Home – Home – Jornals – Geography and Natural Resources 2025 number 1

The article sets and considers the dual interdisciplinary task: firstly, to verify the first and second Tobler’s laws of geography, characterizing the basic principles of interactions in geographic space, and secondly, to identify common factors that determine the spatiotemporal dynamics of pandemics using the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. Combining these two tasks in one study has become possible and justified due to the unique features of the available empirical material on the COVID-19 pandemic, namely: its wide dynamic range, large statistics, global spatial coverage and record-breaking accuracy of spatial and temporal localization of individual components of such a large-scale global process. The article substantiates the relevance of studying the nature of pandemics through examining their dynamics in the scope of the continuing uncertainty regarding the mechanisms of development of pandemic processes. The research methodology uses the holistic Popper-Selye method, proposed earlier by the authors, the method of developing working mutually exclusive hypotheses, as well as the methodological apparatus of the principles of short-range and long-range actions. A comparative review is conducted of two mutually exclusive hypotheses about the nature of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, corresponding to the concepts of short-range and long-range actions: a chain reaction controlled by local factors and a global self-sustaining process that ensures the stability of its established global dynamics. A paradoxical feature of the COVID-19 dynamics is noted: the steady and stable development of the pandemic process on a global scale in contrast to chaotically alternating short-term processes in individual countries, which make the main contribution to the global statistics. The comparison of the dynamics of the pandemic process in two randomly selected areas - in the USA and in all other countries - clearly demonstrates the presence of a factor that maintains the established dynamics of the pandemic by suppressing or enhancing its local manifestations in real time, which contradicts the first hypothesis and confirms the second one. It is stated that the presence of such a factor is incompatible with the idea of an exclusively short-range mechanism for the development of a pandemic and requires the assumption of the existence of a long-range global factor responsible for the correction of local processes in real time. It is concluded that in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global factor prevails over the local one, which contradicts Tobler’s laws of geography in their current formulations. A critical analysis of the results obtained is proposed, and a possible program for further research on the fundamental principles of geography is discussed.

The article analyzes the orographic barrierity of political borders of Eurasia using the geoinformation approach. The review of evolution of concepts of natural borders from ancient times to the present day is presented. A classification of the barrierity of political borders has been carried out, including natural, infrastructural, institutional, demographic, ethnocultural, and historical types. The research proposes a method for assessing orographic barrierity of borders using the geoinformation approach through elevation differences in the two-kilometer zone of remoteness from the border, which is calculated using STRM digital elevation models. The article shows significant differences in the conditions of political borders in Eurasia and reveals new patterns between the barrierity and conflict and integration types of borders, such as a high level of barrierity of borders in Southeast Asia, a fairly high level of barrierity of borders on the Korean and Arabian Peninsulas, a low level of barrierity in Eastern Europe and on the Indo-Pakistan border, etc. Using statistical analysis methods, it has been revealed that conflict borders in Eurasia paradoxically more often follow orographic barriers, in contrast to integration borders, exhibiting less naturalness; which, on the contrary, is a refutation of the original theory of natural boundaries. The results of the work can be useful for assessing the influence of geographical entities and for understanding the influence of geographical conditions on the formation and functioning of political borders. The developed neighborhood matrix can serve as an alternative method for calculating the neighborhood weight (wij) in the Moran’s spatial autocorrelation index (Moran’s I).

