Karadag Holds 3rd International Conference on Geoecological Assessment of Mountain River Basins

On 24–25 April 2025, the T.I. Vyazemsky Karadag Scientific Station—a natural reserve of the Russian Academy of Sciences—hosted the 3rd International Scientific Conference, “Geoecological Assessment of Mountain River Basins: Theoretical, Methodology and Methodical Aspects, Regional Research.” This large-scale event, held for the first time at an IBSS branch, brought together leading scientists from across Russia, as well as from Brazil, Guinea, Iran, and South Africa, to discuss contemporary challenges in geoecology and natural resource management.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Roman Gorbunov, Director of IBSS and Doctor of Geographical Sciences; Professor Ibragim Kerimov, Vice-President and Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences; and Surkhay Mamaev, Director of the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Candidate of Technical Sciences.

“The conference has become a valuable platform for exchanging experience and knowledge, strengthening international cooperation in geoecology with each passing year. All participants emphasised the importance of further research and comprehensive strategies for assessing and sustainably managing natural resources in river basins, particularly under changing climatic conditions and increasing human impact,” noted Roman Gorbunov.

The plenary session began with a presentation by Zaur Ataev (Dagestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences) on the spatio-temporal ecotonal landscapes of the mountain-plain contact zone in the Russian Caucasus. This was followed by Dr. Ekaterina Kashirina (IBSS) discussing the geoecological assessment of landscapes in the Chyornaya River basin (Crimean Peninsula), Alexei Gunya (Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences) presenting on landscape dynamics in the Sunzha River basin, and Surkhay Mamaev (Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences) addressing hazardous geological processes in the Sulak River basin in the Eastern Caucasus, linked to changing climatic conditions.

In total, conference participants presented over 30 scientific papers, discussing issues related to the geoecological assessment of mountain river basin landscapes in the context of climate change and intensifying anthropogenic pressure. A dedicated session explored the use of artificial intelligence in stationary landscape-ecological research, and recommendations were developed for the sustainable management of natural resources.

The conference also included an extensive excursion programme, featuring visits to the Centre for the Study and Adaptation of Marine Mammals, the Museum of Karadag’s History and Nature, the T.I. Vyazemsky Ecological Trail, and an author’s exhibition by Dr. Tatiana Gorbunova, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Landscape Ecology and Geomatics, IBSS, titled “Along Guinea’s Trails.”

The conference was held with financial support from the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the grant agreement No. 075-15-2024-644 for large-scale scientific projects in priority areas of scientific and technological development: “Dynamics of the Geoecological State of Mountain River Basins in the Northeastern Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Iran under Climate Change and Increasing Anthropogenic Pressure.”

For further details, visit the official website: https://riverconf.ibss-ras.ru/.