Search

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected all countries and the global scientific agenda, particularly that of health, economy, environment, geography and geosciences in general. This Special Issue is also a contribution to the global efforts of the scientific community in the analysis of the geography of the COVID-19 pandemic with public health, economic and environmental consequences. Two blocks of papers are considered: (1) the socio-spatial, statistical and geographical analysis of COVID-19 distributions; and (2) the impacts of the pandemic lockdown on the environment, air pollution, and the quality of water.

In 2016, an outbreak of anthrax killing thousands of reindeer and affecting dozens of humans occurred on the Yamal peninsula, Northwest Siberia, after 70 years of epidemiological situation without outbreaks. The trigger of the outbreak has been ascribed to the activation of spores due to permafrost thaw that was accelerated during the summer heat wave. The focus of our study is on the dynamics of local environmental factors in connection with the observed anthrax revival. We show that permafrost was thawing rapidly for already 6 years before the outbreak. During 2011–2016, relatively warm years were followed by cold years with a thick snow cover, preventing freezing of the soil. Furthermore, the spread of anthrax was likely intensified by an extremely dry summer of 2016. Concurrent with the long-term decreasing trend in the regional annual precipitation, the rainfall in July 2016 was less than 10% of its 30-year mean value. We conclude that epidemiological situation of anthrax in the previously contaminated Arctic regions requires monitoring of climatic factors such as warming and precipitation extremes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10393-021-01549-5.

The problem of cancer remains a priority for modern society. One of the methods of scientific analysis of the causes of the appearance and spread of cancer has become mapping with extensive use of geospatial statistics. In a relatively short time, traditional cancer mapping has evolved to geoinformation mapping with unique opportunities for implementing different models of epidemiological analysis based on an integrative (integrated) approach. In practice, this made it possible to timely analyze, inform users and monitor epidemiological situations at different spatial levels (world, countries, regions). The greatest interest in terms of revealing the role of mapping in cancer research is represented by specialized atlas works that seek not only to cover the most complete epidemiology of morbidity, but also to create recommendations for its reduction. The article provides a review of domestic and foreign world atlases on oncology. The obvious successes in the domestic oncological mapping, the development of large atlas works in the XX century, unfortunately, have not yet been properly continued in the XXI century. One of the priority tasks of mapping the problems of oncology is to develop epidemiological risk models for the main socially significant forms of malignant neoplasms, the creation of which is possible on the basis of standardized epidemiological studies and accumulated materials of cancer registers. For its implementation, the Geographical Faculty of the Lomonosov Moscow State University, with the support of the Russian Geographical Society, has begun to prepare a Medico-geographical Atlas “Cancer Risk Factors”. The creation of the Atlas should serve as a start to provide the public with a reliable and visual knowledge base for successfully solving the problems of malignant neoplasms in the country and in the world.

The article analyzes a set of medicinal-plant species in arid and semiarid biomes of Russia. The species diversity of medicinal plants in general, as well as those used to treat diseases of various classes, is determined. A statistical analysis of the relationships between the number of species of medicinal plants in regional biomes and climatic indices is carried out; the corresponding thematic schematic maps are constructed and analyzed. It is shown that the number of medicinal-plant species is related to the total biome species number. This, in turn, is determined by the geographic location, which determines the average annual temperature and precipitation in the regions. The closest established relationship was between the number of medicinal-plant species and the average annual air temperatures. A relatively high relationship was found between the species number and the average annual precipitation. In the analysis of the relationship between the number of medicinal-plant species used to treat certain classes of diseases and the climatic factors, the picture turned out to be similar.

This study considers an automated typological classification version by using the extensive factual material in analysis of emerging and re-emerging natural focal diseases of European Russia.The typological classification of nosological profile (a set of diseases) and the incidence dynamics for five nosological forms (hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, ixodic tick-borne borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, tularemia, and leptospirosis) was created using the formal methods of mathematical-cartographical modeling. This classification of the incidence in 1997–2015 yielded five types of the nosological profiles. These types vary by years, which is associated with the dependence of the incidence on climatic conditions in each specific year and on extent of deratization and preventive measures. The results obtained can be used to forecast potential epidemiological outbreaks and to develop targeted and appropriate for each region measures.

