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Among the numerous factors that trigger landslide events, the anthropogenic impact caused by inadequate planning and faulty land use in urban areas is increasing. The Zemun settlement on the northern outskirts of Belgrade has experienced a number of landslides in the last three decades, endangering buildings and roads, and claiming human lives, particularly in the case of the 2010/2011 landslides. Selected meteorological parameters were used to calculate rainfall erosivity indices such as Precipitation Concentration Index and Modified Fournier Index over the period 1991-2015. Drought indices, Lang aridity index and Palfai Drought Index were calculated as well. Mann-Kendall trend test was applied to identify potential rising and/or declining trends both in meteorological parameters and calculated indices. Trend analysis of the annual and seasonal scales yielded a statistically significant trend in the spring time series. Stable arid and pronounced drought conditions were recorded. The modified Fournier index based on monthly mean values yields moderate aggressiveness, with several extreme values indicating very high erosivity classes, especially for 2010/2011. The geological substrate is predominantly loess and hence highly susceptible to erosion and slope failure when climatological conditions are suitable. Accelerated urbanization at the end of the last century reduced vegetation cover, intensified pressure on the vertical loess slope, and lacked suitable rain drainage systems so that surface-water runoff was directed into the porous loess, thereby endangering slope stability. We proposed a geomorphic model to describe the nature of the erosional processes on the loess cliffs of the Zemun loess plateau. Results from this study have implications for mitigation strategies.

The amount of eroded material in the Republic of Serbia has decreased in the last few decades. The aim of this research is to analyse changes in soil erosion intensity in the Rasina watershed from 1971-2011, caused by factors including changes in land-use, the population and number of households, migrations, and erosion control works. Due to changes in the intensity of erosion processes, the annual gross erosion rate in the study area decreased by 116,140.2 m(3) year(-1), while the sediment yield decreased by 52,727.2 m(3) year(-1). The value of the erosion coefficient was reduced from Z = 0.39 in 1971 to Z = 0.30 in 2011. In this 40-year period, there were no significant changes in natural conditions, and the anthropogenic influences were responsible for the reduced erosion intensity. In the Rasina watershed, almost 8,500 ha upstream from "Celije" dam were treated by bioengineering works. Since 1961, a decrease in the population was typical for all of the valley and mountain settlements in the Rasina watershed. The percentage of the population engaged in agriculture also decreased during this period, as did the general activity of the population. The analysis shows that the most significant reduction in livestock occurred in the mountain region, which has the best conditions for animal husbandry, followed by the hill region, and finally, the valley region. These results are the basis for water management projects, soil and environmental protection, spatial planning, agriculture, and other human activities.

The paper discusses the definitions of natural disasters and recommends the implementation of definitions and classifications of natural disasters in accordance with those decreed at the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and Munich Re insurance Company (Munich RE) for administrative use in the Republic of Serbia. For the Republic of Serbia, the issue of natural disasters is presented both through government documents (e.g. the Law on Emergencies and the National Strategy of the Protection and Rescue in Emergencies) and the survey of the frequency and typology of disasters. Significant discrepancies exist between older and more contemporary classifications of disasters in Serbia. They are especially emphasized in comparison to the CRED and Munich RE classifications and databases. This causes problems in the monitoring, recording and assessment of the effects of natural disasters. It is proposed that definitions be adapted and implemented into legislative and other documents.