Non-farm employment of the population, which has actively manifested itself in recent decades throughout the world, is a reflection of structural changes in the economy of rural areas. Based on the example of a number of Asian countries (China, India, Bangladesh), the article reveals changes in non-farm employment. They reflect the transformation of social and labor relations and represent the interconnections and patterns occurring in it. It has been determined that the phenomenon of «Asian deagrarianization» is expressed in high rates of economic growth and urbanization, intensification of production, workers’ shift away from agricultural labor, uneven development of regions and labor migration. It is shown that under the influence of various factors the diversification of agricultural production in these countries was reflected, on the one hand, by common features and relationships and on the other hand, each country has its own specifics in the transformation of employment of the population. In China, increased urbanization and industrialization have created enormous opportunities to expand the spheres of employment of the rural population and to increase productivity in the economy. The employment features of the Indian population characterize the production and socio-economic contradictions, manifested in the low parameters of labor and its payment in the informal sector, with significant and rapid economic changes in the country with a focus on knowledge-intensive and capital-intensive technologies. In Bangladesh, there is a complex transformation of households with a focus on both agriculture and alternative sources of income, and an expansion of demand for labor from both local and urban employers. Russia incorporates all of the listed characteristics, which determines its peculiarity. As a result of the work, the following conclusions were made: a comprehensive solution to the problems accompanying the transformation of the employment sector is necessary; the positive results of the transformation of labor relations are the welfare and reduction of poverty of the population. These goals require governments to search for the most effective ways of economic management and public administration in order to create sustainable development in the interests of nature and the population. The results and conclusions of the work can be useful to scientists, specialists, and politicians studying the problems of rural areas and employment.

Sustainable development is considered as a process of preserving and safely overcoming the opportunities of the geographical environment, understood as a set of conditions and resources both natural and industrial and social origin. The state and sustainable change of the geographical environment are calculated in terms of national and regional wealth, which includes an assessment of available natural resources and produced and human capitals. The value of national wealth is divided into discrete, persistent and continuously positively changing parts, characterizing the geographical environment. Using the mathematical apparatus, the theoretical problem of how sustainable development is possible in the implementation of contradictory trends in nature conservation, rates of economic growth and social development, is solved. The current national wealth accumulation is described by a weighted sum of independent time functions, which are partial solutions of a linear differential equation with additive control. The national wealth growth functions take into account the accumulated rents for investments in improving the natural environment, in production and creativity. Taking into consideration the share of participation of each component in the national wealth increment, the article proposes a classification of countries and regions in areal coordinates. The sovereign and self-sufficient state of the national wealth of Russia and its regions is characterized by a harmonious (with respect to the set of assets) middle position in the classification, which determines its connecting role in the organization of the world economy to ensure sustainable development. Its mathematical model describes the national wealth accumulation from different income sources and allows comparing the real and calculated trends of long-term changes in the geographical environment of sustainable development using the example of the Russian Federation and the United States of America. New opportunities are opening up for applying mathematical tools to explain the contradictory qualities of sustainable development in different countries, taking into account the uniqueness of the geographical environment in its expanded understanding.

Two stages of studying the phenomenon of stability of natural ecosystems on a zonal-regional scale are outlined on the basis of the patterns of their spatial organization. Two well-known methods of studying geographical objects (information theory and the theory of “fuzzy” sets) were used to consistently identify climatic niches of plant communities, typify them, and identify their adaptive potential in a changing climate. The empirical-statistical models describing the resistance of forest associations and formations of the Volga basin to hydrothermal signals are presented. At the first stage, the potential stability of forests is characterized as the most important property of the regional bioclimatic system. According to the structure of climatic niches of vegetation, four main types of the most general category of potential stability of forest formations were identified, and corresponding estimates of CO₂ absorption by forests from the atmosphere were made. The presented ideas about the bioclimatic system, as well as the methods of its modeling, underlie the regional paleo-forecasting concept in the field of geographical ecology developed by the author. At the second stage, the stability of zonal-regional phytocenological systems was considered using the measures of displaying the diversity of states of environmental factors. The use of information and statistical analysis of intercomponent relationships made it possible to build vector graph-analytical models of climatic niches of classes and groups of plant formations in the Volga basin. Ecological groups of forest associations with different ability to maintain their qualitative certainty, the level of biological cycle and adsorption potential in a changing climate are distinguished.

