The Network
Further information: Members of the Global Geoparks NetworkThe international network seeks the membership of geological parks, or geoparks—geographical areas where geological heritage is the focus of local protection, education and development.
A set of criteria as established by UNESCO must first be met for a geopark, as nominated by the corresponding government, to be included in the GGN:
- the existence of a management plan designed to foster socio-economic development that is sustainable (most likely to be based on agritourism and geotourism);
- demonstrate methods for conserving and enhancing geological heritage and provide means for teaching geoscientific disciplines and broader environmental issues;
- joint-proposals submitted by public authorities, local communities and private interests acting together, which demonstrate the best practices with respect to Earth heritage conservation and its integration into sustainable development strategies
Criteria satisfaction is evaluated during biennial meetings (every even year) by the Geoparks Committee, known as the International Conference on Geoparks, which is also in charge with the periodic review of projects related to geological awareness. The first members of the GGN were named during the first conference in 2004, and it has continued to grow since then:
| Session | Year | Site | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2004 | Beijing, China | June 27–July 7 |
| 2nd | 2006 | Belfast, United Kingdom | September 17–21 |
| 3rd | 2008 | Osnabrück, Germany | June 22–26 |
| 4th | 2010 | Langkawi, Malaysia | April 12–16 |
| 5th | 2012 | Nagasaki, Japan | May 12–15 |
The GGN works in close synergy with another project under UNESCO’s Ecological and Earth Sciences Division—the Man and Biosphere (MAB) World Network of Biosphere Reserves—to come up with and establish different means of sustainable development in promoting the local communities’ relationship with the natural environment.
As of late summer, 2012, 91 geoparks from 27 countries have been included in the GGN. It is hoped that over 500 Geoparks will eventually be part of the GGN.
Read more about this topic: Global Geoparks Network
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