Explore the Earth's Treasures! World Geoparks, Have You Got It?

Recently, UNESCO announced a list of 18 new world geological parks, including six national geological parks in China, including Changbai Mountain in Jilin and Xingyi in Guizhou. The total number of world geological parks in China has reached 47, ranking first in the world.

Xingyi World Geopark Source: National Forestry and Grassland Administration official website

Geoparks are key protection areas for geological relics and ecological environments, and museums that showcase the evolution of the earth's history. World Geoparks are world-famous for their unique geological landscapes, rich natural resources, and profound cultural connotations. They are conducive to promoting the protection of geological relics and the popularization of geological science, and can be regarded as the gateway for humans to explore the earth's treasures.

At the same time, the management of the World Geopark is related to the country's independence and autonomy and has important political significance.

01Diverse types of geological relics

When you stand on the top of a towering mountain and overlook the layers of rocks below, they seem to be telling the long history of the earth.

When you walk in a vast desert, feeling the roughness of the sand blowing across your face, you will see sand dunes and rocks of various shapes, which are masterpieces of nature.

If you want to find out the unknown secrets of the mountains and deserts under your feet, a geopark is the best choice. Geoparks are not only the best places for popular science education, where you can gain in-depth knowledge of the formation of the earth, the movement of the earth's crust, the classification of rocks, and other scientific knowledge through visiting exhibitions, watching demonstrations, and participating in interactions. Geoparks are also important areas of geological relics and ecological environment, displaying rock formations formed hundreds of millions of years ago and traces left by ancient organisms.

Geological relics refer to the non-renewable natural heritage formed by the internal and external geological forces during the long history of the earth. They record major geological events in the history of the earth, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, glacial movements, etc., and provide valuable data for studying the evolution of the earth and natural disasters. At the same time, the study of geological relics also helps us understand the distribution of resources and geological environment of the earth, and provides a scientific basis for resource development and environmental protection.

According to geological formation reasons, natural attributes, etc., geological relics are mainly divided into six categories:

These include geological and geomorphological landscapes with great ornamental and scientific research value, such as the Stone Forest in Yunnan and the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone in Tibet, as well as geological profiles and tectonic features that are of great value in revealing the internal structure of the earth and the movement of the crust, such as the Baijiafen granite in Anshan, Liaoning, and the Precambrian stratigraphic sites in Songshan, Henan.

In addition, ancient human sites, paleontological fossil remains, natural disaster relics, as well as minerals and rocks of special value and their typical origins are all important components of geological relics.

Yunnan Stone Forest Geological Park is known as the Karst Landform Museum

Image source: National Forestry and Grassland Administration official website

Geoparks with geological relics as their main features are valued by countries around the world. They are mainly based on their distribution range and scale, supplemented by their rare natural attributes, aesthetic value, geological scientific significance, etc. my country's geoparks are divided into four categories: county-level, provincial-level, national-level, and world-class.

02Special Significance of the Garden of the World

As one of the three major brands of UNESCO (World Heritage, Man and Biosphere Reserve), the World Geopark is centered on outstanding geological scientific value and rare and beautiful geological landscapes, and cleverly integrates natural landscapes with cultural landscapes.

These parks are not only dedicated to the careful protection of geological relics, but also focus on the widespread dissemination of geological scientific knowledge and the vigorous development of the geological tourism industry. Their establishment aims to promote international protection and cooperation of geological relics with a global vision, so that more people can appreciate the magical charm of the earth and realize the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

Through these parks, we can deeply explore the mysteries of the earth and feel the wonders of nature. At the same time, we can inherit while protecting, develop while inheriting, and jointly protect our beautiful home Earth.

The classification standards and definitions of World Geoparks are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Geological scientific significance , that is, the geological relics in the park should have unique scientific value and research significance;

Aesthetic value , that is, the natural landscape of the park should have high aesthetic value and be able to attract tourists;

Local economic development and cultural heritage , that is, the park should be able to promote the development of the local economy through geological tourism and other means, while inheriting and promoting local culture.

Global distribution map of World Geoparks Source: World Geoparks Network

It is worth mentioning that UNESCO has clearly emphasized an important principle in the selection and definition of global geological parks: these parks must always be under the supervision of the independent jurisdiction of the country where they are located. This means that governments need to implement effective management of geological parks in accordance with their own laws and regulations to ensure the integrity and sustainability of geological relics.

This regulation not only reflects the rigorous attitude towards the protection of geological relics, but also reflects the world's deep yearning for peace and stability. Only in a peaceful and stable international environment can countries work together to protect these precious natural heritages and allow them to be passed on and continued for a long time.

03Strict review process specifications

So far, there are 213 World Geoparks in 48 countries. The selection of these parks has a strict and standardized application and approval process. In principle, UNESCO conducts strict reviews of candidate sites for World Geoparks every year to ensure that every park included in the World Geopark Network List meets the relevant standards and can make positive contributions to the protection of global geological relics and the popularization of geological science.

Specifically, the application and approval process for a Global Geopark involves three main stages:

Domestic preliminary evaluation and recommendation stage

Based on the basic conditions of a national geological park, the local government will submit application materials to its own government, and the country's special committee will conduct a preliminary assessment of the applied park.

UN site visit pre-assessment phase

The UNESCO World Geoparks Council will organize an expert team to conduct on-site inspections and preliminary assessments of the proposed parks, covering aspects such as geological landscapes, natural resources, and levels of protection and management.

Discussion stage of the United Nations meeting

The UNESCO Executive Board meeting will discuss and review the proposed park. If the proposed park is approved, UNESCO will announce it to the world.

On-site assessment

The entire process is rigorous and meticulous, ensuring that the approved World Geoparks have high value and representativeness in terms of geological science, natural resources and cultural connotations.

UNESCO Global Geoparks Conference held in Paris

Image source: World Geoparks Network

Generally speaking, the application and approval of a World Geopark often takes 5 to 8 years.

Of course, this cycle may change in special periods. Take Xingyi World Geopark as an example. It was applied for by the Qianxinan Prefecture People's Government in April 2015, and was not officially approved by UNESCO until the end of March this year. During this process, due to the impact of the global epidemic, the evaluation work of UN experts had to be postponed, so the entire application process took nearly 10 years.

Although the application process for the six world geological parks, including Xingyi, was long, their unique geological landscapes, rich natural resources and profound cultural connotations eventually won wide recognition from the international community.

This is not only a recognition of the outstanding value of these parks in geological science and their protection and management capabilities, but also means that they will inject new vitality into the global geological park network, jointly commit to the protection of geological relics, facilitate people's exploration of the earth's treasures, and promote the popularization and development of natural sciences.

References:

1. "Definition and Nomination Criteria of World Geoparks", author Hu Nengyong, Hunan Geology, No. 4, 2001

2. "Overview of the Development of World Geoparks Abroad and Its Implications for my country", by Hou Huali and Wang Suping, "Collection of Academic Papers of the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Youth Branch of the Chinese Society of Geology and Mineral Economics"

3. "Analysis of UNESCO Global Geopark Standards", author Zhang Jianping, "Geological Assessment" No. 4, 2020

Author: Wei Deyong

Member of Guangdong Shenzhen Writers Association

Editor: Dong Xiaoxian