The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the importance of a strong relationship between social economy entities and their socio-institutional ecosystem. The article focuses on pointing out the importance of adequate diagnosis and the use of social capital existing in the community for the development and success of social economy initiatives. Draws attention to the importance of cooperation of these initiatives with local institutions, social organizations and representatives of local businesses as well as the level of their rooting in the minds of members of the community. The first part of the text referrers to the concept of co-production and Community-based social economy. The second part of the article presents the relation between the concept of social capital and community development and discusses the relation between the level of existing social capital in the given community and the possible development of the social economy entities operating there. The last part of the article presents practical examples of social economy entities operating in Poland, which are very often described as a ‘good practices’ of the practical implementation of different types of the idea of Social Economy. The conclusions underline that there is a need for strong rootedness and cooperation between social economy entities and the community in which it operates, based on shared values, aims and understanding of community needs and problems – building a specific space/position in the eco-system. This requires extensive relationships of social economy entities, both with individuals, public institutions and organizations operating in the local environment as well as with local values, norms, and traditions. To achieve such rootedness in case of entities that are usually established based on an external (usually institutional) decision with the strong financial support it seems to be necessary to use community work procedures as an implementation methodology. Due to the high degree of complexity of these types of projects and the need to mobilize large forces and resources, we may assume that the level of engagement of community members towards activities within a particular project usually determines its effectiveness.

This article presents the development, current status and contemporary challenges of foster care in Poland and Hungary. Both countries, due to their post-socialist tradition, are characterised by the experience of the development of institutionalised foster care during the socialist era, similar consequences of the socio-political transformation of the 1990s and a converging social policy context resulting from membership of the European Union structures for nearly 20 years. The perspective adopted is in line with the concept, which has been present in EU cohesion policy for many years, of the child-friendly social services. The scope of the analysis is an analysis of existing material consisting of: the scientific literature on the subject in both countries, research reports and legal regulations on foster care. Based on these analyses, the article draws several conclusions: the development of foster care in both countries followed a similar pattern, and that changes have only occurred in recent years due to the increasing role of organisations associated with the Christian Churches in Hungary; despite the undoubted positive importance of foster, growing up in foster care also has negative consequences; these negative consequences are much greater and multidimensional in relation to institutional versus family foster care.

This study examines historical water management practices as a means of addressing climate change, focusing on the Tyski Stream catchment in Upper Silesia, Poland, a region marked by extensive urbanization and industrial evolution. It investigates the effectiveness of historical hydrotechnical systems, such as bead-like ponds from the 15th to 18th centuries, in enhancing water retention, reducing flood risks, and supporting ecosystem services. In a critical period, over 54 years (1827–1881), the number of reservoirs decreased from 142 to 31 (the area of ponds decreased from 161 to 32 ha). Throughout the entire period, between 1748 and 2017, the surface area of the analyzed reservoirs decreased from 163 ha to 16.8 ha. This was related to progressive industrialization, urban sprawl, and changes in legal frameworks, such as land ownership laws, leading to ecosystem degradation, loss of biodiversity, and altered hydrological processes. The research emphasizes the potential of reviving historical water management systems on natural processes to mitigate the impacts of climate change. By analyzing historical cartographic resources, this study assesses the feasibility of reconstructing lake systems in areas with similar topographic and hydrological features. It also stresses the necessity of community engagement and securing widespread social and political support to ensure public acceptance and the success of renaturation initiatives. The findings indicate that restoring these systems can offer diverse benefits, including improved water management, enhanced biodiversity, and greater urban resilience, while addressing the socio-political complexities of implementing large-scale environmental restoration projects. The aim of this study is to utilize archival materials for engineering solutions to prevent flooding and enhance water retention.

In the digital age, spatial databases are the main source of information on the hydrographic network. However, the main challenge remains the need for frequent updates alongside the accurate presentation of current and potential coverage. Modern geo-information tools based on the processing of remotely sensed materials allow precise modeling of places where reservoirs historically occurred or are predisposed to form. The restoration of reservoirs is significant in the context of flood protection, the improvement of retention conditions, and the development of blue-green infrastructure. It is also much more economically viable than preparing sites for new construction. The missing element in the systematic use of the aforementioned materials and tools for these purposes is methodology. For this reason, in this article, based on images and a point cloud acquired during a photogrammetric aerial flight, five methods are tested, and the most effective method is identified, depending on the intended application.

The article discusses the impact of the social economy entities on the development of resilience in the households and communities. The aim of this research is to determine the conditions and patterns of action that help and support, or limit and inhibit the resilience of households in difficult situations - cross-European perspective. Based on the research findings, the chapter presents certain ‘patterns’ of understanding and defining social economy, which constitute the legal, institutional and cultural circumstances underpinning how social economy entities function at the level of individual countries. The last part of the chapter is mainly based on fieldwork findings and presents everyday practices of social economy entities and how they contribute to the resilience of households and communities in the regions included in the study.