A new methodological approach for analysing river basins landscape changes

Research indicates that the Jordan River Basin area is an area where serious environmental and cultural changes occur. This paper illustrates a new methodological approach to developing a structural framework to study river basins‘ cultural and landscape changes. The aim of the proposed framework is to elaborate and overlap the natural and cultural driving forces that influence the landscape and to understand the relationship between them. The study consists of four stages: 1. setting specific objectives coinciding with the study area conditions and specifications; 2. defining a specific technique to determine the selected time frame; 3. defining the factors of each driving force and evaluating their correspondence with the study objectives, and finally; 4. building matrixes of intersections combining the natural force, the cultural force, and the overlapping between both, and adopting specific methodological techniques and tools to measure the outcome of each intersection. The paper presents a case study of the application of the proposed framework in the Jordan River Basin. The research results demonstrate the usefulness of the developed framework in understanding the overlapping between the landscape driving forces (natural and cultural) as well as achieving the goals of the related research. This new approach can facilitate a better understanding of landscape change and help researchers and planners identify and address the key issues related to sustainable landscape management by developing more effective policies and management strategies.