Medicinal plants are an important natural resource of the country, used for medicine and healthcare needs. Cartographic study of the natural resource potential of medicinal plants remains an actual proposal for contemporary ecological geographical and resource researches. The paper concerns the state of medicinal plants mapping in our country, specifics of cartographical display and description. More than 30 scientific reference, popular science complex and special federal and regional atlases including maps of medicinal plants have been published during 1964–2014 period in Russia. Medicinal plants distribution is most fully displayed in the “Atlas of natural ranges and resources of medicinal plants of the USSR”. The Atlas contains about 180 maps of ranges for 234 plants species. Contemporary atlases are represented by the National Atlas of Arctic [2017] and the Medical-Geographical atlas of Russia “Healing springs and plants” [2019] created by scientists of the Lomonosov Moscow State University (the Faculty of Geography). The last atlas contains ranges of officinal plants, permitted by the RF Ministry of Healthcare for usage by scientific medicine. This atlas contains 37 maps of 72 plants’ species (1 : 30 000 000) at the background of the Map of Zones and Altitudinal Types of Vegetation of Russia. This atlas is the first popular science publication containing comprehensive information about state and distribution of officinal plants species, about problems of their use and protection accompanied by physiographic, climatic, biogeographical, medical-geographical maps.

Air and soil contamination in developing countries exacerbates due to poor management of waste collection and serves as a morbidity and mortality factor. This study aimed to conduct an assessment of soil pollution level in Ulaanbaatar and establish а correlation between microbial contamination and registered occurrences of contagious diarrheal diseases among children (0-5 years old). This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Ulaanbaatar in June-September of 2016. Samples of soil and contagious diarrheal disease morbidity data in 0-5-year-old children were used. Samples were taken from the sites three times, in July, August, and September. The data analysis was done in the SPSS-21 program and relevant parametric and non-parametric tests were used. The highest level microorganisms were found in the samples taken from sites near major markets and then in the samples from ger areas. The analysis of the samples revealed that 111.78 microorganisms exceed the standard level 1.1 times in summer. The Escherichia coli (E.Coli) and Proteus also contaminated the ground water. All diarrhea occasions in Ulaanbaatar were analyzed by seasons and months, the prevalence was peaking in August. A correlation was found with the soil E.Coli titers and infectious diarrheal disease children under five years old morbidity. The number of microorganisms in soil tends to increase in summer. Diarrheal disease infections among children under five increase most in summer and autumn and correlate with soil contamination with pathogenic microorganisms.

The article considers the geography of emerging and re-emerging natural focal diseases in Russia. The data on the distribution and peculiarities of epidemic manifestations of eight key infections (ixodid tick-borne borrelioses, tick-borne encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, tularemia, leptospirosis, West Nile fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and Astrakhan rickettsiosis fever) belonging to different groups of emerging and re-emerging diseases are presented. We estimated and mapped the risk of exposure to these infections in the European territory of Russia within natural borders (biomes).

