No abstract

The problem of water use in industrial sectors is analyzed in the context of sustainability, and the manufacturing process as one of the most important water consumers is scrutinized. Some practices of water conservation and reduction of water consumption, as well as the implementation of advanced treatment processes for wastewater recycling are considered under the general aspect of process integration and control in order to minimize environmental discharges. Reduction of effluents in papermaking processes are discussed as well as preventative approaches. It is emphasized that four groups of methods can be applied in order to minimize water consumption: process changes, water reuse, regeneration reuse and regeneration recycling. Minimizing the water consumption and thus reducing the hydraulic load may help to improve effluent treatment, reduce operating costs and, when subsequent disposal is to sewers, minimize effluent disposal charges. The data presented show that initially producing less effluents will reduce the demands on the effluent treatment plant and thus save both money and efforts. Separation techniques for minimizing effluents and effluent loads are presented, as well as potential practices to ensure a sustainable use of water, grouped as short term and long term measures. Prevention measures for water consumption in a Romanian paper mill are considered and discussed in relation with best available techniques (BAT), taking into account both economical and environmental benefits.

Integrated water resources management requires planning and management activities, as well as adequate information and communication within a structure that groups different stakeholders (industry, agriculture and other types of water users, civil society representatives, university and research institutions, water authorities and waterworks companies), being thus characterized by a high level of complexity, and requiring the involvement of numerous decision-makers operating at different levels. The role and significance of water resources for sustainable development, as well as the water crisis experienced nowadays are influenced by water management, indicating the need for optimum management strategies and associated implementation alternatives. Decision Support Systems (DSS) have been developed for water resources management, in which sophisticated computerized systems integrate watershed processes at different spatial and temporal scale, simulation models and decision making approaches. This paper presents an overview of the decision support systems, as well as of other tools used for integrated water resources management at the river basin level, examples of their applications, while considering also the major particularities and challenges for their implementation in the Romanian context.

In recent years the organizations' has gone from resource-based economy to a knowledge based economy. Likewise the organizations' success in this turbulent environment depends on its sustainable orientation which implies integration of various management practices. Such a management practices considered to be a driving force to sustainable development are environmental management system (EMS) and knowledge acquisition. In this context, it's required to measure the organizational knowledge management performance and to identify viable knowledge acquisition metrics. This paper aim to develop a managerial instrument in order to measure each steps of knowledge acquisition process. Therefore the main objective is to elaborate an indicators system with the purpose to assess the environmental knowledge acquisition process. The main results of this approach are: (1) development of a methodology in order to elaborate an indicators system associated to knowledge acquisition process; (2) development of an indicators system in order to assess the steps which characterizes the environmental knowledge acquisition process. The results are based on a research that addresses knowledge acquisition process within organization from NE area of Romania; the research sample was 182 respondents. This research approach is innovative and original because in the literature are not being identified indicators which organizational assess each of the environmental knowledge acquisition stages.

This paper aims at developing a study concerning a prototype production opportunity and its use for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as polluters and consumers, as well as for household consumers. The technical impact can be assessed through introduction of a new and low polluting technology which does not change the taste and smell of water, does not need chemical additives and uses a series of small and easy maintainable equipments with low costs. The method called "documentation and survey" has been chosen for this research, while the questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The social consulting and the questionnaire answers were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science Statistic Program (SPSS). The studied population was represented by both, SMEs as polluters and consumers and household consumers.