OJS (University of Applied Sciences Velika Gorica)
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Traffic noise analysis in the main roads of the city of Sarajevo
No full textThis research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of traffic noise levels along the main roads of the City of Sarajevo. Adopting a spatial, temporal, legal, and normative framework of the research, the study aims to establish the level and impact of traffic noise on the urban environment and the quality of life of residents.
The methodology employed for traffic noise measurement involves a systematic approach, utilizing sound level meters placed strategically along key roadways to capture representative data. These measurements are conducted at various times of the day (day/night), to account for fluctuations in traffic.
The analysis of the measured noise values reveals significant variations in noise levels across different type of roads and times of day. By comparing the observed noise levels with established legal and normative standards, the research assesses the extent of compliance with regulatory frameworks and identifies areas of concern where noise mitigation measures may be necessary.
Through the analysis, hotspots of excessive noise pollution are identified, pinpointing specific locations where intervention strategies could be implemented to reduce noise exposure for nearby residents.
In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of addressing traffic noise as a critical environmental and public health issue in urban areas like Sarajevo. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners to develop effective noise management strategies and enhance the overall quality of urban living
The efficiency of artificial intelligence in reducing financial losses caused by disasters
No full textArtificial intelligence (hereinafter AI) is increasingly becoming a key tool in reducing financial losses caused by disasters. Through the application of advanced machine learning algorithms, AI enables rapid recognition and analysis of disaster-related data, facilitating the prediction of their financial consequences. AI systems can analyze vast amounts of data such as meteorological, seismic, and social information to create precise risk models. This empowers decision-makers in the financial sector to respond promptly to threats and minimize losses. Additionally, AI can automatically generate recommendations for optimizing resource allocation for post-disaster recovery and aid. Integration of AI into insurance systems enables personalized insurance policies that better match the specific risks of individuals or organizations. AI also enhances claims processes, expediting damage assessment and claims handling. However, challenges such as data access, privacy, and ethical considerations also need to be carefully addressed to ensure the effective and responsible application of AI in reducing financial losses caused by disasters. Ultimately, the integration of AI into risk management opens the path to a more efficient and resilient financial sector in facing the challenges of disasters
Hydrogen combustion in internal combustion engines
No full textReducing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as other harmful gases generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, is one of today's main priorities. Hydrogen economy is one step in that direction. The basic idea is to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen obtained through environmentally friendly methods. When it comes to motor vehicles, there are two main ways of using hydrogen for propulsion: in fuel cells or by combustion in internal combustion engines. Due to the relatively high cost of fuel cells, some vehicle manufacturers have begun developing hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines. Current research focusing on hydrogen-burning engines shows promising results, although there are still a number of issues that need to be addressed before such engines are ready for the market
Analysis of sustainable tourism and the development of the destination's biodiversity potential
No full textSustainability and the tourism sector are key elements of modern society that require increasing attention in the context of biodiversity. Tourism, as one of the fastest growing sectors of the global economy, plays an important role in the conservation and promotion of biodiversity, but at the same time can have negative impacts on natural ecosystems. The key element of sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism is the preservation of natural ecosystems. The diversity of flora and fauna will therefore attract tourists and form the basis for the development of diverse tourism products and experiences. Sustainability in tourism implies a balance between economic, socio-cultural and environmental aspects, while the promotion of sustainable tourism implies a management of tourism activities that minimises the negative impact on the environment, promotes the protection of natural and cultural assets and supports local development and economic prosperity. Through the prism of biodiversity, sustainable tourism is based on the respect of natural processes and the protection of ecosystems, which includes the promotion of ecotourism, the conservation of natural habitats and the protection of endangered species, as well as educational activities and the sensitisation of visitors to the importance of biodiversity.
However, achieving sustainability in the tourism sector through the prism of biodiversity faces challenges such as excessive infrastructure construction, over-exploitation of resources, mass tourism and irresponsible visitor behaviour. Therefore, it is important to implement strict destination management policies, regulate tourism activities, promote environmentally conscious travelling, and encourage cooperation between tourism and environmental protection stakeholders. Overall, the sustainability of tourism through the prism of biodiversity requires an integrated approach that involves co-operation between the tourism sector, local communities, conservationists, authorities, and other stakeholders to ensure that tourism contributes to the conservation and promotion of biodiversity richness while providing economic benefits and improving the quality of life of local communities.
