cover conditions. WUDAPT methodology was used to create the local climate zone (LCZ) map of Szeged (Hungary) providing detailed information about the structure of the urban area. The seasonal and monthly variations of simultaneous measurements of Ta (urban network) and Ts (MODIS) in different LCZs were analysed for a four-year period. The results show that the largest differences between Ts and Ta values occur in late spring and summer. During the day, the monthly mean Ts was much higher than the mean Ta, while at night, the Ta exceeded the Ts in all LCZs. Linear statistical relationship was also analysed, which concluded that diurnal and nocturnal Ta and Ts are strongly correlated in all LCZs in Szeged.

Keywords: urban heat island; air and surface temperatures; MODIS; urban network

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Received: November 22, 2021 | Revised: January 10, 2022 | Accepted: January 12, 2022

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Authors: Monika Ivanová, Radoslav Klamár, Erika Fecková Škrabuľáková

Abstract: In the paper we evaluate the quality of life in European Union countries. The introductory database is made up of 19 variables which, in our view, appropriately capture numerous spheres of human life. The reference date for this data, taken from the Eurostat database is April 10, 2021. The Principal Component Analysis that we have used in this paper is not rare in the conditions of multivariate statistics, however, when evaluating the quality of life, it is not much used. Many authors dealing with the topic take advantage of the traditional questionnaire survey and the points-based approach when analysing data. Our objective was to demonstrate that the Principal Component Analysis can be used in evaluating
quality of life, especially if it is necessary to evaluate a significant number of variables and select factors with the highest impact. Apart from the main objective – the identification of factors most impacting the quality of life in European Union countries, we also focused on the comparison of countries as per particular main factors and searched for what caused differences between them. Quality of life is also reflected in the subjective perception of responders’ happiness. We were concerned to know whether the evaluated data would indicate that the feeling of happiness increases along with prosperity, or does not depend on growing prosperity at a certain stage.

Keywords: Eurostat; European Union countries; quality of life; Principal Component Analysis

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Received: October 03, 2021 | Revised: January 27, 2022 | Accepted: January 28, 2022

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Authors: Dragan Milošević, Goran Trbić, Stevan Savić, Tatjana Popov, Marko Ivanišević, Mirjana Marković, Miloš Ostojić, Jelena Dunjić, Renata Fekete, Bojan Garić

Abstract: Intensive urbanization and global warming are impacting the health and well-being of urban population. Nevertheless, urban environments with different designs will have different micro and local climate conditions. This study used data from micrometeorological measurements performed in different urban spaces (downtown, urban park, riverside) in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on hot summer days in June 2021. Air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and globe temperature were measured and Mean Radiant Temperature (Tmrt), Psychologically Equivalent Temperature (PET), and modified Psychologically Equivalent Temperature (mPET) were calculated for each location. Results show that the downtown is the most uncomfortable area in terms of the highest Ta, Tg, Tmrt, PET, and mPET values registered at this location. The urban park is the most comfortable area with the lowest values of Tg, Tmrt, PET, and mPET. Relative humidity is the highest at the riverside and the lowest in downtown. Furthermore, riverside had lower average Ta during summer daytime compared to urban park and downtown likely due to the synergy between river cooling effect (evaporation and sensible heat transfer) and tree shade.

Keywords: Urban climate; outdoor thermal comfort; heat stress; urban park; riverside; downtown

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Received: October 19, 2021 | Revised: December 30, 2021 | Accepted: December 30, 2021

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Authors: Diego A. Vasquez, Jennifer Swift

Abstract: A variogram-based two-point geostatistical approach was applied to generate a geological model of a petroleum reservoir. The geology consists of a sandstone formation with uniformly inclined rock strata of equal dip angle structurally trapped by surrounding faults. Data exploration of electrical well logs using univariate/bivariate statistical tests and data transformation tools demonstrated the data to be statistically suitable for ordinary kriging and sequential Gaussian simulation. Three directions were defined as part of the variogram and the data were interpolated resulting in a 3D subsurface representation. Validation included performing a leave-one-out cross-validation for each well and statistical comparison of multiple realizations generated from a computed stochastic model. The results display a reliable geological model which indicate a direct causation of the continuity trends from the bedding attitude of the regional fault trap.

Keywords: Reservoir Characterization; Ordinary Kriging; Conditional Simulation; Geostatistics; GIS; Petroleum Geology; Los Angeles Basin

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Received: July 21, 2021 | Revised: December 17, 2021 | Accepted: December 21, 2021

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Authors: Shruthi Dakey, Shreya Joshi, Vibhas Sukhwani, Sameer Deshkar

Abstract: Coastal rural communities, being intricately associated with their ecological settings, are often highly vulnerable to climate change. Amongst the many approaches of reducing the coastal vulnerabilities and achieving climate change adaptation, a potential solution is to improve risk governance through integrated coastal zone management. The coastal risk governance signifies not only the actions of the state but also of other stakeholders, especially the local communities. Community-based approaches have also for long been advocated for effective adaptation and mitigation against climate adversities. While human-nature interactions can significantly influence disaster risks, this research makes an attempt to understand various decisions and choices that a coastal rural community makes based on such interactions to mitigate and manage the climate-induced adversities. Through structured interviews, this research first identifies the significant domains that reflect on the prevailing human-nature interactions, after which the choice modelling technique is utilized to comprehend the community priorities for better climate risk governance, with a specific focus on coastal rural settlements of Katrenikona (Andhra Pradesh, India). The application of this methodology resulted in the formulation of a baseline for local coastal governance, which can be useful for informing various levels within local governments. The baseline consists of an assessment of the different community resilience domains derived based on the prevailing interactions of local communities with their surrounding ecological elements and measured by indicators of local coastal governance. The concept and method for measuring coastal risk governance based on community preferences are potentially replicable, and it can help to track the progress
towards longer-term coastal management and local climate adaptation goals. At the same time, it can be turned into a self-evaluation tool to assist the local governments in reflecting on pertinent pathways involving community actions for effectively managing various climate risks and ecological impacts.

Keywords: Coastal Risk Governance; Human-Nature Interactions; Community-based Approach

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Received: December 27, 2021 | Revised: March 16, 2022 | Accepted: March 16, 2022

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Authors: Milena Sekulić, Vladimir Stojanović, Milana Pantelić, Imre Nađ

Abstract: The circular economy (CE) is a multidisciplinary approach focused on achieving the sustainability of the whole society. This review aims to reveal the potential impact of the circular economy on quality of life. This systematic review analyzes studies dealing with the concept of circular economy and quality of life. The methodology process included a keyword search and three selection steps. A total of 39 studies were included in the analysis. We define four topics that emerged from the literature review i) urban sustainable development; ii) waste management; iii) material production and iv) human well-being. All these topics emerged in the literature dealing with issues of circular economy and its impact on the quality of life. We assume that it is implied that every step towards circular economy contributes to the life quality, but there is an evident lack of studies that measure that impact. In Serbia, a small number of researchers were involved in this topic, although it represents one step towards the objective of improving the state of the environment. This review of the literature should serve as a starting point for future research.

Keywords: circular economy; quality of life; the Republic of Serbia; sustainable development

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Received: January 25, 2022 | Revised: March 25, 2022 | Accepted: March 26, 2022