CONCEPTUAL PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH INTO THE GEOECOLOGICAL STATE OF RIVER-BASIN SYSTEMS AND THEIR DIGITAL ATLAS MAPPING

The article is devoted to highlighting the scientific principles of setting up and conducting research on river systems and their basins using the geo-environmental approach and the methodology of geographic information system (GIS) atlas mapping. The purpose of the article is to formulate the conceptual principles of geoenvironmental studies of river basin systems (RBS) using a wide range of research methods. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were solved: 1) analysis of existing views on the essence, directions of geoenvironmental research of both river systems and their basins; 2) determination of the criteria by which the geoenvironmental state of river-basin systems should be assessed; 3) determination of the information and analytical base that will be used in the assessment of the geoenvironmental state of the natural components of the river-basin system; 4) substantiation of directions for researching the state of river systems, their catchments and components of basin landscapes and transformation processes that occur in them under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors. The created conceptual foundations of geoenvironmental studies of a RBS will be used in the future for: 1) assessment of the state of river systems at various stages of their development; 2) assessment of the state of basin systems at those very same stages of their development; 3) determination of the scale of development of transformational processes in both river and basin systems; 4) assessment of anthropogenic load on river basin systems; 5) assessment of geoenvironmental stress and risks of nature exploitation in different parts (sub-basins) of the river-basin system; 6) displaying the results of studies of the geoenvironmental state of the studied RBS on a series of thematic maps or in the digital atlas of the RBS; 7) substantiation of a set of measures aimed at improving the geoenvironmental state of the RBS and optimizing nature management. We also note that the following should be important methodological components of the conceptual foundations of geoenvironmental studies of a RBS: 1) the historical-cartographic method; 2) technologies and methods of GIS and cartographic modeling of RBS states at various stages of their development; 3) data of remote sensing of the Earth, which reflect the state of the RBS at different time slices; 4) methods of field and laboratory studies of the state of river systems and geocomponents of their basins; 5) methods of forecasting changes in the state of RBS and the development of geomorphological processes in them, taking into account global and regional climate changes; 6) methods of factorial and correlational analysis of the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on the state of RBS and their functioning. The final result of geoenvironmental studies of basin systems should be: 1) a series of digital thematic maps as components of a digital atlas, which will reflect the geoenvironmental state of the basin, natural and economic conditions and factors affecting its state and functioning; 2) characteristics and assessments of the geoenvironmental state of the components of nature and landscape systems of the RBS; 3) the results of the analysis of the scale of anthropogenic load, transformation processes, risks of land use and/or nature exploitaition, threats to the health of the population and the functioning of economic facilities; 4) substantiation of recommendations aimed at improving the geoenvironmental state of the RBS in question and optimizing land use in it. Key words: geoenvironmental condition, river-basin system, transformational processes.