The Yamal Peninsula in the Russian Federation experienced a massive outbreak of anthrax in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in July–August 2016, with 2,650 (6.46% of the total susceptible population) animals infected, of which 2,350 died (case fatality rate of 88.67%). In our study, we analyzed climatic and epidemiological factors that could have triggered the outbreak. The cancelation of reindeer vaccination against anthrax in 2007 resulted in an increase in population susceptibility. In response to the outbreak, total vaccination of all susceptible animals was resumed. To assess the vaccination effectiveness, we tested 913 samples of blood serum taken from vaccinated reindeer using an antigenic erythrocyte diagnostic kit to detect specific anti-anthrax antibodies via an indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) 9 months after vaccination. We found that 814 samples had sufficiently high levels of anti-anthrax antibodies to indicate a protection level of 89% (95% confidence interval: 87–91%) of the whole reindeer population. Abnormally high ambient temperature in the summer of 2016 contributed to the thawing of permafrost and viable Bacillus anthracis spores could have become exposed to the surface; the monthly average air temperatures in June, July, and August 2016 were 20–100% higher than those of the previous 30-year period, while the maximum air temperatures were 16–75% higher. Using the projected climate data for 2081–2100 according to the “worst case” RCP8.5 scenario, we demonstrated that the yearly air temperature may average above 0°C across the entire Yamal Peninsula, while the yearly number of days with a mean temperature above 0°C may rise by 49 ± 6 days, which would provide conditions for reactivation of soil anthrax reservoirs. Our results showed that the outbreak of anthrax occurred under conditions of a significant increase in air temperature in the study area, underlined the importance of vaccination for controlling the epidemic process, and demonstrated the effectiveness of monitoring studies using the IHA diagnostic kit for detecting erythrocyte anthrax antigens.

The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) Science Plan, released in 2015, addressed a need for a holistic system understanding and outlined the most urgent research needs for sustainable development in the Artic-boreal region. Air quality in China and long-range transport of the atmospheric pollutants was also indicated as one of the most crucial topics of the research agenda. This paper summarizes results obtained during the last five years in the Northern Eurasian region. It also introduces recent observations on the air quality in the urban environments in China. The main regions of interest are the Russian Arctic, Northern Eurasian boreal forests (Siberia) and peatlands and on the mega cities in China. We frame our analysis against research themes introduced in 2015. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of the land – atmosphere – ocean systems feedbacks. Although the scientific knowledge in these regions has increased, there are still gaps in our understanding of large-scale climate-Earth surface interactions and feedbacks. This arises from limitations in research infrastructures and integrative data analyses, hindering a comprehensive system analysis. The fast-changing environment and ecosystem changes driven by climate change, socio-economic activities like the China Silk Road Initiative, and the global trends like urbanization further complicate such analyses. We recognize new topics with an increasing importance in the near future, such as enhancing biological sequestration capacity of greenhouse gases into forests and soils to mitigate the climate change and the socio-economic development to tackle air quality issues.

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. Regional differences in the disease manifestation and the role of ecological factors, specifically in regions with a subarctic and arctic climate, remain poorly understood. We here explored environmental and socio-economic features associated with leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic during 2000–2019. Spatial analysis suggested that the locations of the majority of 808 cases were in “boreal” or “polar” climate regions, with “cropland,” “forest,” “shrubland,” or “settlements” land-cover type, with a predominance of “Polar Moist Cropland on Plain” ecosystem. The cases demonstrated seasonality, with peaks in March, June, and August, corresponding to the livestock pasturing practices. We applied the Forest-based Classification and Regression algorithm to explore the relationships between the cumulative leptospirosis incidence per unit area by municipal districts (G-rate) and a number of socio-economic, landscape, and climatic factors. The model demonstrated satisfactory performance in explaining the observed disease distribution (R2 = 0.82, p < 0.01), with human population density, livestock units density, the proportion of crop area, and budgetary investments into agriculture per unit area being the most influential socio-economic variables. Climatic factors demonstrated a significantly weaker influence, with nearly similar contributions of mean yearly precipitation and air temperature and number of days with above-zero temperatures. Using a projected climate by 2100 according to the RCP8.5 scenario, we predict a climate-related rise of expected disease incidence across most of the study area, with an up to 4.4-fold increase in the G-rate. These results demonstrated the predominant influence of the population and agricultural production factors on the observed increase in leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic. These findings may contribute to improvement in the regional system of anti-leptospirosis measures and may be used for further studies of livestock leptospirosis epidemiology at a finer scale.

