Landscape Risk Assessment Model and Decision Support System for the Protection of the Natural and Cultural Heritage in the Eastern Mediterranean Area

Abstract

Abstract:In recent years, the competition of uses for scarce and highly valuable natural resources, and the frequency and severity of natural and technological disasters have increased, and this trend is likely to worsen in the years to come. In the Mediterranean area, especially in its Eastern part, the high human exploitation driven by different economic sectors and interests is resulting in intensive use of the land and its resources. Tourism intensification, rapid growth of urban settlement and related sprawl, movement and displacement of populations, rural abandonment, and adoption of different agricultural techniques are profoundly and rapidly changing the landscape character of the East Mediterranean. In view of the risks to cultural and natural heritage, a Landscape Risk Assessment Model (LRA) and Decision Support System (LDSS) were developed through the MedScapes-ENPI project. This paper reports the experience conducted at the Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management Department (LDEM) in the American University of Beirut (AUB) in developing the two tools, LRA and LDSS. It aims to provide insight into the methodology designed and tested during the length of the project to take into account the protection of landscapes of particular interest as well as the rational planning of all the landscapes with special emphasis on the use of natural resources. The assessment was applied in the study area of each partner country of the ENPI project, allowing for a better understanding of the implications in land-use and conservation decision-making.

Development of a Decision Support System Framework for Cultural Heritage Management

“…Their paper finds that by modeling the information captured by the 3D laser scanner and utilizing the existing data, BIM is capable of helping managers to retrieve, analyze and store important information in a more efficient and productive process, focusing on the changes in the historical building's layout [6]. Additionally, in recent years, the intensification of tourism, the rapid growth of urban settlements, rural abandonment, and the adoption of various agricultural techniques are profoundly and rapidly changing the landscape character of the eastern Mediterranean [7]. A landscape risk assessment model (LRA) and a decision support system (LDSS) have been developed through the MedScapes-ENPI project [7].…”

“…They successfully increase organizational control and individual productivity through their ability to manipulate data accurately and consistently [4]. In addition to this, they reduce costs and facilitate the identification of measures that make a process more efficient and productive, creating useful scenarios [3,[5][6][7]. DSSs reduce work time by helping users to plan efficiently and improve the level of customer engagement, thus saving time and money [8][9][10].…”

“…For instance, in the construction industry, DSSs have supported downtown development while preserving existing cultural buildings, identifying restoration priorities constrained by a predefined budget, defining adaptive reuse strategies, and analyzing and storing information regarding changes in the historical building layout [3,5,6,[11][12][13]. In the sustainable environmental context, Trovato et al [7] have designed a system that aims to help in landscape decision making for the protection of natural and cultural heritage. Other DSSs have supported decisions for museum institutions by presenting graphs, statistics, and maps on visitor movement, optimizing exhibition project planning for art museums, capturing visitor data, and evaluating candidates for museum ambassador roles [9,10,14].…”

Water Tourism: A New Strategy for the Sustainable Management of Water-Based Ecosystems and Landscapes in Extremadura (Spain)

“…From an environmental perspective, these types of tourism offer important opportunities for the development and implementation of new sustainable models for the management of water resources, which have a positive impact on the conservation of the environment, biodiversity, and local ecosystems [17]. Thus, water-based tourism initiatives have the potential to turn this resource into a sustainable economic and social asset, and through tourism, water can be utilized as an engine for regional development, the protection of unique ecosystems [3], and the improvement of the quality of life for tourists and local communities [4].…”

Landscapes in the Eastern Mediterranean between the Future and the Past

“…In this issue, Odeh et al [28] apply landscape characterization to two case studies in Jordan and demonstrate ways of including the results into current land-use planning practices in the country. In addition, Trovato et al [29] provide a landscape risk assessment method and landscape decision support system (LDSS), conducted on the regional scale of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. The study is an important attempt to assess and collate the landscape character of the region by using comparable indicators to evaluate the risk of loss of landscape value in the Eastern Mediterranean.…”