The article presents the results of the assessment of the content of heavy metals in the water of the rivers of the city of Vladimir and studies their ion-salt composition. Water samples were collected during the summer low-water period from the Klyazma and Nerl Rivers and their tributaries, namely, the Sodyshka, Rpen and Lybed small rivers, flowing within the city. It was found that the samples contain excesses of hygienic standards for the content of Cd (95 MAC, Sodyshka River), Fe (1,04-3,42 MAC, in all the studied rivers), Pb (1,0-2,1 MAC, Lybed and Nerl Rivers), while the concentrations of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Co do not exceed the established hygienic standards. When comparing the content of heavy metals in the studied rivers (in addition to the above mentioned Cd, Fe, Pb) with their MAC for fishery water, an excess of the MAC is observed in all the studied rivers for the content of copper (by a factor of 3,0-46), zinc (2,5-24) and vanadium (6-9), which poses a threat to hydrobionts and phytocenoses of the urban water bodies. The sources of pollution of the urban rivers with heavy metals are untreated or poorly treated industrial wastewater, emissions from industrial enterprises and the fuel and energy complex, and gas-air emissions from motor vehicles. The high content of Fe in the Klyazma and Nerl is also due to a number of natural factors associated with the influence of the tributaries of these rivers, draining wetlands rich in iron compounds, as well as with the regional specifics of the formation of the geochemical composition of groundwater. The analysis of the cation-anion composition of surface waters in the city of Vladimir showed that a number of river water samples did not comply with the established hygienic and fishery standards. In the Sodyshka River, concentrations of nitrates (1,17-2,31 MAC), fluorides (25-49,5 MAC), and phosphates (1,7-61,65 MAC) exceed the standards for fishery water. An excess of magnesium was also noted (1,38 MAC), which is associated with insufficient purification of industrial wastewater at the treatment facilities of the local poultry farm. The ingress of such wastewater containing excess phosphorus and nitrogen into surface water bodies causes their increased eutrophication, which adversely affects the ecological conditions of the functioning of small river watercourses, reducing their self-purifying ability.

For the first time in Volgograd oblast, the material composition and pollution level of the bottom sediments in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain eriks were studied. The study yielded data on the chemical composition of the bottom sediments. The results show that common priority pollutants, such as mercury, cadmium, nickel and zinc, are found in the Dudak, Dudachenok and Peschany water bodies. Pesticides were not detected in the bottom sediment samples; their amount was less than 0,01 mg/kg. The bottom sediment collected from the Peschany erik was characterized by increased mercury (0,75 mg/kg) and cadmium (2,12 mg/kg) content, while those from the Dudak and Dudachenok eriks were characterized by increased cadmium (1,0 and 1,5 mg/kg) and zinc (145,0 and 147,0 mg/kg, respectively) content. There are no maximum permissible concentrations for bottom sediments, the level of their pollution was determined in accordance with the standards and criteria for assessing the pollution of bottom sediments in water bodies, as well as in comparison with the background concentrations of heavy metals in the bottom sediments of the upper Volga water bodies and the pollution indicators of the bottom sediments of the lower Volga. The obtained data allow us to conclude that the bottom sediments of the Dudak and Dudachenok eriks can be characterized as heavily polluted, and those of the Peschany erik - as moderately polluted. The analysis of the digital radiograph showed that the sorption capacity of the bottom sediments depends on their granulometric composition. Organic matter acts as a sorbate, which accumulates various pollutants.

