Analysis of legal and theoretical framework creating the methodology of visual pollution assessment for natural landscapes

Fulfilling the requirements of European Landscape Convention (2002) and following the statements of the National Landscape Policy of the Republic of Lithuania (2004) in 2014 the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania initiated creation of Methodology of the Assessment of Visual Pollution to Natural Landscape Complexes and Objects. In order to prepare the Methodology legal and theoretical framework of visual impact assessment (VIA) was analysed and evaluated. The analysis showed that international legal documents create all preconditions for the VIA at the national level. The national legislation requires the avoidance of visual pollution (in the state parks regulations), but there are no recommendations how to evaluate visual impact. Foreign countries in the field of VIA, unlike Lithuania, have validated concepts of landscape visual quality and planned activity or object visual impact assessment; systemic and objective methodological recommendations of visual impact assessment, which are used in practical activities of planning and design. Methodologies used by Lithuanian authors are well developed theoretically and intended for the overall evaluation of landscape visual quality or VIA, designation of landscape visual quality classes, evaluation of visual spaces (VS) indicators, establishment of VS visual resistance and sensitivity. Parts of some works can be used for the creation of methodology of visual pollution (negative visual impact) assessment