Geographic forecasting

A forecast is a scientifically grounded statement made in advance about a change in the state of a phenomenon or object. A geographic forecast justifies in advance the main directions of change of the natural environment and territorial production complexes; it is usually made in several variants and the most suitable one is chosen. By term there are operational (up to 1 month), short-term (1 month to 1 year), medium-term (1–5 years), long-term (5–15 years) and very long-term (over 15 years) forecasts. By scale there are planetary (problems concerning all humanity: warming climate, the ozone layer, desertification, drinking water), regional (covering several countries, for example polluted seas) and local (a specific structure, for example the effect of a mine on its surroundings). A forecast takes into account the properties of geosystem components that reduce pollution: depressions collect waste while elevations disperse it; river flow speed, the self-cleaning of soil and plants that absorb pollutants all matter.