Types of relations between populated areas infrastructure and catchment erosion-fluvial systems

Abstract

The results of studies of relationship between populated areas infrastructure (rural and urban) and erosional relief, gully erosion and channel processes are generalized. The formation of infrastructure and living conditions of the population depend on the degree of territory dissection by ravine-gully and river network, location of settlements on river banks – from small to the largest. Most of the settlements are confined to rivers and large gullies with a permanent watercourse, because these landforms supply water, ideal for industry development, energy production and transportation. At the same time, gully erosion and channel migration create certain risks for disfunction or destruction of operating facilities. With the growth of settlements and development of their technical and economic potential, the impact on certain elements and on the entire erosional relief is expanding, and the protection from hazardous gully erosion and channel processes is necessary. At different stages of their existence, settlements may completely depend on the relief, adjust to or transform erosion and channel processes, neutralizing their negative impact on human activities. Sustainable development of settlements depends on adequate choice of the territory, rational use of the erosional relief features, and accounting for probability of changes in the course of channels and gully formation. The study present the assessment and general classification of relationship of urban and rural settlements infrastructure (from small rural to the largest cities) with erosional relief, gully erosion and channel processes. Cities and rural settlements, subordinated to or suppressing erosional relief, rivers and channel processes are distinguished. The larger the city, the more complex these relationships are. Within the large city, different areas may refer to different types of interaction.