The objective of the study was to demonstrate attitudes towards wind energy facilities in the area of the Korsze Commune. The results of the study were processed using structure indices calculated from the respondents’ answers, which were analyzed in terms of social and economic factors. The study revealed that both the NIMBY syndrome and the lack of civic engagement influence attitudes towards renewable energy technologies in rural areas. The NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) term describes negative public attitudes towards proposed development projects. However, some trends towards more pronounced attitudes can be observed, depending on socioeconomic conditions. The research results imply that the measures taken to promote renewable energy technologies should be designed differently depending on the socioeconomic situation of the targeted audience. Young people might be reached via social media appropriate to their age, and through campaigns promoting local investments. For older people, traditional ways of communication can be used, but the information transmitted should include specific benefits for the whole society as well as for individual households. The conducted research revealed that, despite the fact that many authors deny the occurrence of NIMBY syndrome in relation to the wind energy, the NIMBY problem has occurred in the Korsze Commune. The biggest challenge in the survey was the unwillingness of the residents to participate in it, which only confirms the lack of social involvement.

The concept of slow cities -"cities of good life" -promoted among small and medium-sized cities, results directly from the idea of sustainable development, which sets as a primary objective the reduction of poverty and increasing the standard and quality of life. The quality of life is understood as ensuring good housing conditions, access to services, health care and education, care for the natural and cultural environment, increasing economic activity and development with respect for spatial order and sustainable development principles. Housing conditions are one of the main determinants of the quality of life. Other decisions such as getting married, starting a family or changing jobs often depend on having adequate housing. The housing situation in Poland in comparison with the majority of EU countries is unfavorable, both in terms of the number of dwellings as well as their quality. Therefore, the aim of this research was to assess the housing situation and the factors influencing it in the towns associated in the Polish National Cittaslow Network in Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship. In the majority of cities, housing conditions were classified as medium or mediocre. Additionally, the cities were assessed in terms of their economic, demographic and investment potential, which made it possible to construct a synthetic index of their development. The level of the synthetic indicator was influenced most by the demographic, economic and investment situation. Moreover, a weak positive correlation was observed between the synthetic indicator and the housing situation. This means a weak influence of the synthetic indicator on the housing situation and vice versa. Demography in the examined Cittaslow cities influences the general development potential more strongly than housing. Therefore, city leaders should focus on creating instruments and solutions for improving demographic indicators. This is all the more justified, as the long-term forecast shows that this area may improve. This would make it possible to avoid threats resulting from deterioration of the economic and investment situation, and further on -housing.

This study identified the major trends in external migration, typical of the current development stage of the Republic of Belarus and their effect on the economy. The consequences of the global financial and economic crisis had a considerable impact on migration flows around the globe. These processes are reflected in the growing tension in the labour markets in different countries. The basic features of the Belarusian labour market remain the low share of the private sector and excessive state interventionism. For the Belarusian economy, which is in transition, the initial inflow of foreign labour resources at the beginning of the 2000s has transformed into a clear trend towards an outflow of skilled workers. This trend requires a detailed analysis of current processes and identification of the major directions and causes of migration, especially in the depopulation processes observed. The analysis presented in this paper is based on data from the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Belarus and covers the years 2014-2018. The comparative statistical analysis method used in the study (creating time series reflecting changes of the phenomenon over time) identified the current trends and characteristic features of internal migration processes in the Republic of Belarus. Moreover, the main directions of population movements were determined as well as the causes of changes in the structure and intensity of migration flows.

The work aims to discuss current problems and challenges for agriculture in the Republic of Belarus. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic processes initiated in 2020 somewhat worsened the situation in the agricultural sector, and the existing problems deepened and reasserted themselves. The methods of statistical comparative analysis used in the study together with the construction of dynamic series, which reflect changes in the phenomenon over time, allowed for the identification of certain trends and regularities characteristic of Belarusian agriculture. On the other hand, dialectical analysis made it possible to identify the sources of the main obstacles to effective functioning. The study concludes that the reform of the agricultural system is of key importance for the future performance of Belarusian agriculture. The lack of a uniform approach to the development of the separate spheres of the agro-industrial complex (rus. агропромышленный комплекс, далее – АПК) leads to significant disproportions in their effectiveness. On the other hand, the lack of diversification of buyers on the market of agricultural products leads to a significant dependence of Belarusian producers on the market conditions of the Russian Federation. An attempt to create large cluster formations should be accompanied by appropriate justification and calculation of potential opportunities and threats.

Woda oraz powierzchnia ziemi są tymi zasobami, których zarządzanie ma ogromny wpływ na funkcjonowanie całości gospodarki oraz oddziałuje bezpośrednio na społeczeństwa i ekosystemy. Zasoby te traktuje się jako strategiczne, a podstawowe decyzje w ich zakresie są podejmowane i realizowane pod nadzorem administracji publicznej. Wzajemne powiązania powodują, że gospodarowanie zasobami środowiska jest złożonym procesem o charakterze systemowym. Wstępnym warunkiem sukcesu każdego procesu realizowanego przez administrację publiczną jest spójne i efektywne planowanie. Kluczową rolę w tym zakresie odgrywa planowanie przestrzenne. Choć powiązania wody z otaczającym ją gruntem są dość oczywiste, to dopiero po przekroczeniu możliwości asymilacji zanieczyszczeń spływających do wód zdano sobie sprawę, że efektywna ochrona wód jest niemożliwa bez odpowiedniego planowania, a następnie zagospodarowania gruntów. Innymi słowy, skuteczna ochrona gruntów jest warunkiem skutecznej ochrony zasobów wodnych. Koncepcja ta znana jako zintegrowane zarządzanie zasobami wodnymi stanowi fundament Ramowej Dyrektywy Wodnej i jest powszechnie stosowaną wytyczną międzynarodowych, krajowych i regionalnych programów gospodarki wodnej na całym świecie. Opracowanie stanowi próbę wspólnego przedstawienia powyższych, ściśle powiązanych zagadnień. Opracowanie jest podzielone na trzy części: zarządzanie zasobami wodnymi (część 1.), ochronę powierzchni ziemi (część 2.) oraz planowanie i zagospodarowanie przestrzenne (część 3.). W części pierwszej zostały przedstawione ogólne zasady gospodarki wodnej, ewolucja praw do wód oraz najważniejsze zmiany w zarządzaniu zasobami wodnymi w Polsce, związane z realizacją aktualnej ustawy wodnej. Część druga obejmuje zagadnienia dotyczące ochrony powierzchni ziemi, w tym prawo ochrony ziemi i jego funkcje oraz ogół kwestii związanych z ochroną gleb, gruntów rolnych i lasów. W części trzeciej zostały omówione uwarunkowania środowiskowe w procesie planowania i zagospodarowania przestrzennego, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem poziomu lokalnego. Przedstawiono też podstawowe dokumenty planistyczne, w tym strategiczną ocenę oraz prognozę oddziaływania na środowisko.