The article presents the results of the research on the assessment of the flow of holidaymakers for the most attractive Baikal territory of Irkutsk oblast, namely, Olkhon Island, which is the largest island of the lake. In the territory of Olkhon Island there is the Khuzhir rural municipal district, which receives from 200 to 500 thousand tourists and vacationers per year (the number of permanent residents is about 2 thousand people). To perform the assessment, a differentiated approach was used, taking into account the structure, dynamics and territorial organization of tourism and recreational activities, as well as its confinement to the most significant objects of infrastructure and tourist interest. The data obtained during the field observations and provided by specialized organizations (FSBI “Zapovednoye Pribaikalye”, the N.M. Revyakin Museum of Local History, the territorial department of the statistical office, etc.) are summarized. The article reveals the features of the annual dynamics of the tourist flow, which is characterized by seasonal fluctuations with a summer maximum in July-August and a winter maximum in February-March. Groups of tourists are identified according to the form of accommodation. The prevalence of tourists using collective accommodation facilities has been established, while the number of those using tents has decreased. The spatial distribution of the flow of vacationers can be characterized as monofocal: the predominant number of collective accommodation facilities is located in the village of Khuzhir and its environs; auto tourists also prefer the shore of the Khuzhir Bay. Based on the analysis of the occupancy of accommodation facilities, a forecast of the demand for hospitality facilities is made. The problems of the stay of tourists and vacationers, whose number many times exceeds the number of permanent residents in the absence of accessible environmental protection infrastructure are identified. The calculation of the formation of consumer solid municipal waste generated in the process of consumption by tourists is performed. The article demonstrates the possibility of the chosen research approach for a comprehensive assessment of the tourist flow as well as the need to provide attractive areas with adequate environmental protection infrastructure.

A methodology is proposed and an assessment of water balance elements of the local catchments of the Kuibyshev, Saratov and Volgograd Reservoirs is carried out based on the data of the regional offices of Roshydromet. The studies were developed for the period of 1966-2017. The methodology is based on taking into account the data on atmospheric precipitation, evaporation and runoff from the local catchments of the Lower Volga reservoirs. Evaporation from the catchment areas was estimated using the method of A.R. Konstantinov taking into consideration the respective series of air temperature and pressure of water vapor. The balance element, taking into account the accumulation (loss) of water content within the local catchments, was determined by the difference between atmospheric precipitation and the sum of runoff and evaporation. When moving upriver from the Volgograd Reservoir to the Kuibyshev one, evaporation from the catchments under consideration, as well as the correlation of its time series with atmospheric precipitation, consistently decrease. Accordingly, precipitation, local runoff and their correlation increase. Simultaneously, for the studied reservoir catchments the groupings of years of high, low and close to average values for the period 1966-2017 were estimated for precipitation, evaporation and runoff. It was concluded that the presence of these groupings during this period is strictly individual. The lengths and different sequences of alternation of groupings of years of the water balance elements can be signs of certain patterns in their fluctuations. The article estimates probabilities of transition of water balance components from one range of values to another. In some cases, probability of transition of a water balance element from one range of values to another, or its preservation in the current range, is quite high and amounts to 50 % or more, or may be small - close to 0. Such information can be useful in predicting the transition with the appropriate lead time.

The study is devoted to the analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of the hydrometeorological regime, hazardous hydrometeorological phenomena and their combinations in the Azov and Caspian Seas for the period 1950-2020. The current dynamics of the processes is assessed against the background of climatic fluctuations. Based on the observation data and the mathematical modeling results, an analysis of the air temperature, ice cover and duration of the ice season, interannual dynamics of wind waves and storm activity was carried out. It is shown that since 1975, a steady increase in the sum of air temperatures and an increase in the frequency of mild winters have been observed for both water areas. Since the early 1990s a significant reduction in ice cover and duration of the ice season has been established at all coastal hydrometeorological stations, occurring with varying intensity. Thus, the ice regime of the seas has been characterized by a change in the characteristics since the early 1990s. For wind waves, the study reveals a shift of the period of maximum wave development to the summer-autumn period after 2000, and an increase in maximum wave heights since the 2010s. In the regions of the Azov and Caspian Seas, a decrease in the duration of winter hazardous and multi-hazard hydrometeorological phenomena and an increase in their number are noted after 2000. As a result of generalizing the information obtained, a conclusion was made that a shift in the hydrometeorological regime of the Azov and Caspian Seas reliably manifested itself in the early 2000s. It is shown that the hydrometeorological regime of the Azov Sea is currently in a transitional state from one regime to another, while in the Northern Caspian the transition period has ended and further changes will be caused mainly by long-term fluctuations in sea level.

