Evaluation of the Impact of Geo-Factors on Sustainable Living Environment

Abstract

The need of incorporating the principles of sustainable development to land management as well as urban development decisions is widely discussed. Social, economic factors, visual quality of natural as well as man-made landscape are commonly evaluated. However, the influence of the living natural environment on the human health and psychic behaviour is still little studied. The aim of the present study is to evaluate impact of different geo-factors on human diseases and psychic disorders. The area of the research is territory of Lithuania. Main geo-factors analyzed are gravity and magnetic fields, concentrations of geochemical elements in the soil, other geological factors (e.g. soil lithology), relief and landscape. Environmental factors are correlated with the spatial variations of somatic diseases and psychic disorders. The methods of mathematical statistics are applied and some significant correlations are identified that persuade the influence of geographical environment on the human health and living environment. The defined relationships can be applied in elaboration of methodical approach for ranking of different territories of favoring (or ”problematic”) environment using MCDM (Multiple Criteria Decision Making) approach for particular real estate development decisions. An example of ranking Lithuanian regions applying TOPSIS (the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method is presented.