Abstract.One of the most serious problems occurring during coal extraction in Upper Silesia in Poland is caused by waters with very high salinity. These waters often contain also high concentrations of natural radionuclides, mainly 226 Ra from uranium series and 228 Ra from thorium series. At least 70% of the total amount of radium carried by this waters remains nowadays in underground galleries as radioactive deposits. But, during the period of the most extensive coal extraction up to 225 MBq of 226 Ra and 400 MBq of 228 Ra were released daily into surface along with the other mine effluents. As a result of discharge of radium-bearing waters into settling ponds and later into rivers a significant increase of radium concentration in bottom sediments has been observed. Sometimes there is also a contamination of river beds, soils and biota. The paper describes results of investigation of waters and sediments with enhanced natural radioactivity, that occur in settling ponds, where mine waters have been dumped. Measurements of different factors of radiological hazard were made, such as radium content in the soil from ponds' banks, variations of gamma radiation background and radon exhalation. Additionally radium transfer to vegetation that had transgressed into the ponds has been calculated.

The regional smart specializations include the innovative activities within a common science-economy-technology sector, which open the opportunities to gain a competitive advantage. The original procedure of science-economy-technology concordance matrix development on an example of smart specializations of the Silesian Voivodeship was presented in the paper. The procedure developed includes recognition of the research and economic components of the regional smart specialization and the connection between the economic components of the regional specialization and the technological innovation through the international patent classification. It also comprises recognition of key enabling technologies (KETs) and high technologies (of high R&D intensity) other than KET in the economic and technological dimensions of innovation as well as the high R&D intensity services in the economic dimension of innovation. The in-depth expert analyses with the application of the Delphi method were also taken into account. The methodological approach developed and the visualization method applied are both of cognitive and practical importance since they contribute significantly to the creation of efficient development policies, to the enhancement and facilitation of cross-sectoral cooperation, and to the focusing on the fields of key importance in terms of the competitive advantage of a region.

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STRESZCZENIEW artykule przedyskutowane zostały niektóre aspekty możliwego wykorzystania brytyjskiej metody oceny warunków hydromorfologicznych dla koryt i korytarzy cieków miejskich -Urban River Survey (URS) w warunkach polskich. Aspekty i kryteria URS uwzględniają specyfikę cieku miejskiego, pomijaną w bardziej rozpowszechnionej w Europie metodzie RHS (River Habitat Survey) oraz w przyjętej w Polsce metodzie MHR. Metoda URS może być wykorzystana w klasyfikowaniu cieków wg ich stanu ekologicznego, jak i w budowaniu scenariuszy możliwych działań rewitalizacyjnych. Monitorowanie cieku metodą URS może być ważnym elementem systemu zarządzania lokalną zlewnią miejską.Słowa kluczowe: Urban River Survey, hydromorfologia, rzeki miejskie. ASSESSMENT OF HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF URBAN STREAMS WITH URBAN RIVER SURVEY METHOD ABSTRACTIn the paper some aspects of potential use of the Urban River Survey (URS) method for hydro-morphological assessment of urban river channels/corridors in Poland are discussed, includingthe URS aspects and criteria. The URS aspects/criteria take into account the specificity of urban watercourse omitted both in the RHS (River Habitat Survey) which is more prevalent in Europe, and in Polish MHR method. The URS can be used to classify urban watercourses according to their ecological status, as well as in building scenarios of possible reclamation/restoration activities. The watercourse monitoring with the use of URS can be an important element of the local urban catchment management.

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