Increasing fertility and decreasing mortality are major response strategies in Russian demographic reform, which has led to significant decreases in both abortion rate (AR) and infant mortality. This study explores mechanisms influencing the socioeconomic conditions leading to abortion and infant mortality. Spatial panel economic analysis using data from the 83 regions of the country covering four time periods was applied. Every 1000 USD increase in per capita gross regional product (GRP) can lead to a decrease of the AR by 0.075, while one year life expectancy increase would lower it by 0.441. For infant mortality rate (IMR), GRP also shows a positive impact, particularly in recent years, while the population size of the region has a negative impact. Every 1000 USD increase in per capita GRP would result in a rate decrease of 0.064 in IMR, and every increase of 1000 added population would lead to an increased IMR by 2.05. The harvest effect between AR and infant mortality that was evident earlier, but not in the recent years, implies that the health care system in Russia is effective. A comprehensive improvement in wellbeing, income, etc. can contribute to mitigation of abortion and infant mortality. Theoretically, this study extends current research by comprehensively displaying the spatio-temporal patterns of abortion and infant mortality in Russia and qualifies the impact of regional socioeconomic disparities with regard to these two issues.

This study presents a medical-geographical analysis of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic development in the Russian Federation as by August 31, 2020. In general, the initial course of pandemic in Russia was characterized by a basic reproductive ratio (R0) of 2.41 (2.22–2.60), which is relatively low as compared to most affected countries. A spatial regression analysis demonstrated that the onset of the epidemics by the regions of Russia was determined by their proximity to major international airports and connectivity of transportation network, while morbidity and mortality rates show a pronounced relationship with the population density, urban population proportion and proportion of the population over working age.

In Russia, as in other countries, the problem of emerging natural focal infectious diseases (EIDs) became more acute toward the end of the 20th century. However, the situation in Russia is unknown to foreign readers, while the prevention and control of these diseases require international collaboration. The aim of the study is to provide a medical&ndash, geographical assessment of the distribution of the main natural focal EIDs in Russia, as well as to present the approaches used in the country to create aggregate maps of risk assessment. To consider its current status, we determined the most important natural focal EIDs for Russia (tick-borne encephalitis, ixodid tick-borne borrelioses, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, Crimean&ndash, Congo hemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, Astrakhan spotted fever, leptospiroses, and tularemia) and analyzed the patterns of their epidemic manifestation. As a result, a working classification of such infections and a series of maps showing the current situation of EID morbidity in Russia were created. To design an aggregated risk map, we developed an original mapping methodology and recalculated the model disease incidence by taking data from administrative units and adjusting them for natural geographical boundaries (biomes) for European Russia, and then evaluated the risk of infection for separate model diseases and for a set of them. The highest risk rates are confined to the northwest regions of European Russia, the Cis-Urals and the Volga region, which are naturally related to forest biomes, as well as to the southern steppe regions of the interfluves between the Volga and the Don, and the foothills of the North Caucasus.

The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) program was initiated as a bottom-up approach by the researchers coming from Finland and Russia in October 2012. The PEEX China kick off meeting was held in November 2013. During its five years in operation, the program has established a governance structure and delivered a science plan for the Northern Eurasian region. PEEX has also introduced a concept design for a modelling platform and ground-based in situ observation systems for detecting land-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Today, PEEX has an extensive researcher’s network representing research communities coming from the Nordic countries, Russia and China. PEEX is currently carrying out its research activities on a project basis, but is looking for more coordinated funding bases, especially in Russia and in China. The near-future challenge in implementing the PEEX research agenda is to achieve a successful integration and identification of the methodological approaches of the socio-economic research to environmental sciences. Here we give insight into these issues and provide an overview on the main tasks for the upcoming years. The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) program was initiated as a bottom-up approach by the researchers coming from Finland and Russia in October 2012. The PEEX China kick off meeting was held in November 2013. During its five years in operation, the program has established a governance structure and delivered a science plan for the Northern Eurasian region. PEEX has also introduced a concept design for a modelling platform and ground-based in situ observation systems for detecting land-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Today, PEEX has an extensive researcher’s network representing research communities coming from the Nordic countries, Russia and China. PEEX is currently carrying out its research activities on a project basis, but is looking for more coordinated funding bases, especially in Russia and in China. The near-future challenge in implementing the PEEX research agenda is to achieve a successful integration and identification of the methodological approaches of the socio-economic research to environmental sciences. Here we give insight into these issues and provide an overview on the main tasks for the upcoming years. The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) program was initiated as a bottom-up approach by the researchers coming from Finland and Russia in October 2012. The PEEX China kick off meeting was held in November 2013. During its five years in operation, the program has established a governance structure and delivered a science plan for the Northern Eurasian region. PEEX has also introduced a concept design for a modelling platform and ground-based in situ observation systems for detecting land-atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Today, PEEX has an extensive researcher’s network representing research communities coming from the Nordic countries, Russia and China. PEEX is currently carrying out its research activities on a project basis, but is looking for more coordinated funding bases, especially in Russia and in China. The near-future challenge in implementing the PEEX research agenda is to achieve a successful integration and identification of the methodological approaches of the socio-economic research to environmental sciences. Here we give insight into these issues and provide an overview on the main tasks for the upcoming years.