Landscape aesthetics acts as one of the natural resources, the use of which is aimed at preserving the mental comfort and good rest of people. The appearance of the city is determined by the results of planning and design of the urban area. The article provides an integral evaluation of the aesthetic properties of the urban landscapes. The city of Vidnoye, characterized by high rates of urbanization and visual contrast, was chosen as a model territory. The relevance of the research topic is conditioned by the fact that in recent years there has been a tendency of deterioration of the visual environment in the city due to mass high-rise construction, growth of the automobile park, significant reduction of green areas and environmental pollution. The influence of the aesthetic component of the environment on a person is determined, the existing methods of ecological and aesthetic analysis of the landscape are studied, the visual evaluation of Vidnoye has been done by analyzing its structural components (plot composition) with the subsequent obtaining of overall estimates, as well as with the use of geoinformation methods. In addition, measures to improve the ecological and aesthetic condition are proposed. The article presents a methodology of aesthetic evaluation procedure, provides criteria and identifies evaluation indicators based on the fact that the visual urban environment subtly affects a person, determining the state of his mental health. It is concluded that improving the aesthetic properties of the urban landscape is possible in the case of applying an ecological and urban planning approach in territorial planning, which consists in the incorporation of urban objects and the city as a whole into natural landscapes, in achieving ecological and urban planning balance and creating integrated ecological and urban planning structures.

The structural and morphometric analysis of small rivers of the middle reaches of the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River, draining the Ilimpeya-Nidym high trap plateau located within the Central Siberian Plateau, was carried out using nine drainage basins as an example. To determine the morphometric characteristics of the streams we used scenes from the global digital elevation model FABDEM ver. 1-2. The standard method of processing a digital elevation model in ArcGIS Desktop 10.1 was applied as an algorithm for constructing hydrological networks, based on the morphometric analysis of river basins (Horton analysis, implemented in the A. Strahler’s stream coding system). Using the simplest structure of the basin organization of the Ganalchik River as an example, the article considers in detail the erosion network of streams of the 3^rd order subbasins, which is characterized by significant variability of the main structural and morphometric indicators. For the study area, in general, a wide variation in the values of structural indices and morphometric characteristics was revealed. The observed deviations of the structural basin indices from the modal values reflect the regional specifics of the geological and geomophrological structure of the territory and result from the layering of relief characteristic of the Ilimpeya-Nidym trap plateau, high tectonic fragmentation at elevations of 600-800 m, and the presence of traces of mountain-valley glaciation. In particular, it was found that the rivers under study have weak dissection of the river network in the middle and upper reaches, and the study area is dominated by basins with uneven distribution of sediments along the main channel due to the middle and lower reaches with the most stable proportion of the 3^rd order channels. The predominant basins among all 3^rd order basins of the studied rivers are those with such types of functioning as transit basins with a tendency to accumulation and storage basins, which account for 37 and 29 %, respectively.