This paper examines the interaction between sustainability, tourism, and biodiversity, focusing on the importance of natural resource conservation for the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector
Transition of the quality management system to the aviation safety management system in organizations dealing with base aircraft maintenance
No full textThe paper deals with the transition from the quality management system to the aviation safety management system in organizations dealing with aircraft maintenance. For all activities and changes in an organization, the risk of endangering flight safety is assessed and preventive activities are determined according to the risk category.
The transition to the aviation safety system is based on the requirements stated within ICAO Annex 19 document - Safety Management System. EU regulatory norms (including the EASA norm that describes organizations for basic technical maintenance of aircraft - Part 145 norm) require organizations to comply with new regulatory requirements by the beginning of December 2024.
The transition includes comprehensive organizational, documentation and procedural changes in organizations and is essentially deregulatory in nature, increasing the responsibility of management structures in organizations for the outcomes of technological activities affecting flight safety (safe use of aircraft)
Risk assessment in the prevention of violent extremism and terrorism: Theoretical and applied application of tools
No full textA violence risk assessment has been used for decades by security agencies as an important tool in assessing future violence. The currently available risk assessment protocols have questionable relevance for the assessment of violent extremism and terrorism because the factors used to assess risk are not linked to the background and motivation of this group of violent actors. This is why there is a need for a relevant risk assessment tool for the population of violent and ideologically motivated extremists. The new SPJ Protocol - Structured Professional Judgment and Violent Extremist Risk Assessment or VERA- are designed for people with a history of violent extremist violence or who have been convicted of such offenses. The paper aims to identify and compare the specific characteristics of risk assessment tools in the prevention of violent extremism in six European countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) and to highlight significant differences between the tools themselves and their application. The results show that Belgium and the Netherlands have the best practice of applying risk assessment tools, and SPJ-Structured Professional Judgment in both cases can be an excellent example for others, at least as a basis for designing new instruments and tools. For the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it might be useful to try the following tools: SQAT, HCR-20 and VERA-2R
Enabling sustainable last mile delivery by using electric vehicles
Get PDFAbstract: Although it covers relatively short transport distances, last mile delivery (LMD)accounts for 53% of total shipping costs and it is also the least energy efficient part of transportin the supply chain. Advantages of electric vehicles over conventional vehicles with internalcombustion engines mainly refer to the environmental and mechanical aspects, while theirmain disadvantage, limited operational range, is not a problem in the LMD, as most of theelectric delivery vehicles have sufficient range for this purpose. It makes them a suitablealternative to the conventional delivery vehicles, which may direct the LMD towardssustainable transport. With reference to that, we conducted a case study of the company thatprovides parcel distribution service, to outline the practical implications of using electricvehicles in terms of the LMD sustainability.1. INTRODUCTIONThe last mile delivery (LMD) is performed in the final stage of the supply chain, via dedicateddistribution centers or cross dock terminals, mostly within the urban area, affecting lead timesand customer satisfaction in a direct way. Although it covers relatively short transportdistances, studies (Jacobsen, 2022) have shown this part of the supply chain accounted for 53%of total shipping costs and this percentage is expected to increase in the future. The LMD isalso the least energy efficient part of transport in the supply chain (Afshari, Parsaee, Sharifabadand Sorooshian, 2022).Advantages of electric vehicles over conventional vehicles with internal combustion enginemainly refer to the environmental and mechanical aspects, such as zero emission of harmfulgreenhouse gases, higher energy efficiency of the electric engine itself, and lower noise level.It is that due to their potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels,electric vehicles are a growingly well-liked form of transport because an electric vehicle drawspower from rechargeable batteries which has been shown as their main disadvantage becauseit makes them inferior in terms of operative range. However, this is not a problem in the LMD,as most of the electric delivery vehicles have sufficient range for this purpose, which makesthem suitable alternative to the conventional delivery vehicles, which may direct the LMDtowards sustainable transport (Đurđ, 2018) and (Alanazi, 2023).Transportation activities involve side effects (externalities), such as noise pollution, pollution,and traffic congestion, which affect city development strategies. Given that the transport sectoris accounted for more than 25% of the world energy consumption, and that energy productionincreases air pollution, these externalities must be considered to ensure a sustainable growth oftransportation systems worldwide (De Armas, Faulin, Grasman, Juan and Mendez, 2016).2. METHODOLOGYThis paper outlines the benefits and disadvantages of using electric vehicles in LMD, bycomparative analysis of the relevant features of both conventional vehicles with internalcombustion engines and their electric counterparts.For this purpose, we conducted a case study of the company that provides parcel distributionservice in LMD, which operates 20 regional warehouses and one central warehouse in Croatia,more than 210 parcel machines and the fleet of 550 delivery vehicles. Within the case study,we observed the regional warehouse in Sesvete (Zagreb) which uses a fleet of 19 conventionalvehicles and nine electric vehicles for its daily operations. On average, electric vehicles make60 km daily, while conventional vehicles make 110 km daily.The comparative analysis covered financial indicators (purchase price with and withoutgovernment incentives, leasing costs, fuel/power costs, maintenance costs, infrastructurecosts), as well as performance and ecological indicators (fuel/power consumption, autonomy,operative availability, noise, and CO2 emissions). The option of self-produced electric energywas considered, as the Company uses solar panels to power their charging stations.3. