Geodiversity, Geoheritage and Geoconservation: A Global Perspective

Abstract

In recent decades, the growing awareness and necessity of dealing with geodiversity and geoheritage has drawn the attention of the global geoscientific community to conserving and safeguarding it. As a result, the global initiatives, reinforced by the efforts of the regional and local geological communities, have led to a paradigm shift in how geodiversity (diverse geological elements) and geoheritage (geological heritage) are perceived. The efforts and actions of some nations in conserving geodiversity and geoheritage have been exemplary, while others are still in a nascent stage and a few still need to awaken. The concepts of geodiversity, geoparks, geoheritage, and geoconservation are the fruits of the efforts of many global and regional organizations. The collective efforts of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Global Geoparks Network (GGN), and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) have brought the attention of the global geoscientific community, policymakers and governments of almost all nations to ponder the issues of geodiversity and geoheritage. These globally recognised organisations have been at the forefront and their initiatives have permitted the conservation of some significant geological heritage and have demonstrated that they can pave a new path for more sustainable development. These organisations have worked in tandem for the past few decades and have been successful in identifying and designating some of the outstanding and geologically significant sites/geosites as ‘Natural World Heritage Sites’, ‘UNESCO Global Geoparks’. The novel ideas and statutes defining global designation criteria and protocols by these organisations are there to enthuse and encourage earth scientists, policymakers, the public, and governments of all nations to frame their own national and local statutes for the identification and conservation of outstanding national geoheritage and to further integrate them with the international organisations for global designations.