Journal of the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SASA

THE IMPACT OF EMIGRATION ON POPULATION DECLINE IN CROATIA

Vera Graovac Matassi — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In the last thirty years, the countries of south-eastern and eastern Europe have experienced significant population decline, and Croatia is no exception to that. This paper revisits the problem of depopulation in Croatia in the last two intercensal periods (2001–2011 and 2011–2021). The aim was to analyze the impact of emigration on depopulation in Croatia and investigate whether it had a greater impact on depopulation than natural decrease. Additionally, the aim was to investigate whether the number of emigrants was underreported in the official statistics. The results show that Croatia lost more population due to negative net migration than the official statistical data indicate. Recent migrations in Croatia did not only affect the population decline, but also age composition of the population, particularly in the last intercensal period due to emigration of families with children and population in their working and reproductive ages, as they composed a large proportion of emigrants. The paper provides an elaborate insight into the recent migration patterns in Croatia while highlighting the underestimation of the proportions of emigration from Croatia by the official statistics.

ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF THE AL WAHDA DAM COMMISSIONING ON FLOOD FLOWS AND LOW WATER LEVELS IN THE GHARB PLAIN, MOROCCO

Driss El Karfa, Jamal Al Karkouri, Mouhcine Batchi, Hommane Boudine — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The Sebou Basin is one of the most important hydrographic basins in Morocco. When the Wadi Sebou enters the Gharb Plain, it encounters difficulties in evacuating its waters during wet years due to its flattening, resulting in risks of floods. Its flow decreases during drought years and in August and September. For the purpose of this research, we were granted authorization to utilize the hydrometric station located in Bel-Ksiri. This station is most suitable for the study as it was designated as a reference point for the Wadi Sebou's flooding in the lower basin. This study is based on detecting floods in the Wadi Sebou from 1976 to 2020, dividing this period on pre and post 1997, corresponding to periods before and after the construction of the Al Wahda dam, examining the mean daily flow rates. Identifying discontinuities within the maximum daily flow series from 1967 to 2020 was achieved in Microsoft Excel. Additionally, determining flood return periods and examining low water flows are integral aspects of the study. The findings indicate a relative decrease in the frequency and intensity of floods within the Wadi Sebou's basin, coupled with effective control of low water levels. These changes are attributed to the construction of the Al Wahda dam, which guarantees a stable water supply for irrigation purposes in the plain. To ensure the long-term sustainability of water management practices, the adoption of innovative irrigation technologies is deemed necessary.

CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FIELDWORK LEARNING IN THE GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM IN INDONESIA

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The objective of this study is to analyze the high school geography curriculum in Indonesia and suggest ways in which fieldwork geography learning can be implemented. To gather data, mixed methods were employed, including analyzing curriculum documents, the results of national exams, and surveys of geography teachers. The study was conducted with 26 geography teachers from South Kalimantan Province in Indonesia. The findings demonstrate that while the geography curriculum in Indonesia allows for fieldwork, not all teachers have the opportunity to carry it out. Furthermore, poor results in national exams may be attributed, in part, to the lack of fieldwork learning on the lithosphere topics. Geography teachers can handle the challenges in carrying out fieldwork by doing more student-centered learning, by developing students' investigative abilities, such as inquiry-based learning or project-based learning. Teachers can overcome cost problems by choosing locations around the school, reducing transportation costs, and using mobile phone technology for data input.

THE CURRENT CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF INLAND WATER BODIES OF THE VOLGA-AKHTUBA FLOODPLAIN (RUSSIA)

