At the Department of geography and the environment, which in 2005 was organized by the doctor of geographical Sciences, Professor K. M. Janalieva formed Department of physical and economic geography. The Department selected as an independent research and educational division of the order of the rector of L.N.gumilyov Eurasian national university dated 16 September 2008. Since the establishment and until 2010 the Department of physical and economic geography was headed by doctor of geographical Sciences, Professor K. M. Janalieva, from 2010 to 2012 - doctor of pedagogical Sciences, Professor A. A. Saipov, from 2012 to 2014 – doctor of geographical Sciences, Professor M. N. Musabayev, from 2014 to 2019 – doctor of geographical Sciences, Professor K.T.Saparov.
Currently the Department is headed by doctor Phd, associate professor Ramazanova Nurgul Esenovna.
The mission of the Department is to develop and strengthen research and teaching concepts of training of highly qualified competitive specialists and geographers hydrologists with regard to the competence approach to the educational process in accordance with the new generation educational standard of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Strategic development goal of the Department is to achieve the maximum possible quality 3-level of training specialists of specialty "Geography" and "Hydrology" in the disciplines assigned to the Department, subject to the processes of formation of competences, ensuring the dynamics of increasing quality, through the introduction of educational innovations. The Department is implementing educational programs of a bachelor degree on specialties 6B05209 - "Geography", 6B05210- "Hydrology"; 6B01524 - "Training of geography teachers"; graduate 7M05213- "Geography"; 7M05210- "Hydrology"; 7M01524- "Training of geography teachers"; doctoral 8D05213- " Geography".
Educational and scientific activity is highly professional faculty. The Department has scientific and pedagogical staff, capable to carry out research and training competitive specialists. The right to teach is confirmed by the teachers of relevant scientific and pedagogical qualification, academic degrees and titles. Currently the Department has 5 doctors of Sciences, 6 candidates of Sciences and 5 doctors Phd, degree staff of the Department is 73%.