Locators of the settlements under Wallachian law in the Sambor starosty in XVth and XVIth c. Territorial, ethnic and social origins.

This article deals with issues related to the origin of locators of the Wallachian settlements on the example of villages established in the Sambor starosty in the XVth and XVIth centuries. It relies primarily on the analysis of information found in the location documents of settlements arising in this area. The research carried out here leads to the conclusion that the first owners of the Wallachian villages in the Sambor starosty were the representatives of the Wallachian nobility, most probably from the Transylvania area, who received extensive land bestowals from the king Vladyslav Jagiello in the XVth century. From the knyazships founded by the nobility came the knyazes who founded new Wallachian villages within the royal domain in the XVIth century. They were mainly from the peasant estate, and most of them were recruited from the ruthenised knyaz families and from the subjects of the same domains. Although the ethnic Vlachs constituted a small percentage of residents of the Sambor starosty and were quickly subjected to ruthenisation, their descendants continued to lead the ranks among the locators. The work also draws attention to the characteristics of the development of the settlement network in the Sambor area. New settlements were most often created at a short distance from the home rural centres surrounding them from various directions. After some time, these "villages" could also become "home" for subsequent settlements. New settlements were usually located in areas situated higher than the home settlements of founders who, looking for new settlement areas, headed upstream as the rivers were natural communication routes.

Environmental geological map of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The environmental geological map of the Kathmandu Valley at a scale of 1:50,000 was prepared during a Technical Co­Operation Project of the Department of Mines and Geology (DMG) of Nepal and the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany. This map is meant to draw attention to the natural environmental risks and hazards, as well as to recommend measures for the protection of important natural resources in the Kathmandu Valley. This thematic map is addressed mainly to governmental agencies and consultants, who can use the map as a database for planning purposes, especially for planning new settlement areas and various types of infrastructure. The map shows the locations of clay, sand, limestone, groundwater, and forest. These resources are very important for the economic development of the Kathmandu Valley. They need protection against the haphazard growth of settlement areas. In the case of mining, environmentally sound methods with monitoring and supervision is recommended. Areas to be considered for agricultural use (rain-fed or irrigation) are also delineated. The map also shows areas of geological hazards and related environmental problems from floods, landslides, and liquefaction of soils. Pollution caused by human activities, such as river pollution, and areas of uncontrolled landfills are also indicated. Pollution of the Bagmati River and its tributaries and the resulting degradation of water quality is a burning issue in the Kathmandu Valley. Rapid urbanisation and increasing volume of industrial and municipal wastes have drastically changed the sacred river into an open sewer. The map has already been used for the general assessment of the environmental geological risks in 27 new settlement areas in the Kathmandu region. This study realised that there is a conflict with other competing interests. e.g., the interests of the landowners. The promotion and implementation of environmentally sound recommendations is very complicated and politically sensitive. Nevertheless, these difficulties should not discourage the planners, because the promotion of environmentally sound aspects is for the long-term benefit of the whole population of the area.