Deforestation and degradation of riparian forests have advanced significantly in the Amazon. This fact has drawn attention to its protection, especially since these forests are one of the fundamental components of the hydrogeochemical cycles and the hydrological cycle. The objective of this article is to analyze the importance of riparian vegetation in the protection of Amazonian water resources and to discuss the main changes/innovations of the New Forest Code related to PPAs. The new Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12.651, of May 25, 2012) defines the Permanent Preservation Area (PPA regions) as “protected area, covered or not by native vegetation, with the environmental function of preserving water resources, landscape, geological stability and biodiversity, as well as facilitating the gene flow of fauna and flora, protecting the soil and ensuring the well-being of human populations. “In the context of the New Forest Code, the main changes related to the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs), as well as the fragilities and threats to its integrity, and what is being done to mitigate the loss of vegetation cover in the Amazon.
Sustainable and secure development of any country is considerably affected by energy efficiency of economy. Efforts directed to diminishing of energy resources consumed have to be directed to achieving multiple goals, ultimately impacting demand in energy resources. Hence, ultimate demand of energy resources depend on economic growth rates, economy structure, technological level, distribution of income and behavioral patterns, both of business companies and households. This paper is devoted to analysis of energy efficiency in transport sector of three secected European countries. The methodology of research is based on comparison on long-term tendencies of energy intensity in transport equipment segment. The long-term forecasting untill year 2050 will be performed by using LEAP (the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system) software; ceteris paribus assumption will be selected. The countries selected for analysis are: Belgium, Bulgaria and Lithuania. The selected countries, we assume, would represent better developed Europea countries (represented by e.g. Belgium), and comparitively less developed European countries of different size (represented by Bulgaria and Lithuania). The juxatopsing of energy intensity change in long run, revealing mode of this change and comparison of cases of selected countries, would allow to reveal if energy efficiency of transport equipment converge. Since trnasport equipment sector embraces various modes of transport, additionally public roads sector will be tackled. We believe, that results obtained will signal what policy implications, if any, are necessary in order to direct transport users towards stewardship of energy resources through increase of efficiency of conventional energy resources and transfer to renewables in the nearest future.