UNESCO’s Executive Board has endorsed the addition of 18 sites to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network. This brings the total number of geoparks to 213 in 48 countries.
The new geoparks are situated in Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Spain. There is an additional new transboundary geopark spanning Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The UNESCO Global Geopark designation was created in 2015. It recognizes geological heritage of international significance.
MORE:
- NORTH AFRICA’S RENEWABLE POTENTIAL AND STRATEGIC LOCATION REINFORCE ITS ROLE IN ENERGY TRANSITION
- WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN AFRICA?
- BY MARKING TREES, MONTENEGRO PREVENTS THE ILLEGAL CUTTING OF FORESTS
Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation of their significant geological heritage with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development.
UNESCO continues to promote the geopark concept in regions where geoparks are less common, notably in Africa, the Arab States and Small Island Developing States. UNESCO does this by facilitating expert missions, tailored training sessions and individual consultations on both a national and local scale, to guide the preparation of applications for UNESCO Global Geopark status.
Read the whole article HERE.
Source: UNESCO
