Understanding cultural landscape transformation: a re-photographic survey in Chitral, eastern Hindukush, Pakistan

Abstract

Studies of contemporary land-cover change require an integrated approach because changes in cover and environmental conditions are primarily caused by land uses, which, in turn are governed by human driving forces in a specific socio-economic and cultural context. Therefore, a research perspective which bridges the gap between the more specialized approaches of natural and social sciences is required. The present study, investigates cultural landscape transformation in the high mountain oases of Chitral, lying in the eastern Hindukush. Comparisons of historical photographs and replicates serve to demonstrate change and persistence of cultural landscape structures. The focus is on the irrigated fields of individual villages and shortened in time scale to the last 30 years. Due to the general population growth, the development of the cultural landscape is characterized by recent village enlargements and corresponding extensions of cultivated areas while the individual field sizes decrease. Intensified irrigation of the cultivated terraces has led to a significant increase in hygrophilous trees and thickets along the water channels. The regional center of Chitral Town is characterized by a higher building density and expansion of urban structures. The results show that repeat photography can serve as a basis for monitoring contemporary landscape transformation.