Alina Mezhevova, Yuliya Berestneva, Alexander Belyaev — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The problem of clean water is one of the most important environmental problems in the world. It is impossible to prevent the occurrence of adverse environmental situations without careful monitoring of the aquatic ecosystems state. The assessment of the current chemical composition of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain shallow channels (Peschanyj, Dudak, and Dudachenok) in the water-bottom sediments system was carried out. Studied shallow channels dried out during the summer-autumn low-water period for the last few decades. Studies were carried out after the clearance and ecological rehabilitation of the shallow channels. It was found that almost all the studied indicators in water samples correspond to the established quality standards. There is uneven distribution of heavy metals in the studied shallow channels. It can be caused by the influence of hydrodynamic conditions, changes in water and sediment flow, as well as local factors, including the catchment heterogeneous geology. The analysis of the metals content in bottom sediments with permissible ones made it possible to detect excess for Hg (0.18–0.75 mg/kg), Cd (1–2.12 mg/kg), Mn (370.8–493.3 mg/kg), Ni (2.6–67.9 mg/kg), Pb (14.3–22 mg/kg), Zn (75.2–147 mg/kg). The content of As (1–1.4 mg/kg) and Cu (8.54–28.7 mg/kg) in bottom sediments does not exceed the permissible concentrations. The obtained results will form the basis for a general comprehensive assessment of the clearance and ecological rehabilitation of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain watercourses. It is necessary to continue monitoring the watercourses state and strengthen efforts to preserve the resilient ecosystem of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain.

APPLYING CLUSTER ANALYSIS IN THE BULGARIAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY FOR THE PERIOD 2010–2020

Velimira Stoyanova, Aleksandra Ravnachka, Stefan Genchev — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This paper discusses the territorial organization of the chemical industry in Bulgaria. Using the ESRI ArcGIS software and applying cluster analysis, the study aims to group (cluster) the 28 Bulgarian districts (NUTS 3 level classification) based on produced output, persons employed, and Bulgarian lev (BGN) equivalent of foreign exchange earnings from exports for the period 2010–2020. Three reference years, 2010, 2015, and 2020, have been selected for the observed period. The general conclusion is that the chemical industry in Bulgaria is characterized by high territorial concentration. Varna was the leading district in developing the chemical industry in the observed period from 2010 to 2020, followed by Plovdiv, Ruse, and Sofia (the capital). At the other pole were the districts of Vidin, Montana, Vratsa, Pleven, Lovech, Razgrad, Silistra, Targoviste, Dobrich, Pernik, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Sliven, Yambol, and Kardzhali. The findings of the research show that territorial polarization is linked with several factors that can be grouped according to their impact into four groups: 1) raw material and energy, 2) transport infrastructure and proximity to the end user, 3) state and environmental regulations, and 4) provision of skilled labor.

DIGITAL DIVIDE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: ASSESSING SPATIAL DISPARITIES AND NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS

Maria I. Tislenko — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This article aims to investigate whether the digital inequality within the European Union (EU) has been reduced in the period 2017–2022. The goal of the study is to measure the dynamics of EU digital inequality and assess the effectiveness of the EU supranational bodies in reducing digital disparities. The author seeks to determine if the dynamics of this divide have been influenced by the EU's supranational policy fostering digital transformation by juxtaposing EU financing of digital transformation and spatial disparities among EU members based on Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and its components. The study reveals that, despite the fact that the agenda of digital divide reduction has been in the focus of the European supranational bodies within the last 22 years, the funding of digital transformation was neither adequate in terms of volumes nor consistent. The main beneficiaries were the EU members located in Western and Southern Europe and the least supported area was the members in Eastern Europe. In addition, using spatial econometric analysis, the author proves that the spatial digital divide has decreased in the period 2017–2022 and coincides only partially with the conventional cleavage “developed North & West VS lagging South & East”. However, as the correlation analysis shows, the EU financial support of digital transformation had a slight positive impact on countries’ DESI score, which implies that the EU supranational policy on curbing digital divide was only partially effective.

REVEALING NOVEL INSIGHTS ON ECONOMIC STRUCTURE FROM A SPATIAL PERSPECTIVE: EMPIRICAL FINDINGS FROM VIETNAM

Bac Truong Cong — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Economic structure plays an essential role in distributing resources and shaping the development trend of a country. Although it has become a topic of interest for scholars, most studies focus on analyzing factors affecting the structural transformation process but ignore the correlation in economic structure between localities. This study explores this correlation through the case of a country undergoing a remarkable economic restructuring process—Vietnam. Based on the data from 2010 to 2019, the Moran’s index (I) is used to assess the level of spatial correlation in the economic structure of localities and the Local Indicator of Spatial Autocorrelation (LISA) is analyzed to determine the specific locations where local spatial correlation occurs. Research results show that the economic structure of localities is unevenly distributed across geographical space. In addition, there exists a spatial autocorrelation phenomenon in localities' economic structure for two sectors—agriculture and industry. At the same time, there is no evidence to show this for the service sector. This discovery confirms the necessity of incorporating spatial factors in research related to economic structure to avoid inaccurate conclusions. From a business perspective, based on the findings of this research, companies can assess the level of competition, risks, as well as business partnership opportunities in different areas, and make appropriate investment decisions. The research results might also serve government agencies regarding planning and functional zoning and formulating and implementing development and economic restructuring policies for various regions.