The spread of almost all diseases caused by living pathogens is determined primarily by environmental conditions. These pathogens like any other biological objects are the components of the certain natural ecosystems. An essential part of any medico- geographical assessment is the search for links between the spread of diseases and factors of the geographical environment. The role of factors that affect the spread of the natural diseases is unequal. The climatic factor is deemed one of the main determinants for the spread of naturally-determined diseases. This factor manifests itself at all levels of territorial differentiation. The goal of these studies was to identify the natural and climatic suitability of the certain territory for spread of diseases in order to assess the possible influence of the climatic factor on the medico-geographical situation in the context of the regional environment. The objectives are to estimate the role of climatic and weather parameters in the functioning of natural foci inRussia; to assess the natural and climatic suitability of the territory for spread of diseases; and to identify the climatic preconditions of spread of particular climate-dependent infections. In this study, on the example of several climate- depended diseases different approaches to medico-geographical assessment have been implemented and number of new methodological solutions have been proposed.

An ecological and geographical analysis of the distribution of poisonous plants in the regional biomes of Russia and the effect of arid conditions on it are presented. On the territory of Russia, 82 of the most toxic species of vascular plants (belonging to 34 families) were identified; of them, 55 were poisonous species of the genus Aconitum. Cartographic analysis demonstrated that the smallest number of poisonous plant species (excluding species of the genus Aconitum) is confined to the plain biomes of the forest-tundra and tundra, and the largest number of such species grows in lowland steppe biomes. In the lowland desert biome and in some mountain biomes, the number of poisonous plant species is also significant but is slightly lower than in the steppe biomes. The maximal number of species of the genus Aconitum was detected in the mountainous Far Eastern biomes. Correlation analysis of the relationship between the number of plant species and climatic factors revealed the maximal correlation between the total number of poisonous plant species (excluding species of the genus Aconitum) with the average annual air temperature.

Public health dynamics is one of the main methodological approaches to study spatiotemporal patterns of the population diseases spreading and to create nosogeographic maps. It is one of validity terms of geographic public health assessment and forecast. Dynamics maps usually show emergence, development, past stages, changes, and movement of analyzed phenomena. Analysis of medical-geographic maps showed that the choice of methods and techniques for elaborating dynamic aspects is limited. The results of comprehensive medical-geographic atlas mapping obtained in the Department of Biogeography and Laboratory of Integrated Mapping (Faculty of Geography, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia) have significantly improved this situation and demonstrated the benefits of cartographic approaches and graphic methods of visualization of public health dynamics. However, these benefits as an integral problem has not been fully realized yet and research in this direction should continue.

The level of public health in the regions of Russia in the years 2002–2012 is characterized based on the indices of life expectancy of men and women, as well as infant mortality. The tendencies toward change as compared to 1990–2001 are determined. Five groups of regions with various levels of public health are identified and analyzed. The practical importance of this work is shown including its inclusion in the social policy and during the development of medico-geographical forecasts.

