Assessing the Ecological Status in Regions of Russia and Neighbouring Countries

Abstract

Environmental stress occurs when the level of anthropogenic impact exceeds the resilience of landscapes. A system of indicators of anthropogenic impact and a calculation method for an integral index of the intensity of anthropogenic impact are substantiated in the article. The index reflects the structure of anthropogenic impact (on the air basin, water, land, forest resources, as well as agrarian and radiation effects) and its dynamics for 1990–2016. The study of changes in the structure of environmental landscapes of regions in Russia and Kazakhstan has revealed that considerable contrasts in the placement of industrial complex and population settlement that had formed during the previous development stages are stable. Assessing changes with the help of anthropogenic impact integral index related to natural landscape resilience allows assessing regional changes in Russia and Kazakhstan and revealing main similarities and differences between those changes, as well as examining both industry-specific and spatial patterns forming environmental conditions at the regional level.