This article investigates the fluctuations in groundwater level (GWL) and groundwater recharge in response to rainfall variability using 2001–2021 rainfall data from four districts in West Bengal, India: Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore, and East Midnapore. Purulia and Bankura have a tropical semi-arid to sub-humid type of climate, while West Midnapore and East Midnapore have a tropical wet-dry monsoon climate. The GWL analysis was performed using the Mann-Kendall Test (M-K Test) and Sen’s Slope Esti-mator, while groundwater recharge was estimated using empirical expressions, including the Chaturvedi and Modified Chaturvedi formulas, and the Maxey-Eakin and Krishna Rao methods. We used pre-monsoon and post-monsoon GWL data for the GWL trend analysis and monthly rainfall data for groundwater recharge estimation. To assess the impact of climate change on GWL variation for the 2022–2050 period, the global climatic model (GCM) CanESM5-SSP126 rainfall data was used. The trend analysis of ground¬water level at East Midnapore and West Midnapore shows a higher rate of decline (GWL beyond 15 m bgl) compared to Purulia and Bankura during both the pre- and post-monsoon periods. Groundwater recharge estimates increased linearly with rainfall and the results show the Modified Chaturvedi formula as the most suitable in the selected districts. Additionally, new empirical expressions developed between rainfall and groundwater levels showed a better fit for Bankura and Purulia stations. These expressions suggest that rainfall will increase in Purulia toward 2050, leading to a subsequent rise in groundwater levels.
This article explores intra-urban perceived centrality in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, investigating its relationships with the selected non-perceptual measures of centrality. Using a three-stage survey of 141 students, the study examines how respondents delineate the city center’s boundaries, which locations they perceive as central, and how they use and experience the space of the city center. The findings reveal both overlaps and discrepancies between contour-derived and location-based intra-urban centrality. The Dnieper River, railways, and major highways serve as strong spatial referents of the center’s boundary, while the main city street and square together with certain traditional historic neighborhoods anchor the perceived city center. At the same time, functional load, landmark value, and personal experiential factors significantly shape perceptions, creating local spikes and dips of centrality. Respondents emphasize not so much individual monuments as the broader historic environment and atmosphere of the city center, with walking and flânerie as dominant practices. The results highlight tensions between heritage preservation and aggressive commercialization, as well as the underutilized potential of the Dnieper waterfront in the Ukrainian capital. The main contribution of the study lies in underscoring perceived intra-urban centrality as a multidimensional and fluid social construct, shaped by history, functions, symbolism, and everyday social practices, which can be operationalized by urban planners.
This article explores suicidal ideation among people aged 50+ in Central European (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia), Nordic (Sweden, Finland, Denmark), and Baltic (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) countries, using SHARE Wave 9 data (N = 20,996, including 1,356 migrants). Migrants reported higher rates of suicidal thoughts (6.9%) than non-migrants (4.8%). Using logistic regression, factors such as age, education, loneliness, and depression explained most of the variance in suicidal ideation. The overall difference between migrants and non-migrants was small once these factors were controlled. Within the migrant subsample, those residing in Baltic countries had lower odds of suicidal ideation compared to those residing in Nordic countries. These findings underscore the importance of socio-geographical context and psychosocial factors, highlighting the need for targeted support strategies. As aging and migration reshape Europe, emotional well-being must remain central to suicide prevention efforts.
This article examines the factors influencing access to residential land among men and women in Ogun State border communities, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 411 male and female homeowners. Copies of the questionnaire were administered to 362 respondents (196 males and 166 females), representing 54% male and 46% female homeowners. Frequency distribution, percentages, factor analysis, binary probit regression, and correlation analysis were utilized to analyze the data collected from male and female homeowners. The study reveals that the proportion of female respondents with insecure access is higher than that of their male counterparts. This indicates that women are more land-insecure compared to men. The study shows that affordability, land availability, procedural issues, security of tenure, and personal factors were found to influence men’s access to residential land, while affordability, land availability, security of tenure, personal, and procedural issues were the factors among women. The use of binary probit regression analysis indicates that lower levels of affordability, limited land availability, and weaker socioeconomic status tend to reduce men’s likelihood of access to residential land, while improvements in tenure security and procedural conditions often increase their probability of land access. In contrast, limited land availability and bureaucratic barriers tend to reduce women’s likelihood of access, while an increase in financial capacity, tenure security, and stronger socioeconomic status enhances their access to residential land. Findings from the correlation analysis demonstrate that access-related land factors of male homeowners are positively influenced by socio-economic variables, while female homeowners experience predominantly negative associations, particularly with marital status, household size, and income. The study concluded that access to residential land is influenced by different factors, and these factors significantly influence the level of access among men and women.