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe procurement costs of electric vehicles are initially higher than the costs of conventionalvehicles with internal combustion engines, although the difference decreases in case thegovernment incentives are granted.The infrastructure costs for electric vehicle fleet vary depending on location, type of charger,and required capacity, which also affect operative availability.Power consumption of electric vehicles varies from around 24,3 kWh/100 km to around 32,1kWh/100 km depending on speed, weather conditions, driving style of driving and routecharacteristics.The direct costs of charging electric vehicles are significantly lower than the costs of dieselvehicles, even if 100% power comes from public network. The average weekly cost of chargingelectric version of Renault Kangoo (dominant vehicle of that category in the Company fleet)is 5,12 € while refueling diesel version costs 174,00 € per week, on average. This difference iseven greater when utilizing power produced by solar panels, so it should be sufficient tocompensate the costs of infrastructure (charging stations and solar panels) over the designatedinvestment period.In general, the maintenance costs of electric vehicles are lower compared to conventionalvehicles, since electric vehicles have fewer moving components, they face less temperaturestress and do not need consumables such as oil and filters. Also, due to the possibility torecuperate energy whilst braking, the braking pads last longer (Lebeau, Lebeau, Macharis, VanMierlo, 2013).As for the operative autonomy (range), electric vehicles are suitable for LMD because thedeliveries are performed over short distances (no more than 100 km daily in total), which is nota problem in terms of the battery capacity.From an ecological standpoint, the full lifetime difference in overall carbon footprint of anelectric delivery vehicle is almost 34% lower than its diesel counterpart (Rantamäki, 2022).Also, there is a significant reduction in noise pollution, during idle time the difference isapproximately 15 dB, at speed between 15 km/h and 50 km/h the difference is between 5 dBand 6 dB, while at higher speed there is no significant difference (Jabben, Potma, Verheijen,2012).Using electric delivery vehicles as an alternative to the conventional vehicles in the LMD goesin line with the principles of sustainable transport. Although substantial investments in thevehicle fleet and infrastructure are required initially, it pays of within the designated investmentperiod of no more than five years (or shorter if the government incentives are granted) andraises profitability of transport operations on the long ter
Analysis of the disappearance and loss of soil in the European union caused by elements of anthropogenic and natural influences
Get PDFSoil is often mistakenly considered a renewable resource, but due to the very long time span of the formation and regeneration processes, it is in fact a non-renewable and limited resource. Poor soil management and the loss of its fertility jeopardies not only current production capacities, but also those of future generations. Only 2-3 centimeters of soil are created in 1000 years, and 33% of the soil on our planet is currently affected by degradation processes which, according to the FAO, fall into the category of severe degradation. Worldwide, 50,000 km2 of soil is lost every year. The landscape in many areas also indicates that the interaction of climate, topography, soil characteristics and human activities has led to unsustainable development in the short and medium term. The main factors affecting the rate of soil erosion by water are precipitation, soil type, topography, land use and land management. The following data is used to estimate soil loss: erosivity of precipitation, erodibility of soil, land management and topography. Using this universal formula, it was determined that the average rate of soil loss in erosion-prone soils in the European Union (agricultural, forestry and semi-natural areas) is 2.46 tonnes per hectare per year, resulting in a total soil loss of 970 megatonnes per year. The highest annual soil loss rates were observed in the Mediterranean regions, while lower values are predicted for Scandinavia and the Baltic states. The highest average annual soil loss rate (at country level) is recorded in Italy (8.46 tonnes/ha), followed by Slovenia (7.43 tonnes/ha) and Austria (7.19 tonnes/ha), which is due to the combination of high erosive precipitation and steep topography (steep and long slopes). The average soil loss rates in other Mediterranean countries (Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus) are also higher than the European average. The lowest average annual soil loss rates were found in Finland (0.06 tonnes/ha), Estonia (0.21 tonnes/ha) and the Netherlands (0.27 tonnes/ha). The Republic of Croatia has an annual soil loss rate of 3.16 t/ha. Soil loss due to water erosion is expected to increase by 13–22.5 % in the EU by 2050. Changes in future soil erosion rates will be determined by climatic conditions, land use patterns, socio-economic development, farmers' decisions and agro-ecological policies. According to some climate change scenarios, soil loss could affect 84% of the area and erosion rates could reach 45%.
