Altai Krai Is Getting a New Digital Atlas
The last comprehensive map of Altai Krai was published in 1991. Over the past 35 years, settlement boundaries and numbers, transportation infrastructure, and socioeconomic conditions have all changed. Outdated maps no longer reflect reality.
The Institute of Geography at Altai State University (ASU) is creating a new atlas, but not a printed book. Instead, it will be a digital resource containing up-to-date maps of the region, data from long-term observations, and, crucially, information about natural hazards: where floods occur most often, where hail is common, and where ground subsidence is a significant risk.
An Atlas That’s Useful Beyond the Classroom
Scientists will use this digital map, marked with hazard warnings, to track environmental changes. Regional officials will be able to plan road network improvements and tourism development, emergency services will have information to help them prepare for floods, and residents will be better equipped to decide where to farm or build homes. This is more than a scientific reference work. If integrated with other systems, the atlas could become part of a broader regional digital infrastructure. For example, linking its maps to current hydrological observations could help specialists identify vulnerable areas and refine flood response plans.
Hundreds of hazardous natural events are recorded in Altai Krai every year. But the region faces another problem, too: rural communities are disappearing, and their history and traditions are fading with them. ASU is therefore also developing a separate interactive Atlas of Altai Villages, dedicated to the history, culture, and traditions of rural communities. The atlas is planned for publication in Russian, English, and Chinese.
One Map Point, a Wealth of Data
Data on floods, fires, and other emergencies across Russia are displayed in real time in the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Atlas of Hazards and Risks, a geographic information system with interactive maps. It has several access levels: a public version for citizens, an expanded version for emergency services staff, and full access for government authorities. The system incorporates satellite imagery and even elements of artificial intelligence to analyze data.
A comprehensive picture of Russia’s natural environment, population, economy, and ecology is provided by the four-volume National Atlas of Russia. Created between 2004 and 2008 at the government’s direction, it has a digital version and a website. But mapping resources can cover not just the natural environment, but also the economy. In 2021, the Higher School of Economics produced the Atlas of Economic Specialization of Russian Regions. It organizes data on regional specializations in employment, production, and investment. The atlas was designed as a practical tool for government, business, and researchers to support decisions about regional development.
Later, the Institute of Steppe of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences published two volumes of an atlas on the spatial development of Russia’s steppe regions. It covers their economies, settlement patterns, ecology, and demographics. The information is presented through maps and text to support the development of regional programs. The new Altai atlas builds on Russia’s established tradition of comprehensive mapping, with a sharper focus on keeping information about one region up to date and identifying natural hazards.
Not a Reference Book, but a Working Tool
Creating a digital atlas of Altai Krai is an effort to modernize the region’s scientific and information infrastructure. Up-to-date geospatial data could support land-use planning, environmental monitoring, natural hazard assessments, and government decision-making. Public officials, researchers, planners, and environmental protection staff will have a shared cartographic foundation. Once the atlas becomes a publicly accessible interactive resource with regular updates, searchable features, and data export, it will be far more useful than a digital copy of a printed book. The region’s experience could also inform the development of digital geographic resources for other parts of Russia.