The paper provides a brief analysis of research on the impact of global climate change on human health. Using Tatarstan as an example, the paper discusses medical and demographic consequences of the extreme heat wave of the summer of 2010. Assessment of the Volga Federal District (VFD) bioclimate conducted with the help of certain biometeorological parameters allowed evaluating modern global and regional changes of weather-climatic conditions. The main emphasis was placed on spatial and temporal analysis of both the integral pathogenicity index (I) and its individual components for the district territory. In VFD, aggravating weather conditions increase from southwest to northeast. Summer months are associated with comfort weather conditions. In winter, the air temperature pathogenicity index and interdiurnal temperature fluctuations contribute the greatest to I; in summer, the role of cloudiness and humidity pathogenicity indices increases. The contribution of wind speed and interdiurnal pressure fluctuations to I is insignificant in all seasons. Analysis of the frequency distribution of I showed that comfort weather conditions (over 50 % of cases) occur in May–August, aggravating weather conditions occur in March-Appril, and harsh weather conditions in more than 50 % of cases occur in January–February and November–December. Calculation of biometeorological indices allows forecasting risk of thermal hazard under extreme meteorological conditions.

This chapter examines the contemporary understanding of natural preconditions for disease as unique features of the environment that determine the emergence and function of host–parasite systems and the spread of natural foci.

The chapter presents a brief characterization of the system of sanitary and epidemiological monitoring in the Russian Federation. Its work is aimed at ensuring epidemiological safety in the environment. A textual description of its structure is provided and illustrated with three maps, one of which reflects border control points that exert sanitary control, while the others show the locations of major sanitary, epidemiological and hygienic institutions in Russia.

Summary Background Russia, an enormous country almost completely located within temperate latitudes, has a broad spectrum of natural landscapes which attract increasing numbers of tourists, from arctic deserts in the north to steppes and deserts in the south. Currently, tourism is undergoing active development in Russia: new travel routes, including ones that involve visiting the wilderness, are steadily appearing. Among the multitude of infectious diseases that can endanger travelers, natural-focal diseases, whose agents and/or carriers are integral to natural landscapes, are especially prominent. Some of the results of the study of natural-focal infections and parasitoses, which are necessary to evaluate the recreational and travel potential of the Russian Federation, are presented and discussed in this article. Method A cartographical and statistical analysis of infectious and parasitic natural-focal diseases, spanning more than a decade (1997–2013), is the basis of this article. Results This analysis, along with that of additional cartographical and textual sources, reveals that natural-focal infections are most diverse between 48° N and 60° N and least diverse in the northern regions of the Far East of Russia. Different regions have different numbers of nosoforms and different morbidity level, which signifies an irregularity in the distribution of parasitic diseases. Conclusions This medico-geographical information may be useful both for individual tourists planning trips to Russia and tour agencies organizing tour groups. It also can be used by health advisers when they consult people before a trip, to assess the actual risks, suggest a number of precautions and pick the particular diseases out of those listed that actually constitute a risk in certain regions, and suggest a suitable preventative treatment if needed.

The paper presents the characteristics of the status of public health in the regions of Russia in 2002–2012 conducted considering life expectancy of men and women, as well as infant mortality. Public health trends were identified in comparison with 1990–2001. Five groups of regions with specific status of public health were isolated and analyzed. Cross-spectrum analysis of environmental and socio-economic factors was conducted in order to explain the existing level of mortality of the population.

Climatic conditions play a major role among natural factors determining human’s existence. The factor of climate change is considered among other known risk factors to population health. In particular, climate leads to the changes in borders and structure of the areas of infectious and parasitic illnesses. The most serious climate changes are expected in mid- to high latitudes, especially in cities, where anthropogenic activity and air pollution cause exacerbating effect. Within the framework of this study, we try to elaborate a prognostic model of epidemiological conditions of the vivax malaria for the territory of the European part of Russia and Western Siberia. Forecasting was based on the results of climate modeling CMIP3 project under the “A2” IPCC scenario. As a result of forecasting, it is revealed that in the future (2046–2065), favorability of climatic conditions for malaria transmission will increase. The most remarkable changes are expected in the areas situated near southern limits of the considered territories.