The paper provides a detailed analysis of the indicators and causes of degradation and the potential consequences for humanity
Application of the NIS 2 directive and the Cybersecurity Act in essential and important entities
Get PDFIntroduction
The NIS 2 Directive and the Cybersecurity Act are key components of the EU's regulatory framework designed to strengthen the cybersecurity of essential and important entities. The Directive on measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems (NIS 2) is an upgrade of the previous directive (NIS), aimed at enhancing the EU's cyber resilience. NIS 2 covers a broader range of sectors, including digital services, energy, transport, healthcare, and financial services, and adds new sectors such as postal and courier services, waste management, and chemical production.
This paper will focus on describing the directive and law, their application, and the obligations and challenges that entities face. Additionally, it aims to provide an effective methodology that can assist essential and important entities in implementing this directive and law. This will create the prerequisites for more successful implementation of cybersecurity measures in these entities, thereby raising the level of cybersecurity at the EU level.
NIS 2 distinguishes between essential and important entities. Essential entities are those whose interruption or disruption of service could have a significant impact on public welfare, health, safety, or economic stability. Important entities, although having a lesser impact, are still vital for societal and economic activities.
Methodology
NIS 2 requires entities to take specific technical and organizational measures to manage cyber risks, regularly assess and improve their security policies, and report incidents to competent authorities. To successfully implement this, the paper will present a possible methodology for compliance with the directive and law, by defining methods and techniques for:
Initial assessment and analysis: Analyzing existing security measures, policies, and procedures in relation to the requirements of NIS 2.
Asset inventory and risk assessment: Entities must regularly conduct risk assessments and vulnerability testing.
Development of security policy: It is necessary to establish and implement security policies and procedures.
Incident reporting: Entities are obliged to report significant incidents to the competent national authorities.
Incident management: It is necessary to establish and maintain the ability to manage incidents.
Awareness and training: Organizations must ensure awareness and training for employees about cybersecurity.
Continuous monitoring and improvement: Applying the principles of continuous improvement (e.g., PDCA cycle) to regularly update and upgrade security measures and policies. The paper will also consider possible challenges in applying the methodology and implementing the measures proposed by the directive and law. Some of the challenges are:
Technical complexity: The use of advanced technologies and complex information systems can make the implementation of appropriate security measures difficult.
Continuous compliance: The dynamic nature of cyber threats requires constant updates and adjustments to security practices.
Resources: Ensuring sufficient financial and human resources to establish and maintain high security standards can be challenging, especially for smaller organizations.
International cooperation: As cyber incidents often cross borders, international cooperation and information exchange are key to effective risk management.
Results
The expected result is a defined methodology for implementing the obligations defined by the NIS 2 Directive and the Cybersecurity Act in essential and important entities. Also, as a result, clearly identified methods and techniques can be expected at each stage of implementing the directive and law, from initial assessment to continuous monitoring. Although the implementation of these measures presents certain challenges, it is crucial for protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring society's resilience to cyber threats. Successful implementation requires the engagement of all stakeholders, continuous investment in security capacities, and international cooperation
The evolution of private security jobs and security guards of the future
No full textWhen looking at the private protection sector, we often deal with expected future projections, but without a realistic view of the current situation within the sector. Therefore, we believe that any prediction of the development of this dynamic sector, as well as of the professional and expert competencies of security guards as the fundamental bearers of protective activities, must be planned with a parallel review of the current market of private protection services. In this context, the goal of this work is a realistic overview of the current state of private protection in the Republic of Croatia and the key factors that contribute to it, the status of the direct executors of private protection, their current preferences, motivations and competences, as well as the projection of future training and education, in the context of the overall development and evolution within this sector. In accordance with what was stated in the projection for the future, we simultaneously perceive the fact that the Republic of Croatia is not isolated from the overall security trends in the environment, and therefore it is necessary to take into account all the realities of the changed security environment, new security threats, and on the basis of these new and evolving security the needs of service users, as well as parallel processes of continuous substitution of part of the jobs within the private protection sector, the process of pluralizing security jobs, and the necessity of adapting private protection jobs to the process of digital transformation of the business environment and the increasing participation of modern technology and technologically advanced systems when providing private protection services