It is with great sadness and deep regret that we received the news of the passing of our dear colleague Prof. Dr.Zoran Roca, who passed away on July 3, 2026 after a long and serious illness. Zoran was a respected Croatian geographer, demographer, development planner, university professor and international consultant. Born in Zagreb on August 25, 1948, he was educated at the University of Zagreb, Université de Strasbourg and Ohio State University in Columbus, and received his PhD in geography from the University of Zagreb. He began his professional career in Zagreb, at the Institute for Development and International Relations – IRMO. During this period, he worked on demographic research, environmental and development research, and edited the journal Development International and other scientific publications in the field of social and economic development. After the Institute, he continued his work at FAO in Rome, where he worked in the fields of demography, gender studies, environment and rural development. Since 1995, he has been a full professor of geography and development studies at the Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias in Lisbon, director of TERCUD – Territory, Culture and Development Research Centre. He was also an external associate of the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, where he taught Introduction to Sociodemography. His main areas of work were socio-demographic dimensions of development, spatial and territorial identity, local and regional development, participatory planning, rural development, international development cooperation, second residence and sustainable spatial development. As an international consultant and guest lecturer, he worked in Europe, USA, Brazil, China, Russia, Taiwan, countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. He is the author and editor of numerous books and scientific papers, among which Demographic-ecological breakdown, European Landscapes and Lifestyles, Landscapes, Identities and Development and Second Home Tourism in Europe stand out. His work remains an important contribution to Croatian and international geography, demography, sociology of development and spatial planning. He was associated with the Institute through many years of continuous cooperation and work. In these difficult times, we express our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all colleagues.
In these difficult moments, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and all colleagues.
May he rest in peace.