CLUSTERING FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOTELS’ GUESTS TO DEVELOP TOURISM MARKETING STRATEGIES

Rizka Miladiah Ervianty, Nasa Zata Dina, Sidarta Prassetyo — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

An increasing number of guests in hotels evaluate the quality by reading online reviews. A deeper analysis of the attitude and behavior of the visitors is conducted to understand the experiences of guests, considering the diverse backgrounds and needs. This study aims to analyze the selection process of family-friendly hotels by guests, using available TripAdvisor online reviews, as well as for hotel management to better understand the comments left by guests and create more organized plans and policies. A model is devised that integrates clustering and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making-VIKOR (MCDM-VIKOR) method to prioritize the attributes of hotels based on the significance within each cluster of guests. Data is collected from online reviews of guests in family-friendly hotels in Indonesia. The features used for ranking preferences are the numerical ratings assigned to four attributes on the platform. These four features included “location”, “cleanliness”, “service”, and “value”. The results showed that “cleanliness” evolved as the most critical factor in the majority of segments for selecting family-friendly hotels. To further comprehend the behavioral trends of guests and assist in decision-making, this study proposed a model capable of analyzing online reviews and ratings provided by customers.

DOMESTIC LEISURE TOURISM DESTINATION CHOICE AND WHO DO WE TRUST—THE CASE OF BULGARIA

Nikola Naumov, Desislava Varadzhakova, Alexander Naydenov — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In a world defined by ever-increasing number of goods and services, destination managers and planners are faced with an increasingly difficult task to attract and retain visitors. Understanding the dynamics of the destination decision-making process is crucial for destination, tourism organizations, and businesses to meet the evolving needs and preferences of tourists. In the same vein, it is imperative to study the factors that influence consumer preferences and more specifically, the factors the factors that influence destination choices. The purpose of the research is to explore how all of those factors influence the destination choice decision-making process and identify the most influential ones for the domestic tourism market in Bulgaria. The study is based on a national representative survey which utilizes a two-staged random sample (n=1003) stratified by the Bulgarian districts and the residence place type. The results of the study indicate that friends despite the ever-expanding role of information technologies and Internet, friend and relatives are the most significant influencers over destination choices among the domestic tourists in Bulgaria.

HOW DOES ECO-ANXIETY AMONG GEOGRAPHY TEACHERS AFFECT THEIR PERFORMANCE? EVIDENCE FROM THE BANJA LUKA REGION (B&H)

Mlađen Trifunović, Vesna Rajčević — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Geographical education plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' understanding of the importance of addressing climate change and environmental issues. Nonetheless, the impact of ecological anxiety (eco-anxiety) on geography teachers, and its effect on their performance, remains insufficiently explored. This study examines the nature of eco-anxiety among geography teachers in the Banja Luka region of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The research utilizes the HEAS-13 scale, which has been adapted into Serbian for the first time. This scale encompasses affective, rumination, behavioral impairment, and personal impact as the fundamental dimensions of ecological anxiety, comprising a total of 13 questions. The collected data were analyzed using the JASP software. Given the relatively small sample size (N = 40) and the observed non-normal distribution of data (Z-test), as well as their ordinal nature (Likert scale), correlations were determined using Spearman's rho factor. The primary hypothesis of the study suggests that geography teachers will exhibit a higher degree of rumination compared to other measured dimensions. The findings confirm the hypothesis, as rumination is the most prominent symptom of eco-anxiety (M = 0.925). The eco-anxiety of teachers in the Banja Luka appears to align with established trends based on gender, age, and type of school. The most notable correlation is observed between the dimensions of rumination and concern for personal impact on climate change (rho = 0.635). The expression of negative symptoms of rumination implies that teachers employ maladaptive coping strategies when addressing the adverse effects of climate change.