Dams are critical infrastructures built for multiple purposes, such as electricity production, water supply, and irrigation. The appearance of big dams also significantly impacts population life, activity, and the natural ecosystems. River flow modifications are among their most obvious impacts on the environment. This article presents a short review of the results of the methodology used in the analyses and modeling of the water flow of one of the most important rivers in Romania and the changes in the water flow due to building the Siriu Dam. Various techniques, including IHA indicators, multifractal analysis, decomposition models, and Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). Whereas the visualizations display evident oscillations in the river’s monthly average discharge, the long-range dependence analysis indicates the various patterns of the river discharge. The study reveals that most techniques provide a good estimation of the series trend but fail to capture the maxima. All indicate the existence of two different patterns of the analyzed series, indicating 1984 as a change point.
The rapid development of technology has introduced a wide range of new threat vectors, which present significant challenges across multiple sectors. These threats stem from various sources, including human activities, technological advancements, and natural processes, all of which require innovative approaches to mitigate their impacts. To counter these multifaceted threats, the paper reviews and discusses technological innovations designed to enhance system capacities, such as advanced sensors, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and real-time detection systems. A review of monitoring and data processing systems, including drones, photogrammetry, artificial intelligence, and big data, is provided. The integration of these innovations into counter-threat strategies is essential for addressing the complexity of modern challenges, particularly in areas such as water quality monitoring, anomaly detection, and cybersecurity.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes can trigger infectious disease outbreaks due to factors such as the destruction of communal infrastructure, forced migration, environmental changes, inadequate access to clean food and water, increased exposure to pre-existing pathogens, and the introduction of new pathogens. The real-time tracking and analysis of the spread of infectious diseases and the characteristics of seismological disasters are facilitated by the Epidemiological Locational Intelligence System (ELIS), a tool developed by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Initially created to oversee the COVID-19 pandemic, ELIS’s effectiveness has been demonstrated to depend on efficient information exchange among local entities responsible for collecting, updating, and managing epidemiological data. The system’s ability to promptly recommend preventive actions is enhanced by access to spatial information about population dynamics, environmental conditions such as climate, vegetation, pollution, seismic activity, community infrastructure, and healthcare services. A recent enhancement to ELIS includes a model designed to predict the likelihood and spread of an epidemic in the aftermath of an earthquake. This enhancement involved analyzing statistical data on seismic activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as epidemiological data related to infectious diseases, hot spot areas of endemic disease, and immunization rates of vaccinated vaccine-preventable diseases. Based on the model’s forecasts, it provides and establishes a set of preventive and control actions.
Critical infrastructure, including energy grids, public utilities, transportation networks, telecommunications systems, financial services, etc., is highly susceptible to hybrid threats due to its interconnected nature and reliance on digital technology. Disruptions to critical infrastructure can have cascading effects on society, economy, environment, and national security overall. The fight against hybrid threats and the protection of critical infrastructure are of paramount importance in the European Union (EU), because these threats, through the aforementioned cascading effects, can destabilize economies, and erode public trust. Ensuring the resilience of critical infrastructure represents a vital element for safeguarding public safety and social well-being. In this sense, enhancing resilience and diversifying supply chains are key strategies for reducing reliance on external sources. With no less importance is the fact that addressing hybrid threats and protecting critical infrastructure require cross-border collaboration and information sharing both among EU member states and accessing countries like the Republic of Serbia, prominent international partners (like ISO), and relevant stakeholders (like NATO). In the Republic of Serbia, a formal legislative framework for critical infrastructure protection was established by the adoption of the Law on critical infrastructure in 2018. With a significant reference to international experiences, in the Republic of Serbia, there are still many challenges in the field of protection of critical infrastructure, especially from hybrid threats. In this sense, the goal of this paper is to present the possibility of improving the resilience of critical infrastructure through the standardization of management activities, the operationalization and objectification of the sources of priority activities using the multi-criteria decision-making method, and the integration of the requirements of various interested parties through a systems approach. The main conclusion and contribution of the paper refer to the need for more intensive harmonization of practice in the Republic of Serbia with that in the EU.
Biological and chemical threats pose significant security risks to all societies. While biological threats can cause health crises through the spread of pathogenic agents, chemical threats can have detrimental effects on the environment and human health through the spread of toxic substances. They can target critical infrastructure and lead to emergency management, health crises, or economic disruptions in societies. The deployment of protective equipment and sensor systems is extremely important in establishing an effective protection and detection system against these threats. While protective equipment provides a physical barrier, sensor systems provide rapid and accurate detection of threats. Electrospun nanofibers are an important material used in protective equipment and sensor systems in combating chemical and biological threats. Due to their high surface area and thin structure, these nanofibers provide effective filtration. In addition, their lightness and comfort facilitate long-term use, while their water resistance and durability extend the life of protective equipment. In sensor systems, nanofibers provide high sensitivity and fast response time, helping to rapidly and accurately detect chemical and biological agents. Surface modifications also allow the development of sensors and protective equipment specific to specific threats. This book chapter presents current approaches and future directions of electrospun nanofibers for protection, decontamination, and detection against various chemical and biological threats, based on a synthesis of recent studies.
