The identification of the areas vulnerable to flash floods is one of the greatest challenges in flood risk management for both the scientific world and decisionmakers. Its importance is underlined by the European Directive 2007/60/EC, which sets out the general framework of public policies to reduce the impacts of floods on the development of local communities. This research was conducted in the Moldova river catchment, located in the northern part of Romania, in the Carpathian Mountains, where half of the administrative-territorial units record floods annually. The methodology used the Flash Flood Potential Index (FFPI) which has been computed based on the correlation of various factors which have a direct impact on the surface runoff. Each geographical factor has been represented on a 30 m grid and the data aggregation has provided the spatial hazard model for floods. In addition, the impact of deforestation on flood events was also analysed. The result of the FFPI was compared with the official flood records of the local authorities from our study area. The results constitute a methodological instrument, complementary to the classical ones, for the elaboration of the flood hazard maps, with a special importance given to the modelling of this type of hazard in the area with no structural defence measures.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE, e-waste) represent the category of municipal waste with the fastest growth rate of the quantities generated particularly in developed countries. In Romania the WEEE management concerns have emerged recently and the amount of information and data available is limited and sometimes irrelevant. In this case, studying the forces that influence WEEE management system directly or indirectly is useful for both the national and international stakeholders. In this context, the paper aims to identify and analyze what are the socio-economic, political and technological determinants that influence consumer behaviour of EEE (electrical and electronic equipments) and WEEE management. The research makes use of various types of qualitative and quantitative data collected from different sources such as publications, reports, national and international statistics, surveys. This paper reveals that future developments are not inevitable; indeed, the direction in which many of the drivers identified here will act is very uncertain. The framework developed represents a valuable starting point for future analysis and can help actors of the WEEE system face these uncertainties.

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Romania is also included among the European Union countries where deforested areas have radically increased in recent years, with mountain areas being the most affected. The pressure on the forest fund was analysed in the Maramureş County, as one of the most deforested counties of Romania. In view of assessing the forest area evolution, forested and deforested areas have been calculated for the period 2001-2012, using the Global Forest Change 2000-2012 database provided by the Department of Geographical Sciences, Maryland University. The economic pressure quantification was monitored by developing a database on economic activities based upon the loggings carried out in the period 2001-2012. This database comprises the number of companies, their turnover, profit and the number of employees for the economic sectors causing pressure on the forest fund. The outcomes show a dramatic increase in deforested areas, amounting to over 16,500 ha in the Maramureș County. Nearly 5,000 ha have been deforested in Borșa, the commune with the largest deforested areas in the period 2000-2012, causing major imbalances to the local ecosystem.