Kosovo, a small country in the Balkan Peninsula with a rich and diverse cultural heritage, holds significant potential for the development of cultural tourism, particularly in multiethnic contexts. The city of Prizren exemplifies this potential through its historical coexistence of Albanians, Turks, Bosniaks, Serbs, Roma, and other communities. This study explores the identification and mapping of cultural routes in such a multiethnic setting, emphasizing how shared heritage can contribute to sustainable tourism and intercultural understanding. The research methodology combines GIS mapping, field observations, interviews, spatial data analysis, and an in-depth examination of key cultural monuments. As Kosovo aspires to join the Council of Europe, which promotes cultural heritage through its Cultural Routes program, this research aims to support heritage preservation aligned with European values. It also contributes to Kosovo’s broader European integration efforts and its engagement with transnational cultural initiatives.
This article analyzes the impact of the rapid growth of cities in India on their land-use and land-cover patterns. It is based on the case study of cities of Guwahati in the state of Assam and Siliguri in the state of West Bengal. Analyzing Census of India data between 1971 and 2011 and utilizing multi-temporal Landsat data from 1990 to 2020, the article employs GIS techniques, including the maximum likelihood algorithm for supervised classification, to generate comprehensive land use and land cover maps of these two cities. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) method is additionally applied to discern changes in forest cover from 1990 to 2020. The analysis revealed rapid horizontal and vertical urban expansion of both Guwahati and Siliguri, accompanied by the conversion of forest and agricultural lands into built-up areas. The findings emphasize an urgent need for a robust policy framework to facilitate sustainable urban development and address the looming environmental challenges posed by the loss of green spaces in both cities and other urban regions of India.
This article employs a mixed-method approach – combining a literature review, descriptive statistical analysis, correlation testing, and the GIS for data visualization – to analyze the effects of geopolitical changes and political instability on tourism in Kosovo. Given Kosovo’s goal of establishing tourism as a leading economic sector, the aim of this article is to determine whether and to what extent geopolitical factors influence its development. Despite persistent regional tensions and limited international recognition, Kosovo’s tourism has remained resilient and shown gradual growth, primarily driven by diaspora and regional visitors. The findings reveal no statistically significant correlation between annual geopolitical events and tourist arrivals, indicating that the tourism industry has adapted to low-level instability. The study highlights a potential for sustained tourism growth in Kosovo in the future.
In this article a spatially integrative classification system of rural settlements based on their historical layout structure is proposed and applied to all eligible rural settlements in Czechia. This classification is then used to assess spatial characteristics of recent suburban developments, including the structure of their street networks and their spatial relationship to historical cores. Based on orthophotomaps, historical maps, and old classifications from the last century, a six-type classification system was created and applied to all rural settlements with less than 3,000 inhabitants in Czechia. In addition, based on a randomly selected subsample of 60 suburbanized settlements, the street network layout of the new developments (geometrical/organic/combined) was identified, and the adjacency of the new and old developments analyzed. The village-square type was the most common historical layout (52%), followed by stripe-type (26%), small (8%), plot-type (4%), and dispersed types (2%). All the remaining layout tructures, aggregated into the Others category, represented 8% of settlements. New developments in the two predominant types of historical layouts are mostly geometric and, with a few exceptions, adjacent to the original settlement core. The developed classification system can serve as a basis for a discussion about suitable and sensitive planning of new developments that preserve the historical value of the original settlements while supporting their sustainable growth.
This article examines the experiences of volunteers (N=12) engaged with migrants in Czechia. It evaluates their roles during two different refugee crises which affected Czechia in 2015/2016 and in 2022. The starting point for the study was a difference in public attitudes towards migrants and refugees during these two refugee inflows. While negative perceptions were evident during the 2015/2016 refugee crisis, characterized by scepticism and resistance toward volunteerism, the response to the Ukrainian refugee influx showcased a more supportive environment, potentially influenced by institutional aid efforts and a greater sense of solidarity with Ukrainian refugees. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with volunteers engaged in the 2022 refugee crisis, some of whom had a previous volunteering experience from 2015/2016. The article reveals individual experiences of volunteers, their positionality, coping strategies and different perceptions of migration contexts.
