The climate is changing, and so are aspects of the world's physical and biological systems. It is no easy matter to link cause and effect — the latest attack on the problem brings the power of meta-analysis to bear.

The general concern of BALWOIS Project - Balkan Water Observation and Information System for Balkan countries - is to create in Balkan a community of the main stakeholders in the field of water protection and water management ranging from scientists, private sector, experts, NGO's, to decision makers and large public. Three main actions are carried out in BALWOIS project: (i) the creation of a network of scientists and stakeholders working in water related fields, (ii) the implementation of a Water observation and information system, and (iii) the organization of working groups, workshops, scientific visits, training courses and significant scientific events. BALWOIS network is presently composed of around 800 researchers and experts, the information system available trought this web site give access to more 850 papers (BALWOIS conferences) and other various reports. BALWOIS organise every 2 years an international scientific conference in Ohrid (Republic of Macedonia) in May (2004, 2006 and 2008).

Land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) projects have inspired researchers to examine complex land-use change systems and develop land-use change models. Various land-use change models have been utilized to simulate land-use change; however, no biophysical approach that can identify material and energy flows in a land-use change system exists. Although spatial system modeling, based on the systems approach, can simulate interactions between natural environments and socio-economic systems, and verify hypotheses and theories regarding land-use change and socio-economic metabolism; it has not received much attention due to its difficulties in dealing with spatial interactions and integrating different software programs. This study presents a procedure that uses Geographical Information System (GIS) in modeling a spatial system to overcome methodological disadvantages of spatial system modeling. To simulate land-use change, an example is utilized to demonstrate the capability of Model Builder in GIS software.

An objective and reliable assessment of wildlife movement is important in theoretical and applied ecology. The identification and mapping of landscape elements that may enhance functional connectivity is usually a subjective process based on visual interpretations of species movement patterns. New methods based on mathematical morphology provide a generic, flexible, and automated approach for the definition of indicators based on the classification and mapping of spatial patterns of connectivity from observed or simulated movement and dispersal events. The approach is illustrated with data derived from simulated movement on a map produced from satellite imagery of a structurally complex, multi-habitat landscape. The analysis reveals critical areas that facilitate the movement of dispersers among habitat patches. Mathematical morphology can be applied to any movement map providing new insights into pattern-process linkages in multi-habitat landscapes.

The present paper traces the operational conditions governing the sustainable use of water in cities. Towards this objective, the paper first proposes a new comprehensive definition for the sustainable use of water. Next, efficiency in use is proposed as a fundamental instrument in achieving sustainability, in spite of prevailing opinions maintaining that sustainability and efficiency aim at different and probably conflicting objectives. In this light, several pricing modes that inhibit efficiency are examined and their effects are defined. In this context, egalitarian pricing which, nevertheless, prevents efficiency, is also systematically evaluated until it is ascertained that it does not serve social equity in the use of water, in the long run. All the more, the present paper advocates that certain egalitarian pricing systems such as the increasing block rates – most prevalent at this time – may have the reverse effect than the one intended and hence, in the long run, impose negative impacts on the welfare of low incomes. As a result, full-cost prices are proposed as a necessary instrument for the sustainable use of water; an instrument that promotes social equity in the long run. The assumptions of the study are examined in a comparative analysis of representative European pricing systems and urban management modes.

Agricultural soil erosion is thought to perturb the global carbon cycle, but estimates of its effect range from a source of 1 petagram per year–1 to a sink of the same magnitude. By using caesium-137 and carbon inventory measurements from a large-scale survey, we found consistent evidence for an erosion-induced sink of atmospheric carbon equivalent to approximately 26% of the carbon transported by erosion. Based on this relationship, we estimated a global carbon sink of 0.12 (range 0.06 to 0.27) petagrams of carbon per year–1 resulting from erosion in the world's agricultural landscapes. Our analysis directly challenges the view that agricultural erosion represents an important source or sink for atmospheric CO2.