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L. Kartunova, Dr.Arch.,
Latvian Research Institute of Building and Architecture
The effect of geological surroundings on the health of people
Abstract for the International Congress Russian Academy of Administration. UNESCO. European Network for Women’s Studies (Moscow, 1993, November 23-26)
“Women for Environment Protection”

The process of formation of any country depends on the rate of growth of population and the state of its health. Its development may be guaranteed only by extended reproduction of population of any region and the entire country.

The statistical data of health of the recent decades clearly show the unfavourable demographic tendencies in Latvia. Since the beginning of the 20th century the natural growth of population has been steadily decreasing and in 1993 it reached -1.5 per 1000 of the population a year. And the population of Latvia is dying out.

The investigations made by Latvian researchers including the work done by the Department of Urban Ecology of the Latvian Research Institute of Building and Architecture have shown that vitally important characteristics such as birth-rate, death-rate, sickness rate and life longevity depend on geological and geophysical features of the territories being investigated. Every piece of land has its own exclusive potentials for human being, animal and plant reproduction.

There exist areas with extremely unfavourable parameters for life with high mortality and sickness rate, and very low birth-rate. Infant mortality and mortality among young people is very high there too. And, on the contrary, there are territories with most favourable conditions, where during centuries women give birth to healthy children, so the population is growing and healthy. Every territory has a certain level of lithospheric risk and every country has to consider these factors. It is necessary to make geoecological zoning of territories and gradually reconsider the existing system of population density.

Modern research methods based on deciphering space pictures and making wide use of geological, geophysical and health situation data allow us to provide good results in zoning of territories and making of maps.

The most precious thing for a men is life and the commitment of researchers is to take care that it starts in the most optimal conditions and make people happy and reduce their sufferings.

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