Geoecological risks in the valleys of small rivers of the forest-steppe zone of the Russian plain (on the example of the Chuvash Republic)

Abstract

The Chuvash Republic belongs to the territories with a high frequency of occurrence of emergency situations of moderate severity. This is due to the intensive economic development of the region. The probability and intensity of the manifestation of georisks is different for individual landscapes, therefore it needs a detailed study. The study includes the study of the probability of the development of slope, climatic, hydrological risks, and the risk of wildfires on the territory of the Chuvash Republic. The analysis showed that the slope type of geoecological risk is confined to the river valleys of the region and has maximum values in the north of the Chuvash Republic. A high risk of flooding and flooding exists in the valleys of major rivers of the region (Volga, Sura) and their tributaries of the first order. On other watercourses, the hydrological risk is not significant. Climate and weather risks are associated with hurricane winds and dry winds. The southeastern part of the region suffers the most from them. The risk of fires depends on the composition and age of the stand. The maximum risk values are typical for the Prisursky forest area (southern and southwestern parts of the region). Based on the data obtained, the classification of the districts of the Chuvash Republic by the size of the georisks was carried out. Four groups of districts were identified according to the probability of natural emergencies and the main factors of their occurrence were described.