The study was carried out to assess ecological risks at the closed landfill in Cai Dau town, Chau Phu district, An Giang province. Soil samples were collected at six locations (S1–S6) at depths of 0–20 cm and 60–80 cm in the rainy season (November 2020) and dry season (March 2021). The soil quality was evaluated using eight heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr and As). The results showed that most monitoring sites had heavy metal contents within the allowable limits for agricultural land of QCVN 03-MT:2015/BTNMT. Some heavy metals have been found to migrate to the soil layer of 60–80 cm. The heavy metals accumulation ( I_geo) in the two soil layers did not differ; Ni, Cr, Pb and As accumulated at non-polluting levels – moderate to high in the rainy season, while Cr and As only accumulated in the dry season. The composite pollution index ( PLI) indicated that the locations around the landfill were polluted; however, the ecological risk ranged from low to moderate (potential ecological risk index ( PERI) = 102–195) in the rainy season. Only about 50% of study sites during the dry season were contaminated and the risk was low ( PERI = 44– 68). However, the area around the landfill always poses potential risks due to the presence of heavy metals, including Ni, Cr, As and Pb. Monitoring the heavy metals in the surrounding landfill for the potential risks to human health and environment is needed.

This paper presents a solution that utilises ultrasonic technology to allow monitoring snow layer thickness or water level based on measurement from air. It describes the principle of operation of a measurement device using three methods of compensating for changing external factors affecting appliance’s precision. Block diagram of the device is also provided. In order to verify the proposed solutions, the research team tested the device in laboratory and operating conditions. The results obtained this way make it possible to select a configuration of device operation depending on the required measurement precision and limitations associated with installing the system for actual operation.

The report includes a detailed analysis of the more recent research findings on the effects of neonicotinoids and their new substitutes and tools to reduce or eliminate future use of pesticides for the control of crop pests. This analysis is a contribution to a wider debate within the Commission and European Parliament as well as Member States on the environmental risk of pesticides. The evidence of the drastic increase in toxic load and the continued insect decline including pollinators as a result of new-generation pesticides argues for a more substantial reduction in the Commission’s 2030 target to reduce pesticide use and risk. We support the Commission’s measures to encourage an agricultural system that regards integrated pest management (IPM) based on biological rather than chemical pest control as a main tool. Substantial economic and cultural barriers exist to IPM and will require coordinated action ranging from research, training, information and advice, extension services, common monitoring, and other services, to financial incentives or regulations. Current pesticide risk indicators should include a more detailed assessment of toxic load, persistence in the environment, and toxicity to non-target organisms especially pollinators and natural enemies of pests to reduce threats to the environment, health, and biodiversity.

Environmental risk assessment is one of the key tools in environmental engineering. This risk assessment can be qualitative or quantitative and it is based on preliminary studies i.e., baseline study for waste disposal sites. Even though the literature exists on baseline study in general, still there is a lack of guidance regarding development of a site-specific baseline study model for a waste disposal site. This study has two-fold aim, firstly, how to develop site-specific baseline study model for a selected dumping site, and secondly, how this site-specific baseline study can support the environmental engineering via mathematical risk estimation. Mahmood Booti Open Dumping Site (MBODS) is selected to demonstrate the development and application of site-specific baseline study model. This is followed by building a framework that shows how the output of the baseline study can lead to environmental engineering via mathematical risk estimation. The paper provides a mechanism of how to construct a bespoke baseline-study model that is readily useable, avoiding procurement of expensive computer software and yet smoothly connecting with the follow-on stages of the risk assessment. The work presented in this paper can be reproduced repeatedly to create site-specific baseline study models for risk assessment of other waste disposal sites in a cost-effective, consistent and cohesive manner.

Resettlement programmes in riverbank areas remain an alternative solution to overcoming the problems of urban flood-ing, the addressing of which can also lead to reducing slums. Such programmes have many weaknesses, but even so, several countries continue to implement them. This paper will elaborate: 1) an understanding that reductions in flood risk and en-hancements to environmental quality along riverbanks can be realised, without the need for resettlement, as a result of co- operation between local communities, governments and businesses; 2) the socio-economic benefits of improving the riverbank environment in Tridi Kampong, Malang City, Indonesia. This study employed qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of quantitative analysis and of interviews and direct observation indicate that collective action by the community has the greatest influence on the construction of that community’s commitment to improving the environment. Environmental improvements have resulted in significant socio-economic benefits by making the kampong a domestic and international tourism destination and drawing increased numbers of visitors to the region.

The issues discussed in the paper concern the assessment of changes in quantitative and qualitative indicators of water resources in the climatic conditions of the southern part of Kazakhstan. For this purpose, many years of systematic field observations and other continuous data obtained from the functioning measurement and observation stations operating within the Aral-Syrdarya Basin Inspection were used. On the basis of the obtained data, indicators were determined that characterize the quantity and quality of water supplied to the soil in the irrigation process, as well as the quantity and quali-ty of water flowing out of the drainage systems, together with an evaluation of the effectiveness of irrigation and drainage systems. Soil salinity was assessed in five irrigated massifs with a total area of 332.55 thous. ha. For the same irrigated massifs, the annual amounts of water taken for irrigation, the amount of outflowing water and the assessment of the miner-alization level were determined. Based on the developed results of field observations characterizing the hydrological and environmental situation of the lower section of the Syr Darya River in 1960–2015, the negative reaction coefficients were calculated for the local population, soil and vegetation for five of the irrigated massifs of the Kyzylorda region. The ecolog-ical situation of the habitat of soil and plants in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya River in all irrigation areas deteriorates on a time scale, since as a result of the reclamation of agricultural lands, intensive secondary soil salinization occurs and the formation of infiltration runoff with high mineralization, contributing to the violation of the harmonization of the relation-ship between nature and man.

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a very complex technology. Although the installation of pipelines by means of this technology is often successful, examples of unsuccessful projects are also known. Due to the complexity of the technology, with the interaction of multiple processes, risks related to uncertainties in these processes play important role. These risks are related to the variability of underground strata, changing natural environment, changes in economic environment, as well as limitations of the equipment, technical disruptions and human factors. This paper describes the risk evaluation results of the FMEA and a Pareto– Lorenz analysis for 14 external risk factors (8 natural or environmental risk factors as well as 6 economic risk factors) in HDD technology. In the proposed approach not only the probability of the external risk factor occurrence was considered, but also its consequences and the ability to detect faults, which were not plainly separated and taken into account in the literature so far. Such an approach has shown the relationship between occurrence, severity and detection for the analysed external failures. Moreover, 40 detection possibilities for the external risks in HDD technology were identified. The calculated risk priority numbers enabled ranking HDD external failures and identified the most critical risks for which the suggested detection options were unsatisfactory and insufficient, and therefore other types of risk response actions need to be explored.