Methodology of Visual Pollution Assessment for Natural Landscapes

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 Objetcs. In order to prepare the Methodology legal (international and national level) and theoretical framework (world-wide and Lithuanian experience in the field of visual impact assessment (VIA) and assessment of landscape visual-aethetic potential) was analysed and evaluated. Using the method of logical analogy and considering the results of analysis of legal and theoretical framework of VIA, and peculiarities of Lithuanian landscape, the concept of visual pollution and the main methodological stages of visual pollution assessment (VPA) for natural landscapes were proposed. The authors of the methodology state that the assessment of visual pollution should be based on: the establishment of the overall landscape character, visual character, visual capacity, and other aspects as the starting point for the evaluation of visual pollution; assessment of visibility of a pollution object; description of physical, visual and other characteristics of the pollution object; evaluation of negative visual impact (visual pollution) according the level of contrast of physical, visual and other characteristics of landscape and the pollution object