Socio-economic data of the villages belonging to the municipality Vladičin Han were analyzed in the paper. This municipality is part of Pčinjski district and is located in southeastern Serbia. The villages have typical rural character and are located in mountain area, except Priboj, which is dislocated in the 19th century. The lowest is Priboj (350-460 m) and the highest one is Kukavica (1,170-1,230 m). The subject of this paper is also the settlements of Lebet, Rdovo and Kostomlatica. The data obtained are the result of processing database retrieved from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, related to the period 1971-2011. At the beginning of this period, the village with the largest population was Priboj (359 inhabitants). According to the last census (in year 2011), there lived 296 inhabitants with average age of 44. The settlement with the smallest population, according to the latest census, is Kostomlatica village. There live 10 inhabitants with an average age of 76.3 years. Other demographic indicators point to the extinction of the villages in this region. Depopulation is the problem to which state does not pay enough attention, especially in mountainous and border areas. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 47007]

The paper presents an analysis of water pollution carried out on the basis of the combined physico-chemical Serbian Water Quality Index (WQI) in the Timok River basin. The analysis covers various parameters (oxygen saturation, Five-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD5, ammonium ion concentration, pH value, Water Total Nitrogen or WTN, Total Suspended Solids or TSS, orthophosphate concentration, electrical conductivity, temperature and the fecal coliform bacteria parameter) the values of which were calculated for four hydrological stations within the basin. The data obtained at each measurement station were averaged using the annual arithmetic average mean. The annual WQI values were calculated for a twenty-five year period (1990-2014) and they were in the range between 12 and 92, which means that the quality of water varied, ranging from “very bad” to “excellent”. The obtained results were interpreted and the watercourse quality was assessed using the comparison of water quality indicators according to the Serbian Classification of Surface Waters and the WQI method. The worst water quality was recorded in the Borska Reka River. Certain SWQI values are the result of water quality changes caused by wastewater from human settlements, industrial facilities, agricultural sources and illegal waste disposal sites in the basin. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 47007]

This paper investigates how governance frameworks shape sustainable tourism outcomes in protected areas by comparing Tara National Park (Serbia) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia). Both parks, established in 1981 and classified under IUCN Category II, exhibit rich biodiversity and mountainous terrain but differ markedly in governance structures, institutional integration, and local community engagement. Using a qualitative, indicator-based methodology, this research evaluates ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability. The findings reveal that Triglav NP demonstrates higher levels of participatory governance, tourism integration, and educational outreach, while Tara NP maintains stricter ecological protection with less inclusive management. Triglav’s zoning model, community council, and economic alignment with regional development policies contribute to stronger sustainability outcomes. Conversely, Tara NP’s centralized governance and infrastructural gaps constrain its potential despite its significant conservation value. This study highlights the importance of adaptive, inclusive governance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within protected areas. It concludes that hybrid approaches, combining legal rigor with participatory flexibility, can foster resilience and sustainability in ecologically sensitive regions.

The research included trends in water temperature of the Danube River at Bogojevo gauge and surface air temperature at the nearby meteorological station Sombor, as well as an analysis of the results obtained in relation to the claims of the existence of the hiatus in global air temperature increase in the period 1998-2012. In the period 1961-2013, there was a statistically significant increase in the mean annual water temperature (0.039?C/year), as well as all the average monthly values. However, with annual values for the period 1998-2013, there was a decrease. The longest periods of negative trend (27 years) were recorded for January and February. A high correlation was found between the surface air temperature and water temperature for all monthly and seasonal values. In the mean annual air temperature the presence of the hiatus is not observed, but a negative trend is recorded in March (32 years), December (43 years) and February (49 years). The highest correlations between water temperature and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) were obtained for the NAO in January (0.60), the AMO in autumn (0.52) and the NAO in winter (0.51). For surface air temperature, the highest correlations were registered for the AMO in summer (0.49) and the NAO in winter (0.42). The results indicate the dominant role of natural factors in the decrease of winter air temperature and water temperature of the Danube.

The study provides a comprehensive data analysis on total fertility rates, birth rates, life expectancy, percentage share of over 65 year olds, infant mortality rates and adolescent-specific fertility rates, in Russia and Serbia, two decades after the fall of communism and compares it with general values in Europe. The main problems in the demography of Russia and Serbia are connected with economic process, caused by economy transition, from planned economy to the free market, as one of the consequences of the fall. Finally, the authors concluded that the Russian demographic situation is characterized by depopulation processes just like in Serbia.