The article considers the results of hydrochemical and microbiological studies of four largest mineral lakes in southwestern Transbaikalia: Nizhnee Beloe, Verkhnee Beloe, Tsaidam and Selenginskoe (Sulfatnoe). It is revealed that the processes of formation of the chemical composition of lake waters are mainly related to the geostructural features of the territory, hydrogeochemical processes and climatic conditions. It is concluded that the chemical composition of water is greatly influenced by evaporation associated with high solar insolation in the region, the process of water freezing in winter and the inflow of atmospheric precipitation. The anionic composition is dominated by hydrocarbonate, chlorine and sulphate ions, while among cations the leading place belongs to sodium ions. It was found that alkalophilic and halophilic bacteria-destructors are widespread in these lakes, and their activity influences the formation of water composition in such lakes. A quantitative assessment of the microbial process rates showed that the rate of oxygenic photosynthesis in these lakes amounted to 331-680 mg С/(m² day), and the rate of anoxygenic photosynthesis was within the range of 24-500 mg С/m². The rate of dark fixation ranged from 30 to 776 mg С/(m² day). It has been shown that sulfate reduction is the key terminal destruction process in the lakes. In the bottom sediments and microbial mats of the lakes, most of the organic matter is utilized for sulfate reduction. The high abundance of cellulolytic and amylolytic microorganisms indicates the input of allochthonous organic matter into the lakes. These data in comparison with the number of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the lakes allow us to speak about the water bodies as experiencing anthropogenic impact. Trends of changes in these characteristics of lake waters as a result of natural evolution and anthropogenic impact are established.

The relevance of the study is due to the presence of a number of regions significantly lagging behind in development in the peripheral border zone of Russia, in particular, the Republic of Tyva. The main reason for the economic lag of Tyva is a priori considered to be the lack of rail communication and the relative geographical remoteness from the major economic centers of the country. It is assumed that the creation of a new branch of rail communication will a priori lead to an increase in economic activity in all sectors of the regional economy. But, on the one hand, the problems of industries and economic entities of the region can be associated with a greater share of the influence of other factors than transport restrictions and costs. On the other hand, the railway is not only the roadway and rolling stock itself, but also, to no lesser extent, issues of logistics, infrastructure and economic efficiency of the carrier itself. With a significant imbalance in the volumes of imported and exported cargo in the case of a dead-end railway line, the issue of transportation economics can be of critical importance. The hypothesis of the study is the absence of strictly determined relationships between the volumetric characteristics of the regional economy in comparable (specific) values and the level of provision with transport infrastructure facilities. In order to disclose this issue, the role of transport infrastructure as a tool for economic growth, as well as its key parameters that affect the growth, was studied. A cluster analysis was conducted based on the similarity of volumetric and structural indicators of the regional economies in the context of provision with transport infrastructure facilities. In view of the uneven settlement of the country’s residents and the corresponding objective territorial contrasts between the regions, in order to ensure comparability, the analysis of the provision of Russian subjects with transport infrastructure was carried out relative not to a unit of area, as is traditionally accepted, but to the population number of the subjects. According to the authors, this makes more economic sense. Using multivariate factor analysis, the corresponding statistical relationships between the indicators were identified and interpreted. Having established the obvious connection between the possibility of implementing individual economic projects, as well as the presence and condition of certain technologically linked types of transport infrastructure, it follows that the emergence of new types of transport communications or the improvement of the condition of the existing infrastructure does not guarantee an automatic improvement of the economic situation in the region and may depend more on the characteristics of the internal and external economic situation.

The Pacific Railway (PR) runs in a sublatitudinal direction from the Elginsky coal deposit in the southeast of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) to the Manorsky Cape in the Tuguro-Chumikansky municipal district of Khabarovsk krai. The total length of the route is 626 km; the zone of its influence extends to the Uda River basin and the Dzhugdzhur range. It is shown that the development of this zone can be associated primarily with the subsoil use. Within the range and the Uda River basin, geologists have identified six deposits and about 540 ore occurrences, points of mineralization of various useful minerals. Due to the inaccessibility of the territory, all manifestations of mineral resources have been poorly studied. Ore occurrences of ferrous metals, as well as rare earth, rare, precious and non-ferrous metals are predominantly widespread, which determines the directions for the development of the mining industry in this zone. The features of the structural position of objects, their composition, and the possible extent of mineralization to depth have been studied. Taking into account the economic importance of metals, agricultural raw materials and other minerals, 27 occurrences have been identified for priority geological study. New directions in the territory’s economy have been identified. A conclusion has been made about the need for additional study and subsequent development of long-known occurrences of rare earth, complex phosphorus-iron-titanium, manganese ores and phosphorites. The implementation of large mining projects will allow the formation of the Udskoy territorial-industrial complex and, accordingly, an increase of tax revenues to state budgets, which will ensure a significant growth in the socio-economic development of the characterized territory.

