This paper presents a brief review of risk studies in Geography since the beginning of the 20th century, from approaches focused on physical-natural components or social aspects, to perspectives that incorporate a systemic approach seeking to understand and explain risk issues at a spatial level. The systemic approach considers principles of interaction between multiple variables and a dynamic organization of processes, as part of a new formulation of the scientific vision of the world. From this perspective, the Complex Systems Theory (CST) is presented as the appropriate conceptual-analytical framework for risk studies in Geography. Finally, the analysis and geographic information integration capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based on spatial analysis are explained, which position it as a fundamental conceptual and methodological tool in risk analysis from a systemic approach.

This article presents a methodology to perform quality analysis on the cadastral map, based on the tools provided by open (public or free) license geographic information systems (GIS). The errors presented in the cadastral map have a direct impact on the information systems, which can lead to erroneous decisions and to an increase in the costs of maintenance and updating of spatial data. The methodology developed was used and tested by Costa Rica’s Cadastre and Registry Regularization Program; as a product of this program, a continuous cadastral map has been created for Costa Rica, on which cadastral and registry transactions will be processed within the National Registry of Costa Rica. The methodology allows detecting, locating and classifying errors in the cadastral map for easily correcting, so that this map correctly represents the reality of the properties that conform it.

The sustainable development of Madeira Island necessitates the implementation of more precise and targeted planning strategies to address its regional challenges. Given the urgency of this issue within the context of sustainability, planning approaches must be grounded in and reinforced by a comprehensive array of thematic studies to fully grasp the complexities involved. This research leverages Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze land use and occupancy patterns and their evolution within the municipality of Machico on Madeira Island. The study provides a nuanced perspective on the urban structure’s stagnation in the region, while concurrently highlighting the dynamic shifts in agricultural practices. Furthermore, it elucidates the transformation of predominant native vegetation within the municipality from 1990 to 2018. Notably, the research underscores the alarming decline in native vegetation due to anthropogenic activities, emphasizing the need for more rigorous monitoring by regional authorities to safeguard and preserve these valuable landscapes, habitats, and ecosystems.

The wide distribution of the common beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Europe reveals its great adaptation to diverse conditions of temperature and humidity. This interesting aspect explains the context of the main objective of this work: to carry out a dendroclimatic analysis of the species Fagus sylvatica in the Polaciones valley (Cantabria), an area of transition with environmental conditions from a characteristic Atlantic type to more Mediterranean, at the southern limit of its growth. The methodology developed is based on the analysis of 25 local chronologies of growth rings sampled at different altitudes along the valley, generating a reference chronology for the study area. Subsequently, the patterns of growth and response to climatic variations are estimated through the response and correlation function, and the most significant monthly variables in the annual growth of the species are obtained. Finally, these are introduced into a Geographic Information System (GIS) where they are cartographically modeled in the altitudinal gradient through multivariate analysis, taking into account the different geographic and topographic variables that influence the zonal variability of the species response. The results of the analyses and cartographic models show which variables are most determinant in the annual growth of the species and the distribution of its climatic response according to the variables considered.

The design of effective flood risk mitigation strategies and their subsequent implementation is crucial for sustainable development in mountain areas. The assessment of the dynamic evolution of flood risk is the pillar of any subsequent planning process that is targeted at a reduction of the expected adverse consequences of the hazard impact. This study focuses on riverbed cities, aiming to analyze flood occurrences and their influencing factors. Through an extensive literature review, five key criteria commonly associated with flood events were identified: slope height, distance from rivers, topographic index, and runoff height. Utilizing the network analysis process within Super Decision software, these factors were weighted, and a final flood risk map was generated using the simple weighted sum method. 75% of the data was used for training, and 25% of it was used for testing. Additionally, vegetation changes were assessed using Landsat imagery from 2000 and 2022 and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The focus of this research is Qirokarzin city as a case study of riverbed cities, situated in Fars province, with Qir city serving as its central hub. Key rivers in Qirokarzin city include the Qara Aghaj River, traversing the plain from north to south; the primary Mubarak Abad River, originating from the east; and the Dutulghaz River, which enters the eastern part of the plain from the southwest of Qir, contributing to plain nourishment during flood events. The innovation of this paper is that along with the objective to produce a reliable delineation of hazard zones, a functional distinction between the loading and the response system (LS and RS, respectively) is made. Results indicate the topographic index as the most influential criterion, delineating Qirokarzin city into five flood risk zones: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. Notably, a substantial portion of Qirokarzin city (1849.8 square kilometers, 8.54% of the area) falls within high- to very-high flood risk zones. Weighting analysis reveals that the topographic humidity index and runoff height are the most influential criteria, with weights of 0.27 and 0.229, respectively. Conversely, the height criterion carries the least weight at 0.122. Notably, 46.7% of the study area exhibits high flood intensity, potentially attributed to variations in elevation and runoff height. Flood potential findings show that the middle class covers 32.3%, indicating moderate flood risk due to changes in elevation and runoff height. The low-level risk is observed sporadically from the east to the west of the study area, comprising 12.4%. Analysis of vegetation changes revealed a significant decline in forest and pasture cover despite agricultural and horticultural development, exacerbating flood susceptibility. 

Land suitability analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) is one of the most widely used method today. In this type of studies, GIS and geo-spatial statistical tools are used to evaluate land units and present the results in suitability maps. The present work aims to characterize the suitability of soils in the province of Catamarca for pecan nut production according to the variables: rockiness, salinity, risk of water-logging, depth, texture and drainage described in the Soil Map of Argentina at a scale of 1:500,000 published by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology. A classification of the suitability of the soil cartographic units was made according to crop requirements, applying the methodology proposed by FAO. The standardization of variables made by omega score and the calculation of the spatial classification score were carried out as a result of the synthesis of the spatial distribution of soil suitability. The applied methodology allowed obtaining the soil suitability map resulting in a total of 60,662 km² suitable for pecan nut production, which accounts for 59.8% of the total area of the province.