This article explores the challenges and opportunities of cross-border labour mobility within the European Union. It aims to systematically assess the key drivers and barriers to cross-border labour mobility and develop evidence-based practical recommendations for improving European Union labour mobility policies. Rapid changes in the labour market due to the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted the adoption of new forms of work organisation, such as remote work and flexible schedules. These changes have created new opportunities to enhance worker mobility, but also present challenges related to coordinating work across different time zones and cultural environments, and ensuring equal working conditions. We analyse the impacts of these challenges on the effectiveness and accessibility of labour mobility within the European Union. This analysis then allows us to formulate practical recommendations for improving the European Union labour mobility policy.
Climate change directly or indirectly impacts the global atmosphere composition, which poses major environmental concern. The implications of climate change show noticeable change in rainfall patterns and onset worldwide. Prior knowledge of information of rainfall data is vital for many applications. In the present study, the onset, withdrawal, and duration of monsoon period have been studied for Purulia and Ranibandh locations in the Kangsabati river basin area for the period 2015 to 2022. The observed data were analysed and compared with the model data of CMIP6 GCM’s for 4 scenarios. Statistical parameters such as probability density function (PDF), Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF), Coefficient of determination (R2), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) were employed to evaluate the precision of matching between observed and modelled rainfall data. For onset, withdrawal, and duration of monsoon period, under 4 scenarios of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), highest R2 values range between 0.46 and 0.75 for CanESM5, EC-Earth3-veg and ACCESS-CM2 for Purulia and Ranibandh locations. For the duration of monsoon period between onset and withdrawal, R2 value of 0.54 and 0.46 has been observed for CanESM5-SSP370 and ACCESS_CM2-SSP126 for Purulia and Ranibandh respectively. On the other hand, for Purulia and Ranibandh, the lowest RMSE values has been observed for the model CanESM5, EC-Earth3-veg and ACCESS-CM2 for onset, withdrawal and monsoon period. The study identifies CanESM5, EC-Earth3-veg, and ACCESS-CM2 as the top-performing CMIP6 GCM models for accurately simulating monsoon dynamics onset, withdrawal, and monsoon length – in the Kangsabati basin, specifically in Purulia and Ranibandh locations. With these best performing models on projecting the precipitation for 2023 to 2100 for Purulia and 2022 to 2100 for Ranibandh, a very negligible shift has been observed in the onset and withdrawal periods. Overall, this study contributes to our understanding of rainfall patterns and monsoon dynamics, offering valuable insights for both climate modelling and water resource management in the region.
This article evaluates the integration of disaster risk reduction strategies within the educational framework of Nicaragua, with a particular emphasis on children’s exposure to landslides and their vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. A comprehensive multi-stage methodology combines geospatial modelling, demographic analysis, and risk assessment to systematically assess landslide susceptibility and its implications for school infrastructure and student safety. The analysis is structured into three distinct phases. The first phase focuses on developing a Landslide Susceptibility Model, utilising historical landslide data along with geophysical parameters to create a robust predictive tool. The second phase entails a geospatial overlay that juxtaposes the identified susceptibility zones with the locations of educational institutions. In the third phase, the analysis centres on the demographic characteristics of children residing in high-risk areas, offering insights into their exposure. The findings identify regions that exhibit elevated risks of landslides, thus posing significant threats to school infrastructure and educational continuity. Moreover, the study highlights the dual role of schools in disaster-prone regions, where they are frequently repurposed as emergency shelters during crises, exacerbating disruptions to education. By integrating geospatial risk assessment with demographic analysis, this research provides a framework for evaluating children’s exposure to landslides and calls for incorporating disaster risk reduction strategies into the planning processes of the educational sector.
Earth-surface processes research is increasingly using the SfM-MVS (Structure from Motion and Multiple-View Stereophotogrammetry) method to model land surface change over time at a very fine-scale. However, the role of topographic change on the error calculated from “stable and fixed” Ground Control Points is under-documented and as far as the authors are aware, it has not been evaluated as yet. Therefore, the present study is an analysis of the variability inherent to the SfM-MVS method used for 3D terrain modeling, in a semi-controlled environment, comparing repeats of measurements, and repeats including topographic change in the laboratory scene, in order to assess the role of elevation change in the scene on the space that remains unchanged. The methodological framework involves varying the terrain morphology by adding 50 and 100 ml of sand to an originally horizontal sandbox, creating a mount in the centre. Then, the authors compared the different experimental surfaces and their repeats acquired by SfM-MVS, and using Gaussian Kernel Density Estimation (KDE). Results demonstrated that under stable and uniform flat surface conditions, the SfM method yields relatively consistent results (standard deviation variety less than 0.027 mm). However, when the experiments included the 50 ml and 100 ml mount of sand, the variability between repeats increased, even for location where no topographic change had occurred. The authors argue that the topographic variability is spreading the error, increasing it compared to the flat experiment. By extension, this consideration is essential, especially for research investigating topographic change such as landslide and other erosion and deposition processes, because the error propagation varies with the surface change, and relating erosion/deposition to topographic change needs to be done carefully.