Using the example of four model farms operating in different natural conditions in Altai krai (steppe zone, foothill steppe zone and forest steppe zone), an assessment of the carbon footprint of plant production for various cultivated crops as well as of the carbon footprint of livestock farming was carried out. The assessment tools used included the following common carbon calculators: Cool Farm Tool, AgRe-Calc, Farm Carbon and Ex-Act V9.4, as well as the Methodological Recommendations of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources. Differences in the magnitude of the carbon footprint of livestock farming and crop production were revealed when assessed using these tools. In the authors’ opinion, they are caused by differences in the initial data and conversion factors incorporated into the calculation algorithms of these calculators. The specific carbon footprint on model farms varies in the range from 100 kg to 1 ton CO₂-eq/ha for various crops, and from 1,67 to 3,51 tons CO₂-eq/head for cattle. At the same time, the structure of the carbon footprint of crop production on farms can differ dramatically and depends on the features of the technological process. It was revealed that the main factors influencing the magnitude of the carbon footprint of crop production are the set of crops grown, methods of handling plant residues, composition, quantity and methods of applying fertilizers and crop protection agents, and features of the technological process. The magnitude of the carbon footprint of livestock farming is determined by the characteristics of livestock management and the diet used. In this regard, it was concluded that the volume of greenhouse gas emissions can be regulated by organizing a land use system and/or improving the technological process of agricultural production.

It is shown that under the modern conditions of economic development and the need to ensure environmental safety, it is necessary to use more advanced mechanisms for assessing natural conditions, especially in anthropogenically disturbed territories. The article summarizes the information and provides a brief overview of the studies that reveal the concept of environmental audit. The role of the regulatory framework for conducting an environmental audit procedure as the main means of implementing state policy in the field of greening production is substantiated. The sequence of development and implementation of standards for the environmental management and auditing system standards both in the Russian Federation and abroad is considered. The article proposes an algorithm for conducting a territorial environmental audit, which includes five stages, taking into account functional zoning based on landscape planning tools, assessment of conflicts in environmental management associated with natural and anthropogenic risks, and introduction of a modern GIS system based on geoecological monitoring. The problems arising during the territorial environmental audit caused by the imperfection of the regulatory framework, lack of funds, high cost of its implementation, absence of an objective assessment of risks and the permissible load on the natural environment are indicated. Attention is drawn to the need to improve the existing environmental management system, increase the role of environmental education of the population, including employees of enterprises and municipal government bodies. A system for optimizing environmental management has been developed, including natural, geoecological, social and economic subsystems. Using the example of Kaliningrad oblast, located on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea, recommendations on the use of environmental audit mechanisms and tools for balanced, rational and safer regional environmental management have been formulated.

River basins are fundamental geographical units that influence water flow and landform development. Geomorphometric studies are essential for quantifying various basin characteristics and understanding landform processes. The article presents a geomorphometric analysis of the Mula-Mutha River basin. It is a comprehensive study focusing on on fifth-order tributaries. Conventional methods and digital elevation models were employed to analyze the morphometric parameters of the basin. The results reveal that geomorphometric parameters such as drainage network density, stream frequency, and hypsometric integral provide insight into the drainage system and landform development. The Mula-Mutha River basin, with its elongated shape and highly dissected terrain, exhibits characteristics of an older stage of landform development. The analysis of fifth-order basins indicates variations in hypsometric integral values, suggesting a transition from mature to old stages of landform development. Principal component analysis made it possible to identify the key parameters characterizing the basin: its shape, including size, stream network, relief, shape and texture of the drainage network. Such studies contribute to the understanding of landform processes, providing valuable insights for environmental studies and water resources management.