The paper presents the results obtained under the joint Russian-Chinese RFBR project № 12-05-91175-ГФЕН_а aimed at assessment of the state of the environment and health of the population in urban areas in Russia and China. The paper presents the authors’ approach to a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of the environment on the population health of urban agglomerations and a method of regional medico-geographical analysis. A series of analytical and synthetic maps was compiled and used for a comparative geographical analysis of medical and environmental situation in Moscow and Beijing – major metropolitan areas with different natural and socio-economic conditions. The paper discusses the influence of the environment on the state of public health and identifies the leading risk factors, both general and specific to each region.

The paper discusses a mapping method for compilation of maps for a medical-geographical Atlas of Russia “Natural Focal Diseases” and potential that this Atlas presents for assessment and monitoring of the epidemiological situation in a number of diseases. A series of analytical, integrated, and synthetic maps shows disease incidence in the population at both the national and regional levels for the last 15 years. The Atlas contains maps of the mean annual incidence of certain infections and maps of incidence dynamics and nosological profiles that allow detailed analysis of the situation for each of 83 subjects of the Russian Federation. The degree of epidemic hazard in Russia by naturally occurring is reflected in a synthetic medical-geographical map that allows one to estimate the risk of a disease manifestation in a given region.

This paper discusses the relationships of zonal vegetation boundaries with some climatic indicators. Possible changes in subzonal vegetation boundaries in the territory of European Russia and Western Siberia are forecasted within the framework of one of the global warming scenarios. The revealed regularities make it possible to suggest a mathematical cartographic model of vegetation zonality for the 2046–2065 period.

Background Natural-focal diseases constitute a serious hazard for human health. Agents and vectors of such diseases belong to natural landscapes. The aim of this study is to identify the diversity and geography of natural-focal diseases in Russia and to develop cartographic approaches for their mapping, including mathematical-cartographical modeling. Russian medico-geographical mapping of natural-focal diseases is highly developed regionally and locally but extremely limited at the national level. To solve this problem, a scientific team of the Faculty of Geography at Lomonosov Moscow State University has developed and implemented a project of a medico-geographical Atlas of Russia “Natural-Focal Diseases”. Methods The mapping is based on medical statistics data. The Atlas contains a series of maps on disease incidence, long-term dynamics of disease morbidity, etc. In addition, other materials available to the authors were used: mapping of the natural environment, field data, archival materials, analyzed satellite images, etc. The maps are processed using ArcGIS (ESRI) software application. Different methods of rendering of mapped phenomena are used (geographical ranges, diagrams, choropleth maps etc.). Results A series of analytical, integrated, and synthetic maps shows disease incidence in the population at both the national and regional levels for the last 15 years. Maps of the mean annual morbidity of certain infections and maps of morbidity dynamics and nosological profiles allow for a detailed analysis of the situation for each of 83 administrative units of the Russian Federation. The degree of epidemic hazard in Russia by natural-focal diseases is reflected in a synthetic medico-geographical map that shows the degree of epidemic risks due to such diseases in Russia and allows one to estimate the risk of disease manifestation in a given region. Conclusions This is the first attempt at aggregation and public presentation of diverse and multifaceted information about natural-focal diseases in Russia. Taken in entirety, the maps that have been prepared for the Atlas will enable researchers to evaluate the stability of epidemic manifestation of individual diseases and the susceptibility of a given territory to disease transmission. The results can be used for sanitary monitoring and disease prevention.

This article demonstrates how education for sustainable development has been embedded in environmental education programmes in Russian universities. It outlines the key concepts of education for sustainable development that are taught to students undertaking such environmental courses. The article will be of interest to GEES academics who are looking for ideas of how to embed education for sustainable development within existing GEES programmes in the UK.