This paper introduces the demography of genocide, an interdisciplinary branch of demographic research that examines the impact of genocides on populations. This is achieved by defining the field and discussing its limitations, such as a limited institutional and methodological framework and a lack of data sources. The analytical section presents a case study on the demographic effects of the Indonesian occupation of Timor-Leste, starting with the historical context. It then analyzes population dynamics, mortality, fertility, and population structures based on demographic indicators, primarily derived from the World Population Prospects 2024 database. The findings show that the genocide profoundly affected Timor-Leste’s population development, primarily through a significant deterioration in mortality, which was highly uneven across age and gender. Excess mortality was particularly pronounced among children and men. Large-scale migration waves occurred, indirectly influencing demographic processes. The impact on fertility is complex and cannot be generalized, but the decline in female mortality likely contributed to fertility increases. The simultaneous effect of these factors significantly altered the structure of the population, leading to sharp fluctuations in the sex ratio, an acceleration of population aging, and disruptions in age distribution. Total population losses due to the occupation were estimated at 177,000 people using a counterfactual population projection.
Stage-discharge relationships (rating curves) are fundamental in hydrology but remain challenging to establish in experimental catchments, where observations are sparse, irregular, and uncertain. Conventional regression models provide simple and interpretable solutions, yet often fail to capture nonlinearities in hydraulically complex environments. Purely data-driven machine learning (ML) models offer flexibility, but their performance deteriorates under data scarcity and they often produce physically implausible results. We present a hybrid physics-informed machine learning (PIML) framework that integrates a log-log regression baseline with residual corrections from Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) models. By embedding hydrological constraints such as monotonicity, non-negativity, and continuity, the framework ensures physically consistent rating curves while leveraging ML to capture nonlinear deviations. The approach was developed in four contrasting catchments and validated across 20 independent evaluation sites. Results show that both hybrid models outperform conventional regression, with the Hybrid MLP consistently providing the most accurate and generalizable predictions (median R² and NSE > 0.98) even when calibrated with as few as 8–15 discharge measurements. The framework is particularly effective in irregular or hydraulically complex basins, while differences to conventional regression are minimal in stable profiles. These findings demonstrate that PIML enables systematic, transferable, and reproducible rating curve development under sparse and uncertain data conditions. The framework offers a practical alternative to subjective or ad hoc methods, advancing discharge estimation in experimental hydrology and supporting applications in data-limited and hydraulically complex environments.
The aim of this study is to identify changes in geographic literacy over time by comparing the success rates of geography applicants when solving identical tasks used in the geography entrance exam test in 2016 and 2024 at the Faculty of Science of Charles University. We summarize the results of a comparison of the success rates in selected test tasks and we look at the shift in geographic literacy between two groups of respondents with similar characteristics (age, interest in studying geography at the same university) in different time periods. Through our study, we aim to open up the possibility of using geography entrance exam tests as one of the possible sources for studying the evolution of geographic literacy over time. Longitudinal studies focusing on changes in geographic literacy are still very rare, which we consider to be a research gap. The tasks used in the entrance tests in 2016 and 2024 were compared in order to determine which types of test tasks experienced the greatest change in success rate. The comparison included answers to a total of 25 test tasks, which were intentionally set identically in both years to make such a comparison possible. Answers were available from 269 respondents in 2016 and from 132 respondents in 2024. When evaluating the results, the tasks were divided according to various criteria (thematic focus, category of educational objectives, use of mathematical skills, inclusion of a visual element, etc.). The results indicate a relatively high rate of change in success in solving certain types and groups of test tasks. The results also show changes in the level of geographical literacy of students who come to university from secondary schools. This information could be helpful not only for universities themselves (who will get better information about changes in the level of applicants from secondary school level), but also for secondary school educators and experts engaged in curriculum development (who will get feedback on secondary education results). The results underline the importance of systematically monitoring changes in geographical literacy and call for further research on a larger dataset and across more time points.
