Geoheritage

Last updated

Geoheritage (a blend of geological and heritage) is the geological aspect of natural and cultural heritage. A geosite is a particular geological heritage asset. It is a heritage category comparable to other forms of natural heritage, such as biodiversity.

Contents

History of the concept

The first reference to geoheritage as such was at a 1993 conference held in the UK, the Malvern International Conference on Geological and Landscape Conservation. [1] [2]

The term geological heritage was first mentioned at the First International Symposium on the Conservation of our Geological Heritage at Digne, France in 1991. [3] The matter is further discussed in 2002 by Sharples. [4]

Conceptually, geoheritage derives from various writings of Busby et al. 2001 [5] and Hallam 1989 [6] ).

In Sharples 1995 [7] the original concept of geoheritage further developed to include the protection of dynamic geological processes and geodiversity.

In Sadry 2021 [8] the concept of geoheritage have more developed to include the vertical destinations: planetary(Space)geology.

Definition

"Geoheritage encompasses global, national, statewide, and local features of geology, at all scales that are intrinsically important sites or culturally important sites offering information or insights into the evolution of the Earth; or into the history of science, or that can be used for research, teaching, or reference." [9]

The definition of geoheritage is based on the Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia No.1 of 2020 concerning Guidelines for the Determination of Geological Heritage (Geoheritage) is Geological Diversity (Geodiversity) which has more value as a legacy because it is a record that has happened or is happening on earth due to its value. scientifically high, rare, unique, and beautiful, so that it can be used for research and education in the earth. [10]

Geotourism

"Geotourism is a knowledge -based tourism, an interdisciplinary integration of the tourism industry with conservation and interpretation of abiotic nature attributes, besides considering related cultural issues, within the geosites for the general public." [11] It is seen around the world through the growth of geoparks as well as independently in many natural and urban areas where tourism’s focus is on the geological environment.

Examples of geoheritage sites

Australia

In Australia, the term geoheritage appeared initially in Bradbury (1993), [12] and Sharples (1993). [13]

In Australia there are sites which have natural features (such as Fossil Hill at Cliefden Caves, NSW); cultural features (such as the site of the discovery of the first limestone in inland Australia at Cliefden Caves); scenically important sites such as the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains, of New South Wales, Australia; and indigenous culturally important sites such as Uluru in the Northern Territory.

Indonesia

The Geological Agency of the Indonesian Energy and Resources Ministry has declared nine geological sites in the province of Yogyakarta in Indonesia. [14] These are:

In Sleman Regency:

In Bantul Regency:

In Kulon Progo Regency:

In Gunung Kidul Regency:

Spain

The Geological Society of Spain and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain have produced a list of internationally important geosites (sites of geological interest known as LIGS in Spanish). This work, which began in 1999, is part of the Global Geosites project promoted by the International Union of Geological Sciences in the 1990s and subsequently supported by UNESCO. [15] Initially, geological contexts were identified (21 such contexts were listed by 2014), and then representative sites within these themes. The list of sites is not a closed one, and there is a mechanism for considering further nominations.

Teide volcano, Tenerife, has been designated a World Heritage Site in part for its geological interest. Some other WHSs in Spain are of geological interest, but were selected for other features. For example, Spain has one of the two sites of the WHS Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija. However, the criteria by which Almadén was assessed by UNESCO relate to its mining heritage rather than geological interest.

Ethiopia

With its diversified lithology, dissected landscapes and rock churches, there is a large amount of geoheritage in Ethiopia. Among the better documented geosites there is the Zeyi cave in Dogu'a Tembien . [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protected areas of the United Kingdom</span> Designated area for protection in the United Kingdom

Protected areas of the United Kingdom are areas in the United Kingdom which need and /or receive protection because of their environmental, historical or cultural value to the nation. Methods and aims of protection vary depending on the nature and importance of the resource. Protection operates at local, regional, national and international levels, and may be backed by legislation and international treaty, or less formally by planning policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geopark</span> Internationally protected area that advances the use of geological heritage in a sustainable way

