Daniel PEPTENATU¹, Cristina MERCIU¹, George MERCIU¹, Cristian DRĂGHICI¹ & Loreta CERCLEUX^1
1University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, The Interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Researches on Territorial Dynamics, Regina Elisabeta Bld. 4-12, Bucharest, peptenatu@yahoo.fr

SPECIFIC FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENT RISK MANAGEMENT IN EMERGING TERRITORIAL STRUCTURES

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The purpose of this study is to identify the management system of environment risks in distinct territorial structures, viewed as emerging structures, born as a result of the complex ties between development hubs and the surrounding areas. The research covered two case studies, Craiova and Galaţi, heavily industrialized economic hubs during Communism; as a result of their polarization capacity, these centers determined the functional structure of the surrounding space and brought about major imbalances in the relations between the elements of the territorial system, which require specific patterns of action, adapted to the ever-steeper dynamics of metropolitan spaces. The status they acquired, both during the Communist period and at present, meant that economic ventures developed in a short time span exceeded the capacity to adapt of the other components of the territorial system, and that the environment felt a heavy impact of industrialization. Identifying the specific features of environment risk management at the level of regional-scale development hubs was achieved by means of detailed analyses in the metropolitan areas of the cities of Craiova and Galaţi, systems typical of the heavy concentration of economic ventures, which exert an outstanding pressure on the environment. A model for the management of environment risks was created, based on a hierarchization of the risks and a set of suggestions for improvement and prevention, which would ensure a sustainable development of emerging territorial structures.