A Landscape Perspective on the Impact of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Abstract

This reading of the Lebanese situation from the perspective of the refugee crisis is an occasion to describe the repercussions of the Syrian mass migration on the spatial assets of the country and to reveal the strong cultural and territorial component of this emergency. The paper argues for an understanding of the mechanisms that are at work in the shaping and changing of the country's landscape. In our reading, we used McClelland's definition, which considers 'landscape characteristics (as) the tangible evidence of the activities and habits of the people....[reflecting the] beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and values of these people' (McClelland et al., Nat Regist Bull 30:3, 1994). Thus, we used the landscape lens to interpret the new spatial organization of the land as an expression of imported cultures. The paper reports the findings of the study that was performed in two informal settlements (ISs) in Lebanon: Sarafand 009 and Al Tyliani.