A geopark is a protected area with internationally significant geology within which sustainable development is sought and which includes tourism, conservation, education and research concerning not just geology but other relevant sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geodiversity</span>

Geodiversity is the variety of earth materials, forms and processes that constitute and shape the Earth, either the whole or a specific part of it. Relevant materials include minerals, rocks, sediments, fossils, soils and water. Forms may comprise folds, faults, landforms and other expressions of morphology or relations between units of earth material. Any natural process that continues to act upon, maintain or modify either material or form represents another aspect of geodiversity. However geodiversity is not normally defined to include the likes of landscaping, concrete or other significant human influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotourism</span> Tourism associated with geological attractions and destinations

Geotourism is tourism associated with geological attractions and destinations. Geotourism deals with the abiotic natural and built environments. Geotourism was first defined in England by Thomas Alfred Hose in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geotope</span> Geological features of a landscape ecotope

A geotope is the geological component of the abiotic matrix present in an ecotope. Example geotopes might be an exposed outcrop of rocks, an erratic boulder, a grotto or ravine, a cave, an old stone wall marking a property boundary, and so forth.

The former Kanawinka Geopark is situated along a structurally controlling geological fault of the same name that extends from the Naracoorte Caves in South Australia into Western Victoria, before disappearing offshore at Portland.

The European Geoparks Network (EGN) functions as the regional organization of the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) and the UNESCO International Geosciences and Geoparks Programme (UNESCO-IGGP). Its main objective is to ensure cooperation between geoparks for the protection of geological heritage and the promotion of sustainable development of their territories in Europe. In 2020 January, the EGN had 75 institutional members from 26 European countries and there are several aspiring geopark projects, applying for a UNESCO label and therefore the permanent EGN membership.

Regionally important geological and geomorphological sites (RIGS) are locally designated sites of local, national and regional importance for geodiversity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. These sites are also known by other names, such as regionally important geological sites, Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites, County Geodiversity Sites in Norfolk, Local Geodiversity Sites in Scotland and Lancashire, and as County Geology Sites in Cornwall and Devon and in the Republic of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNESCO Global Geoparks</span> Geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council as meeting all the requirements for belonging to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). The GGN is both a network of geoparks and the agency of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). that administers the network.

The Novohrad – Nógrád Geopark (NNG), a geopark straddling the border between Hungary and Slovakia, is one of the first transnational geoparks in the world. It is a member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network and European Geoparks Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliefden Caves</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Cliefden Caves is a heritage-listed geoheritage site in Mandurama, Cowra Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The caves comprise Ordovician fossil localities, limestone caves, a spring and tufa dams, and a site where limestone was first discovered in inland Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San'in Kaigan Geopark</span>

The San'in Kaigan Geopark (山陰海岸ジオパーク) is a geopark in Japan. The area was declared a Japanese Geopark in 2008, and a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2010. The underlying themes of the geopark are "geological features, the natural environment, people's lives, and the formation of the Sea of Japan". This geologically diverse area contains records of the process from when Japan was part of the Asian continent to its present-day formation of the Sea of Japan. People's lives are also diverse in this area because of its geodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azores Geopark</span>

The Azores Geopark is a network of 121 geographically-dispersed sites of geographic heritage and marine areas that covers the nine volcanic islands of the archipelago of the Azores. This network is managed by the Azores Geopark Association, a non-profit association, with its headquarters in Horta on the island of Faial, established 19 May 2010. It is part of the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. The Association's mission is to ensure the geological conservation, environmental education and sustainable development, while promoting the well-being of the population and a respect for the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural sustainability</span>

Cultural sustainability as it relates to sustainable development, has to do with maintaining cultural beliefs, cultural practices, heritage conservation, culture as its own entity, and the question of whether or not any given cultures will exist in the future. From cultural heritage to cultural and creative industries, culture is both an enabler and a driver of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. Culture is defined as a set of beliefs, morals, methods, institutions and a collection of human knowledge that is dependent on the transmission of these characteristics to younger generations. Cultural sustainability has been categorized under the social pillar of the three pillars of sustainability, but some argue that cultural sustainability should be its own pillar, due to its growing importance within social, political, environmental, and economic spheres. The importance of cultural sustainability lies within its influential power over the people, as decisions that are made within the context of society are heavily weighed by the beliefs of that society.

