Assessing average annual air temperature trends using the Mann-Kendall test in Kosovo

The annual trends of surface mean monthly air temperature and monthly extreme temperatures were analyzed from ten meteorological stations in Kosovo. The data refer to observation periods between 1949 and 1999 for four stations, and observation periods between 1965 and 1999 for the remaining six stations. Trends were analyzed for nine time series. Positive trends were found in six series, and negative trends were found in three series. After an assessment of these trends using the Mann-Kendall test, positive trends were confirmed in four series, a negative trend was confirmed in one series, and in one series there was no trend, whereas trends were characterized as slightly positive in two time series and slightly negative in one series

Rainfall erosivity and extreme precipitation in the Pannonian basin

In order to assess the rainfall erosivity in the Pannonian basin, several parameters which describe distribution, concentration and variability of precipitation were used, as well as 9 extreme precipitation indices. The precipitation data is obtained from the European Climate Assessment and Dataset project for the period 1961-2014, for 8 meteorological stations in northern Serbia, 5 in Hungary and 1 in eastern Croatia. The extreme values of precipitation were calculated following the indices developed by the ETCCDI. RclimDex software package was used for indices calculation. Based on statistical analysis and the calculated values, the results have been presented with Geographic Information System (GIS) to point out the most vulnerable parts of the Pannonian basin, with regard to pluvial erosion. This study presents the first result of combined rainfall erosivity and extreme precipitation indices for the investigated area. Results of PCI indicate presence of moderate precipitation concentration (mean value 11.6). Trend analysis of FI (mean value 22.7) and MFI (mean value 70.2) implies a shift from being largely in the low erosivity class, to being completely in the moderate erosivity class in the future, thus indicating an increase in rainfall erosivity for most of the investigated area (except in the northwestern parts). Furthermore, the observed precipitation extremes suggest that both the amount and the intensity of precipitation are increasing. The knowledge about the areas affected by strong soil erosion could lead to introducing effective measures in order to reduce it. Long term analysis of rainfall erosivity is a significant step concerning flood prevention, hazard mitigation, ecosystem services, land use change and agricultural production

Classification of natural disasters between the legislation and application: experience of the Republic of Serbia

The paper discusses the definitions of natural disasters and recommends the implementation of definitions and classifications of natural disasters in accordance with those decreed at the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and Munich Re insurance Company (Munich RE) for administrative use in the Republic of Serbia. For the Republic of Serbia, the issue of natural disasters is presented both through government documents (e.g. the Law on Emergencies and the National Strategy of the Protection and Rescue in Emergencies) and the survey of the frequency and typology of disasters. Significant discrepancies exist between older and more contemporary classifications of disasters in Serbia. They are especially emphasized in comparison to the CRED and Munich RE classifications and databases. This causes problems in the monitoring, recording and assessment of the effects of natural disasters. It is proposed that definitions be adapted and implemented into legislative and other documents

Forest fire analysis and classification based on a Serbian case study

A recent forest fire in the Republic of Serbia is discussed concerning classification, legislative framework and fire management, giving a detailed analysis of the forest fire occurrence. Analysing past and predicting future fires are crucial for policy development and forest management practices to prevent and mitigate fires. Fire hazard is discussed through several fire protection and prevention legislative documents. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was used to analyse resent forest fire data in an attempt to find causality in occurrences and frequency. The meteorological data and fire statistics provided by the Serbian Hydro-meteorological Service and the Ministry of Interior/Sector for Emergency Management of the Republic of Serbia were used to calculate the Forest Fire Weather Indices, along with deficit or surplus of precipitation for the case study of Tara Mountain. The paper highlights the need for better hierarchical classification of fire hazards and its harmonisation along with standardisations presented by leading international research institutions. A significant correlation between meteorological parameters and forest fire occurrence was found. This opens a possibility for further investigation and analysis of geophysical and anthropogenic driven factors that can influence disaster occurrence

La Slovénie, berceau du géotourisme karstique

Slovenija, zibelka kraskega geoturizma. Slovenija oz. njena kraska obmocja imamo za zibelko krasoslovja in speleologije, pozabijamo pa, da je Slovenija tudi zibelka t.i. kraskega geoturizma. Clanek obravnava dve vcji skupini geoturistov, ki ju lahko razlocimo v preteklih stoletjih na slovenskem ozemlju : 'izobrazevalni geoturisti' oz. tisti, ki so slovenska kraska obmocja obiskovaii iz izobrazevalnih oz. znanstvenih vzgibov in 'rekreacijski geoturisti', ki so slovenska kraska obmocja obiskovaii zaradi prijetnega okolja in neobicajnih naravnih pojavov.Slovenia, the cradle ok karst geotourism. Slovenia is regarded as the cradle of karstology and speleology, but it can also be regarded as the cradle of karst geotourism. The article deals with two major groups of geotourists that have been recognised in Slovenian karst in the past centuries : 'educational geotourists' -those who visited karst geomorphosites from educational or scientific motives (e.g. those who contributed to karst science), and 'recreational geotourists' -those who visited Slovenian karst to experience pleasant and unusual scenic settings (e.g. travellers and nobles).La Slovénie a souvent été considérée comme le berceau de la karstologie et de la spéléologie, mais on peut ajouter qu'elle a aussi été le berceau du géotourisme karstique. Quelques grands géomorphosites du Karst classique ont depuis longtemps retenu l'attention des voyageurs et des premiers chercheurs : le lac intermittent de Cerknica, la grotte de Postojna et les grottes de Skocjan. On a cherché, dans cet article, à caractériser les deux principaux groupes de géotouristes du Karst Slovène que l'on peut identifier dans les siècles passés : d'une part des «géotouristes éducatifs » qui ont visité les géomorphosites pour des motifs didactiques ou scientifiques, par exemple ceux qui ont contribué à la connaissance scientifique du Karst ; d'autre part des «géotouristes récréatifs », qui ont apprécié dans le Karst Slovène des paysages plaisants et insolites, par exemple des voyageurs ou des aristocrates.Zorn Matija, Erhartic Bojan, Komac Blaz, Gauchon Christophe. La Slovénie, berceau du géotourisme karstique. In: Karstologia : revue de karstologie et de spéléologie physique, n°54, 2e semestre 2009. La grotte de Kanaan (Liban) et Géomorphosites karstiques. pp. 1-10