Bianca Mitrică

Land concentration and land grabbing: Implications for the socio-economic development of rural communities in south-eastern Romania:

In the periods of pre- and post-accession to the European Union, Romania experienced great and rapid land concentration and land grabbing. The current article is seeking to identify the relationship between these processes, and the socio-economic development of rural communities in two counties (Călăraşi and Ialomiţa) located in the south-east of Romania. By using a set of statistical indicators, the authors computed two secondary indexes: Agricultural Development Index and Social Disadvantage Index, whose correlation revealed that areas with massive land concentration (almost 80% of all Local Administrative Units) have a low level of socio-economic development.

A forecast of public water scarcity on Leu-Rotunda Plain, Romania, for the end of the 21st century

ABSTRACT The article examines the risk of water shortages due to the climate change on Leu-Rotunda Plain, which is part of Oltenia Plain in Romania. The region has been exposed to several extreme climatic phenomena, mostly droughts, which has created several problems related to water quality and quantity. The authors defined climate change scenarios using two regional climate models. Water resources under climate change were estimated by a regional numerical groundwater model covering a deep aquifer. The water demand components were estimated for households, industries, services, and livestock, based on specific socio-economic assumptions. A non-probabilistic risk assessment, using simplified fuzzy sets mathematics, was used to estimate water supply, water demand, and the consequences of water shortages. The results of the study revealed significant vulnerability in the water supply, a limited territorial expansion of sewerage networks, an expected increase in households’ demand, an expected increase in industrial and services water demand, a relatively stable demand for water for livestock farming, and an important water shortage in the study area. The authors conclude by highlighting a set of actions to mitigate the risk of the potential crisis.

Economic analysis of nature preservation investments: the zonal travel cost approach applied for Harghita County of Romania

The paper is focused on the cost of travel method and specific issues involved by the use of this method for monetization of benefits provided by nature preservation investment projects. Usually, nature preservation investment projects are non revenue generator projects and consequently the monetization of benefits provided is essential in the process of analysis and valuation of these projects, because benefits are the only positive effects able to counterbalance the investment costs. Therefore, the main interest and particularity of the cost-benefit analysis of nature preservation investment projects consists in identification and monetization of the benefits. In the following paper, the method of zonal travel cost is used for indicative valuation of the direct benefits of an investment project for nature preservation, in Harghita County of Romania, as an opportunity and pre-feasibility study completed before making the initial investment decision.