Assessment of natural resource potential and anthropogenic load in the macroregion of northern Eurasia based on a basin approach

Abstract

The environmental component of Sustainable Development for large regions of the Earth can be assessed through the evaluation of the natural resource potential of the territory. The methodological challenge of such assessments is always determined by the type of operational-territorial unit within which the geodatabase is formed. This article details the possibilities of using the basin approach as such units. This approach is one of the most important in humid climate regions where a river network has been developed. Using the example of the Ob’ river basin in Northern Eurasia, the article illustrates the application of the basin approach to assess the environmental determinants of Sustainable Development. The studies were conducted in three stages: formation of an GIS database of basin geosystems of the Ob’ river basin; creation of a geospatial database on the natural resource potential in the small river basins; selection of criteria and assessment of anthropogenic load on the basin geosystems of the Ob’. A total of 30,738 small river basins were delineated automatically based on GMTED DEM, with a mean area of 66 km2. GIS integrated geoinformation represents the natural and anthropogenic characteristics of river basins. The assessment of the environmental state of the territory should considerthe types and strengths of anthropogenic loads. For this purpose, the integral indicators used, which directly or indirectly reflect anthropogenic impact: population density, road network density, and the percentage of arable land in the total area. The final indicator of anthropogenic load was calculated as a linear combination of specific variables and ranked into six categories. Thematic and complex maps were created, allowing us to identify the natural background in which the geosystems of small river basins are formed and function, as well as the types and strength of anthropogenic loads on the territory.