Googong Foreshores is a heritage-listed historic precinct at London Bridge Road, Burra, New South Wales, Australia. It consists of the historic surroundings of the Googong Dam that predated the dam itself. It is also known as the Googong Foreshores Cultural and Geodiversity Heritage Areas. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 3 November 2017.

Cynthia Veronica Burek is a Professor of Geoconservation at the University of Chester. She serves on the steering group of the Geodiversity Action Plan (UKGAP) and as a Director of the British Federation of Women Graduates.

Geoconservation is the practice of recognising, protecting and managing sites and landscapes which have value for their geology or geomorphology. The conservation of these geological sites is through government agencies and local geological societies in areas such as Europe and Africa. The designation of these sites is done through an analysis of the site, and the production of proper management infrastructure. The principles of geoconservation are to create a means of protection for the sites, and assess their value to the geological community. Typically the conservation of geodiversity at a site or within a landscape takes place alongside that of biodiversity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mine-Akiyoshidai Karst Plateau Geopark</span> Geopark in Mine, Yamaguchi, Japan

Mine-Akiyoshidai Karst Plateau Geopark is a geopark that covers the entire area of Mine City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, southern Japan. It was certified as a Japanese geopark in 2015 and is a UNESCO Global Geopark. Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park is situated within the geopark. Mine-Akiyoshidai Karst Plateau Geopark is a member of the Japanese Geoparks Network, and works with both the Global Geoparks Network and the Asia Pacific Geoparks Network.

References

  1. ↑ Joyce E B 1994a Geological Heritage Committee. In: B J Cooper & D F Branagan (eds), Rock me hard. Rock me soft. a history of the Geological Society of Australia Inc. Published by Geological Society of Australia Inc., Sydney, NSW, 30-36
  2. ↑ O'Halloran D, Green C, Harley, M Stanley M, & Knill J (eds) 1994 Geological and Landscape Conservation. Proceedings of the Malvern International Conference 1993. Geological Society, London, UK
  3. ↑ Anon 1991 First International Symposium on the Conservation of our Geological Heritage, Digne, France, 11–16 June 1991: Terra Abstracts Supplement 2 to Terra Nova Volume 3, 1991, 17
  4. ↑ Sharples C 2002 Concepts and principles of geoconservation. Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife Service, Hobart
  5. ↑ Busby III A B, Conrads R, Willis P & Roots D 2001 An Australian Geographic Guide to Fossils & Rocks: Australian Geographic NSW
  6. ↑ Hallam, Anthony 1989 Great Geological Controversies (2nd Ed). Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK
  7. ↑ Sharples C 1995 Geoconservation in forest management - principles and procedures. Tasforests 7: 37-50
  8. ↑ Sadry, B.N. (Ed.) (2021) The Geotourism Industry in the 21st Century: The Origin, Principles, and Futuristic Approach; Florida: Apple Academic Press.
  9. ↑ M Brocx & V Semeniuk (Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 90: 53-87, 2007)
  10. ↑ Dewi, Tinalah (22 April 2021). "ESDM Tetapkan 20 Tempat Geoheritage di Yogyakarta".
  11. ↑ Sadry, B.N.(2009)"Fundamentals of Geotourism: with special emphasis on Iran", Samt Organization publishers,Tehran.220p.(English Summary available Online at: http://physio-geo.revues.org/4873?file=1
  12. ↑ Bradbury J 1993 A Preliminary Geoheritage Inventory of the Eastern Tasmania Terrane. A Report to Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania.
  13. ↑ Sharples C 1993 A Methodology for the identification of significant landforms and geological sites for geoconservation purposes. Report to Forestry Commission Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania
  14. ↑ 'Nine unique geo-heritage sites declared', The Jakarta Post, 3 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "El Proyecto Global Geosites en España". IGME. Retrieved 9 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  16. ↑ The Zeyi Cave Geosite in Northern Ethiopia
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.