“Hot spots” of geoecological risk and problems of territorial planning

Abstract

Introduction. The tasks of territorial planning are closely related to the problems of locating new high-risk facilities without increasing the environmental load. Thus, the task of locating high environmental risk facilities for recycling and deep processing of wastes appears to an essential economic and scientific problem that requires an immediate solution. The long-term consequences of such decisions should be forecasted and analysed.Aim. To identify “hot spots” according to their risk degree in order to exclude the most dangerous areas from further planning and use.Materials and methods. The stated problem is solved on the basis of environmental risk management, which includes the following concepts: 1) hazard identification; 2) vulnerability assessment; 3) risk analysis; 4) acceptable risk concept; 5) risk assessment; 6) risk mapping; 7) risk reduction measures, including a) legislative; b) organisational and administrative; c) economic, including insurance; d) engineering; e) modelling; f) monitoring; g) informational. Data and maps of hazardous natural and technogenic processes and potential damage to the territories of the Moscow Oblast were used.Results. When carrying out territorial planning and location of additional hazard facilities, representing an increased ecological load, such as incineration plants and landfills for recycling and deep processing of wastes, high ecological risk regions should be excluded from the potential location list. In the Moscow Oblast, these are primarily Lyuberetsky and Ramensky districts (east-southeast of Moscow). Lyubertsky district can be considered as a “hot spot” of the first class in terms of ecological risk due to the high natural hazard and potential damage. The findings obtained when determining “hot spots” based on geological, geodynamic, tectonic and socio-economic parameters, were confirmed by the areas of geochemical pollution and environmental stress zones.Conclusion. The developed method of identifying the risk “hot spots” represents a basis for solving the problems of territorial planning for the purpose of excluding the most ecologically stressed sites and selecting suitable sites for locating hazard facilities, in particular, recycling and waste processing plants.