The ENPI-CBCMED program, which is an EU sponsored initiative, has recently approved a project titled “Medscapesâ€, which strives to raise awareness about the concept of landscapes in the eastern Mediterranean, Â and to introduce an innovative methodology known as landscape character assessment (LCA) as a tool for effective landscape management in the partner countries.

The Kick-off meeting for the project was held in Limassol, Cyprus from March 10-12, 2014. The partner countries are Cyprus (Laona Foundation and the Open University of Cyprus), Greece (University of the Aegean), Lebanon (Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon and the American University of Beirut) and Jordan (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and the German Jordanian University).

The project contains a number of components that involve implementation of LCA in pilot areas within the partner countries, training of professionals in LCA, raising awareness of the different stakeholders on the importance of landscapes, and capitalization of the results.

GJU will be responsible for developing educational materials for graduate level courses in LCA, and will also be involved in the LCA implementation within the pilot areas in Jordan in cooperation with the RSCN.

Two pilot areas have been chosen in Jordan. These are the Mujib and Yarmouk hydrological basin areas. The first is a nature reserve, which is administered by the RSCN, and the second is an important landscape because of its hydrological, agricultural and natural characteristics and because of the threat of urban sprawl on that area.