Renewable energy encroachment in historical-natural landscape ensembles: a spatial observatory framework applied in...

The research advances the study of renewable energy impacts on land and landscape by introducing a spatially grounded Observatory Framework that operationalizes the encroachment as a cumulative and complex territorial process. To assess the level of degradation of mountainous landscapes, the proposed Framework designates Historical-Natural Landscape Ensembles (HNLEs), and integrates several geospatial datasets through a layered analytical approach. Several dimensions are monitored, including Energy Encroachment Intensity & Habitat Fragmentation, Land Cover & Ecosystem Dynamics, Protection Status, Cultural-Historical Landscape Integrity, Climate & Environmental Stressors. The method is applied into Central Greece, a Region where mountain ranges, and coastal uplands represent socio-ecological entities deeply embedded within the Mediterranean condition; experiencing intensified Renewable Energy Sources (RES) deployment, particularly wind energy. The case study demonstrates how industrial-scale spatial accumulation challenges the integrity of those landscapes, evaluates practices of the official planning framework, and frames emerging conflicts between top-down energy planning and local socio-spatial grassroot reactions. Results indicate that the landscape entities currently experiencing the greatest environmental and climatic pressures are those characterized by the highest concentration of installed RES, simultaneously displaying evidence of forest loss, fragmentation, and localized vegetation decline. Climatic factors operate in parallel with infrastructure development, as the most affected zones are typically those where multiple pressures overlap.