CARTOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF THE LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL STATE OF THE WEST KAZAKHSTAN REGION

This article presents the results of a cartographic assessment of the landscape and ecological state of the West Kazakhstan region, based on field surveys and remote sensing data collected between 2023 and 2025. A landscape-ecological map of the region at a scale of 1:1,500,000 was developed. Cartographic analysis revealed that the largest portion of the region, 57.8%, is occupied by landscapes in a satisfactory ecological condition. These areas span all identified natural complexes and are predominantly influenced by pasture use, agrogenic activity, agro-industrial operations, and water management. Landscapes in favorable and relatively favorable ecological condition account for 32.8% of the territory and are mostly found in semi-desert and desert zones affected by grazing livestock. Landscapes in a tense or critical ecological state cover 9.4% of the region, exhibiting severe disruption of intra-landscape relationships and substantial degradation of natural resource potential, primarily in areas associated with oil and gas extraction.