Geografie 1975, 80, 25-31
Environment in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic and Tasks of Geography
The paper is dealing with the developing sphere of scientific research i. e. problems of environment and tasks resulting for geography from this study. A characteristic is given of the recent development of scientific research and the laws controlling the orientation of several scientific disciplines on environmental problems. It stresses that just owing to this fact, geography as a synthetizing discipline was somewhat delayed when compared with other disciplines. In harmony with the general trend in all disciplines in geography too the way of investigations of environment led over description and registration of knowledge to generalization and search after new approaches. The need of development of geographical research in the field of environment requires on the author's opinion: a) further theoretical intensification and elucidation of the general conception of research (theory of environment, terminology, methodical approach, relationship of regional geographical science to system research of environment, etc.); b) elaboration of new methods and intensification of working methods applied already in the research of environment (adoption of new modern methods, mainly system analysis, cybernetics and modelling, orientation of partial geographical disciplines, on the elements of environment affecting in a decisive way its quality, research o{ interactions between the elements of environment, elaboration of a new information system on geographical objects; etc.). In the paper examples are given of a new approach to environmental research of geography of agriculture, industry, transport, population and settlements, of geomorphology, climatology, hydrology and biogeography. In the conclusion the statement is involved that the new tasks of geography resulting from environmental research can be solved within the frame of partial geographical disciplines. But they should be orientated so that their results (and the results of other disciplines) can be used for elaboration of a modern geographical synthesis of environment required urgently by various governmental institutions.
