European Geographical Studies

61-69

Authors: Soufiane Boukarta

This paper aims to give more understanding reasons of the energy implication of the socio-economic criteria in an arid and semi-arid climate zone based on a statistical approach. The paper considers the yearly Gas and electricity energy consumption (2013) of the municipalities of the department of Djelfa. The method is organised in three steps; (a) A multiple linear regression is used to perform two estimative models of Gas and Electricity. The models performed have more than 99 % of accuracy for both models. (b) Estimating Gas and energy consumption for 2008 according to the developed models. (c) Organisation of the census Data of 2008 in six dimensions: The structural dimension of the municipal territory, population characteristics and activities, dwelling typology and occupancy and finally the households’ appliance possession. (d) A set of sensitivity analysis is performed based on Principal Component Analysis (PCAs) and Pearson’s bi-variate correlation. The results show globally that the socio-economic criteria are reducing the energy consumption by – 11.3 % the Gas consumption while it increases the Electricity consumption by 2.7 %. The most important factors reducing Electricity consumption are population activities and dwelling occupancy while all the six socio-economic dimensions are reducing gas consumption.

80-91

Authors: Vineet Kumar Rai, Pravin Kumar, Praveen Kumar Rai

This paper presents the current status of solid waste management, future estimation of waste generation and related problems in Varanasi city, India. The city is located on the proper ridge of kanker which forms the northern bank of the river Ganga for distance of little over 5 km. This part of the city is quite above the normal flood level. The city is 76.21m above the sea level. Varanasi (250 13’N to 250 24’N latitudes and from 820 54’E to 830 04’E longitude) is one of the most important and historic city located almost in the middle Ganga valley in the northern plain of India. For the convenience of civic administration, the city is presently divided into 90 Wards and 14 sanitary wards. Present work is based on the secondary data, in the first phase of the study, data pertaining to ward wise generation of solid Waste and distributions of waste storage depots for secondary storage is collected from MCV (Municipal Corporation Varanasi). The data regarding population is obtained from District Census Handbook, 2011. Data on generation of solid waste is calculated by multiplying the urban population by the amount of waste generated per capita per day. In the second phase of the study, ArcGIS.10.1 software was used to create maps for municipal solid waste management. Besides this preliminary field investigation was also conducted through GPS. The results shows that Like other cities in India, Varanasi is also facing the problems created by improper and unscientific disposal of solid waste. Due to increasing population, change in dietary habits, standard of living, consumption pattern of commodity and lack of awareness, the problem of collection, transportation and disposal of solid waste has become a herculean task for the local civic bodies or the municipal corporation of the city.

4-16

Authors: Jelisavka Bulatović, Goran Rajović

Sustainable development involves meeting the needs of human societies while maintaining viable biological and physical Earth systems. To attract responsible exploration and mining, governments of mining nations will need to provide: regional – scale geo – scientific datasets as required to attract and guide future generations of exploration; resource access through multiple and sequential land use regimes, and frameworks for dealing with indigenous peoples' issues; and arrangements for consideration of mining proposals and regulation of mines that ensure responsible management of environmental and social issues. The minerals industry will need to continue to pursue advances in technologies for exploration, mining, processing, waste management and rehabilitation, and in public reporting of environmental and social performance (Lambert, 2001).

26-35

Authors: Elizbar Sh. Elizbarashvili, Mariam E. Elizbarashvili, Shalva E. Elizbarashvili, Zurab B. Chavchanidze, Nana Z. Chelidze, Vladimir E. Gorgisheli

Based on the materials of observation of 40 meteorological stations of Georgia for the period between 1936–2013, research has been made of statistical structure of the number of hot days, when the maximum temperature is higher than 35OC. The change of the annual number of hot days with the altitude, the repeatability of different grades, the distribution of the number of hot days with temperatures varying gradations for the summer months, the duration of high temperatures are studied. It is established that with the increase of altitude of the site the annual number of hot days naturally decreases and at an altitude of about 2300 m there are no hot days. In the plain territory of Georgia, the number of hot days is more than 70, in the low-mountain zone is decreased to 60, and in the middle mountain zone it is less than 60. The annual number of very hot days, when the maximum temperature exceeds 35OC, reaches 7 in the Kolkheti lowland, 5 on the plains of East Georgia, and 1-2 days per year in the coastal and lowland zones. On the Black Sea coast, high temperatures (more than 25 OC) last for 4-5 hours, in the inner regions of the Kolkheti lowland their average duration is 9 hours, in the eastern arid part of Georgia, duration of temperature of more than 25 OC increases to 10-11 hours, and in the lowland zone The Caucasus is reduced to 3-4 hours.

43-58

Authors: Vladimir S. Tikunov, Leniana F. Yanvareva

The paper describes a 300-year history of thematic cartography in Russia, which began in the first half of the XVII century. Special attention is given to atlas mapping that was first implemented at end of the XIX century. The most prominent examples are the Great Soviet World Atlas and Physical Atlas of the World. The National Atlas of Russia (in four volumes) is described in detail. The role of integrated regional atlases of the country is demonstrated. The modern thematic cartography in the country is focused on mapping seas, oceans, and environment, and creation of maps for higher educational institutions.