This article aims to review the existing research associated with the preparation of glacial lake inventories in the Sikkim Himalaya, to understand their evolution over the past two decades and analyse them. The number and areal extent of glacial lakes has been increasing in the Sikkim region due to climate change and global warming in the Himalayas. This makes glacial lakes vulnerable to the occurrence of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF). This review analyses the findings from 30 research studies of glacial lakes, including key parameters, such as temporal coverage, criteria for lake delineation (including minimum size thresholds), lake typology criteria, remote sensing data sources, and methodologies employed for glacial lake identification and also the GLOF analysis. The review highlights inconsistencies such as variations in data sources, automatic or semi-automatic mapping technique, minimum size criteria and need for expert interpretations. The study finds that Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) based identification of glacial lake is the most preferred technique with visual interpretation. It is also observed that the source of water for a glacial lake is the prominent typological criterion for both glacial lake mapping and GLOF analysis. This study highlights the possibility of preparing a comprehensive inventory of glacial lakes having at least 0.0036 km2 area from 1962. Such inventory may further improve our understanding of glacial lake dynamics and facilitate an effective GLOF risk analysis in the Sikkim region.
This article examines recent international trends regarding multiple births, with a specific focus on Czechia. It stresses the role of assisted reproductive technology (ART) along with the fertility postponement process. Employing internationally harmonised datasets and detailed Czech data on deliveries and live births, we firstly provide a comparative overview of long-term trends concerning twinning/multiple birth rates prior to and following the widespread use of ART. Based on anonymised individual-level data for Czechia, we explore the role of ART and the maternal age in determining the proportion of multiple births and the structure of newborns. Particular attention is devoted to differences according to the maternal age and the mode of conception (with and without the use of ART). The results revealed the substantial international heterogeneity of twinning rates as driven primarily by differences in national ART practices rather than the overall volume of ART treatment. Czechia represents the most common pattern, i.e. a rapid increase in the twinning rate from less than 10 twin deliveries per 1,000 deliveries in the early 1990s to more than 21 twin deliveries per 1,000 in 2010, followed by a rapid decline. Regulatory changes in Czechia that have promoted single embryo transfers since 2012 have led to a marked decline in the incidence of multiple births. However, women aged 35 and older accounted for a significant share of multiple live births conceived through ART; 18% of all multiples born to women aged 35–39, and 36% of those born to women aged 40 and over, were conceived via ART in 2020.
The main objective of this article is to compare standard and alternative methodologies in measuring demographic ageing at the regional level in Czechia. We apply different indicators, such as the proportion of elderly people, the ageing index, the old-age dependency ratio, the pensioners to workers ratio, and real elderly dependency ratio, at the NUTS 2 regions of Czechia between 2003 and 2023. The concept of prospective age and linear interpolation method were also used in this article. The analysis revealed a continuing increase in the regional heterogeneity of Czechia in demographic ageing, as well as significant differences in the level of ageing between standard and alternative methodological approaches. When using alternative indicators, the North-west region can be considered the oldest, while the Prague region appears to be the youngest. It should also be noted that alternative indicators exhibit higher sensitivity to external mortality influences.
This article examines the phenomenon of potential international migration among Czech medical students, with the objective of identifying prospective and actual migrants and analyzing the underlying motivations, intended durations of migration, the roles of institutional structures versus social networks, the strength of social ties, preferred destinations, and perceived barriers to mobility. Anchored in selected established migration theories and conceptual frameworks, the study deployed an electronically administered questionnaire targeting 397 fourth – to sixth-year General Medicine students across four faculties of Charles University (Czechia) during March–April 2022. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, incorporating factor analysis and binary logistic regression. Despite a generally higher inclination toward migration, only 7% of respondents exhibited a strong likelihood of actual emigration when specific preparatory steps and intended timelines were considered. This subset of students, characterized by clearly articulated goals to enhance professional and financial prospects, reliance on transnational social networks, preference for extended stays abroad, and a diminished likelihood of return, contrasts markedly with the broader cohort of less committed potential migrants. Proficiency in German emerges as a key determinant for Czech medical students, particularly in the context of migration to German-speaking countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, while English-speaking countries like the USA and Canada remain attractive destinations too. Beyond language competencies, prior international work or study experience were found to significantly inform students’ migration trajectories. Nevertheless, the most prominent deterrent to migration remains the anticipated loss of familial and social connections.
