Field trails were conducted to evaluate the economics of controlling cercospora leaf spot of groundnut using different fungicides. The experiments were laid out in a strip plot design with three replications at the Teaching and Research farm of the Department of Crop Protection, University of Maiduguri, sudan savanna of Nigeria during the 2002 and 2003 cropping seasons. Four fungicides namely: Benlate 50 WP, Trimangol 80 WP, Bentex T, and Ridomil 72 WP were applied as foliar sprays at three spray regimes while the control was left untreated. The application of the fungicides led to 20–50% reduction in the disease incidence and 15–22% reduction in disease severity and gave higher yield of seed and haulm than the control. The cost-benefit analysis revealed positive returns per hectare from the use of the fungicides for the control of disease in the study area. Application of Bentex T, for instance, gave 78.13% seed yield increase over the control which translated into a mean (two years) net profit of N52,267.50, N90,905.00 and N138,755.00 Nigerian Naira for one, two and three sprays, respectively, equivalent to $522.675, $909.05 and $1,387.55 per hectare. Even the least effective of the fungicides (Trimangol 80 WP) gave seed yield increase of 62.74% over the control which translated into a mean (two years) net profit of N41,287.50, N68,082.50 and N93,995.00 equivalent to $412.88, $680.83 and $939.95 per hectare for one, two and three sprays, respectively. Three sprays gave 115. 76% increase of yield over one spray and 39.35% yield increase over two sprays. These returns are attractive particularly to the farmers in the study area who grow the high yielding Ex-Dakar groundnut variety which is susceptible to cercospora leaf spot.

This work is a continuation and extension of previous socio-economic analyses of hard coal mines, which were conducted at the Central Mining Institute in the years 2013-2015. The paper presents the results of the economic evaluation of the hard coal mining sector in the years 2016-2018 using the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) methodology. Used for the socio-economic assessment of hard coal mining, the CBA methodology enables the comprehensive evaluation of the functioning of this sector of the economy in Poland. In addition to financial aspects, which are important from the point of view of coal companies, it also included the social and environmental influence resulting from the impact of mines on the environment. Direct data of operating costs and payments (including public-law payments), incurred by the hard coal mining industry in Poland, was used. This data is obtained by Industrial Development Agency JSC, Branch Office Katowice as part of the “Program of statistical surveys of official statistics” – statistical survey “Hard coal and lignite mining industry”. They were supplemented with data coming from commonly available public statistics. For the analysed period the presented results indicate that the financial and social benefits resulting from the hard coal mining activity in Poland outweighed the financial, social and environmental costs generated by this industry. This confirms the desirability of further functioning of the hard coal mining industry in Poland, however, assuming effective restructuring activities that will result in lower costs of coal production.

The paper features a comprehensive approach to risk management worked out during the ValueSec project (EU 7th Framework Programme). The motivation for research was presented, along with the course of the research, achieved project results and validation results. The methodology of risk management and a supporting tool were developed as a result of the project. They help decision makers to make complex strategic decisions about security measures. These complex decision-related problems were the reason to launch the research. The elaborated methodology is based on three pillars: assessment of the considered security measure ability to reduce risk, costs and benefits analysis with respect to the security measure application, and analysis of legal, social, cultural, and other restrictions that might impair or even destroy the efficiency of the functioning measures. In the project these restrictions are called qualitative criteria. The main added value of the ValueSec project is the elaboration of a special software module to analyse impacts of qualitative criteria on the considered measure. Based on the methodology, a ValueSec Toolset prototype was developed. The prototype was then validated in the following application domains: mass event, railway transport security, airport and air transport security, protection against flood, and protection of smart grids against cyber-attacks.

Flood risk management are considerably influenced by several factors, such as all sources of flooding, social circum-stances, policy and even the potential for local economic growth. To encourage government, business, community and oth-er parties to continue investing in flood risk management projects, it is necessary to give understanding that the projects can also provide economic benefits through systematic predictions and assessments of costs, benefits and social values, espe-cially on flood-affected communities. This study aims: (1) to develop knowledge and understanding on small-scale flood risk management project in Malang City, Indonesia, and; (2) to assess the economic efficiency of the project investment considering all benefits, both monetary and non-monetary. The research method is a mixed method combining quantitative questionnaires (N = 53 from 162 families) with qualitative in-depth interviews (N = 10) and field observations. The runoff discharge and the inundation depth were calculated using hydrology and hydraulic analysis, while the economic efficiency was analysed using cost benefit analysis (CBA). The results show that the community-based flood risk management system can reduce the flood risk up to 30% compared to before the implementation of that system. This system also provides direct financial benefits through the use of drainage channels for fish and vegetables farming. It causes the increase of the net so-cial benefit about 70–90% and the net present value (NPV) greater than zero (NPV > 0). Therefore, the project investment is recommended to be proceeded.

This paper presents the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis and a cost-benefit analysis for the production of X-type zeolites from fly ash.
Positive results of the laboratory tests on the quality of zeolites derived from fly ash initiated a cost analysis on the production of this materials on an industrial scale. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using the dynamic generation cost indicator (DGC). The calculated DGC expresses the technical manufacturing cost of 1 Mg of synthetic zeolites. Whereas the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was completed using the economic net present value (ENP V) and the economic internal rate of return (EIRR ) indicators.
The calculated unit technical cost of producing 1 Mg of zeolites using an installation consisting of five reactors with a capacity of 25 m3 each is 211 EUR and is lower than the current market price of this product, including transportation costs. This proves the financial viability of the investment. The calculations of the economic efficiency of the installation (CBA method) show that it is fully economically viable to operate and use the products from a social point of view.