Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Environmental conflicts due to their diverse driving factors are a constant threat to urban systems. They are directly related with changes in the consumption models and the desire for an increased quality of life. We used Bucharest as a case study in developing a methodology for mapping critical areas of exposure to environmental conflicts. From aerial images we constructed a spatial database consisting of urban functions with the potential of generating conflicts, residential areas and buffer areas for each urban function indicated as such in national and international regulation and scientific studies. We tested three methods for mapping the exposure to environmental conflicts – first with all urban functions having the same aggressiveness and conflict potential, second one based on a direct evaluation of their association with residential areas, and the third using a multi-criteria analysis based on an expert opinion survey. Results highlighted that experts tend to minimize the potential of generating environmental conflicts for certain functions and associations when evaluating them directly, the method emphasizing on the importance of industrial areas in urban systems. The use of a multi-criteria analysis based on an expert opinion survey minimizes the bias from the analysis and generates an objective assessment of the conflict potential for each urban function. Mapping the critical areas of exposure to environmental conflicts can constitute a significant tool in the sustainable planning of human settlements.