Mapas y atlas del medio ambiente

Summary

This document submitted by Spain discusses the scope, scales, and updating requirements of environmental maps and atlases. The joint International Geographical Union–International Cartographic Association working group provisionally defines the environment as the geographical circumstances affecting the human ecological system. The document describes large-scale maps of environmental dynamics, including pollution and erosion, and argues that difficulties of generalization generally favor single-theme maps at small scales. Such maps should use objective data to identify areas requiring remedial action and should be updated promptly. Environmental atlases may be produced independently, incorporated into national atlases, or cover transboundary regions; maps of different themes should share a scale and topographic base to facilitate comparison. The document also considers organizing publications as replaceable map series, outlines the working group’s atlas reviews, bibliography compilation, and preparation of illustrative chapters, and anticipates possible applications combining remote sensing with automated cartography.