Global Network of National Geoparks

Draft version: 24 September 2010

What do you want to know before submitting a dossier to become member of the GGN- Global Geoparks Network?

1. What are the ultimate preconditions before having the idea to ‘make’ a Geopark?

Being interested to become a Geopark and an adhering member to the GGN is a voluntary participation in the Global Network of National Geoparks. In applying for membership, the applicant must respect the terms of the GGN guidelines. An independent expert group will refer to these guidelines when assessing proposals for the Global Network.

Before submitting a dossier, the aspiring Geopark candidate must already be in place and functioning as a de facto Geopark.

It is equally important for applying areas to have been already in contact with the GGN and its global members and experts, the Secretariat, possible during some of the international conferences and workshops, being already familiar with the philosophy of the Geoparks concept.

2. What actually is a Geopark?

A Geopark is an area with…. particular geological heritage of international significance and a sustainable development strategy involving local communities.A Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty. These features are representative of a region’s geological history and the events and processes that formed it.

The important geological features within the Geopark area must be accessible to visitors, linked to one another scientifically, thematically, and educationally, and formally protected and managed through a comprehensive plan. A Geopark partnership between different types of managed lands within a Geopark (federal, state, or private) must recognize and adhere to each unique management plan for individual sites, but must also have a common strategic management plan for the entire Geopark partnership with established goals.

A Geopark is not…. an area of outstanding geological heritage alone, a small single site of geological interest, a fenced off area just for scientists, it is not a geological theme park, noran area with no local community involvement, or no sustainable economic development strategy. Very important but frequently asked: Geopark is not a category of protected area.

3. Has a Geopark a minimum or a maximum size required?

A Geopark must have a sufficiently large surface area to develop a sustainable development strategy. It must have a clear boundary and it must be managed by a clearly defined management structure. It is obvious that huge areas like the Alaxa Geopark in China (68,374 km2) can be considered as very big, and are by nature are very difficult to manage and must make a huge effort to demonstrate a coherent image to visitors who may just visit a small part of it.

Other parks that have intermediate manageable sizes are:

Hexigten 1,750 km (China)

ToyaUzu 1,180 km2 (Japan)

Hateg 1,023 km2 (Rumania)

Gea Norvegica 3,010 km2 (Norway)

Rocca di Cerere 1,279 km2 (Italy)

Qinling 1,074 (China)

Shetland 1468 (UK)

English Riviera Geopark (first urban Geopark) 62 km2 of land, 41 km2 sea area (UK)

4. What are the aims of a Geopark?

A Geopark fosters socio-economic development that is culturally and environmentally sustainable directly impacting on the area by improving human living conditions and the rural environment. A Geopark acts as a quality statement for the region. It gives local people a sense of pride for their region, strengthens public identification with the area, while promoting a better understanding of the area’s geological heritage and its importance in history and society today. The Geopark partnership serves as a catalyst for technical assistance with the challenges of living with a region’s geologic environment and landscape, for example in a karst region, a seismically active area, or near an active volcano.

The aim of a Geopark is to bring enhanced employment opportunities for the people who live there. These opportunities are being created in association with the conservation of the geological heritage of the Geopark. The establishment of a Geopark stimulates the creation of innovative local enterprises, small business, cottage industries, high quality training courses and new jobs by generating new sources of revenue (e.g. geotourism, geoproducts) while protecting the geo-resources of the Geopark (e.g. encouraging casting instead of sale of fossils). This provides supplementary income for the local population and attracts private capital.

'Geotourism' is an economic, success-oriented and fast-moving discipline, a new tourist business sector involving strong multidisciplinary cooperation. Sustainable tourism and other economic activities within a Geopark area are very important and must be carried out in communication with the Geopark management. Tourism activities adhere to individual site management plans and authority and respect the cultural character of the area. In many regions, it is necessary to involve the indigenous community in the establishment of a Geopark area and partnership.

A primary aim of a Geopark is to promote geoscience education within local communities and to visitors by conveying the importance of the Geopark’s geological heritage to students, teachers, local decision-makers, and the public, as well as visitors to the region. New scientific understanding developed through research should be an integral component of the Geopark’s education and outreach programs. A Geopark provides education and outreach activities to communicate geoscience and environmental concepts through a variety of methods (such as museums, interpretive/education centers, trails, guided tours, publications, maps, student curricula, public presentations and lectures, and interactive, frequently updated websites).

5. What are typical activities within a Geopark?

A Geopark is an area ‘alive’. It uses its geological heritage as its primary promotional tool but also promotes other aspects of its natural, cultural and historical heritage. A Geopark is a territory with well-defined limits that has a large enough surface area for it to serve sustainable local economic development mainly through tourism. Typical activities in a Geopark include the development of walking and cycling trails, the training of local people to act as guides, education courses and guided tours, provision of information, interpretation and research activities, signage and the development of modern museums and visitor centers. Stimulating activities in the population related to the geological theme and the creation of local agricultural and traditional craft products. Preparing informational material on geology and nature as a whole, printing leaflets and other material, maintaining websites. Some geoparks work a lot with culture and bring in the link between culture and geology.

6. Who is in charge of and how to manage a Geopark?

The establishment of a Geopark area is a bottom-up process in a country and is based on a strong local multiple partnership with long-term public and political support. The initiative to develop this partnership must therefore come from sites with a strong commitment to developing a partnership plan that meets the goals of local communities while showcasing and protecting an area’s geological heritage. This includes that the different partners adhere to the common work and principles of the Geoparks concept. For European Geoparks the partners involved must accept the EGN Charter which states the main principles.

Geopark activities and all different individual geological sites within the Geoparks boundary area are publicized through one partnership, which promotes and manages activities as a whole, not in fragmented individual parts in order to guarantee one corporate identity of the Geopark. The designated Geopark area must be clearly visible through consistent signage for visitors.

A Geopark is an opportunity to develop cohesive partnerships with common goals between land owners, managers, businesses, tourism interests, and other local organizations to promote an area representing significant geological processes, features, periods of time, a unified landscape, historical themes linked to geology, or the outstanding geological beauty of an area – together as a partnership and team effort.

7. Who can become a Geopark partner?

Multiple partners are possible from inside and also outside the geopark area. The Geopark develops multiple partnerships in many different fields with many different groups in the area stakeholders and local enterprises who become Geopark partners as well as with local and national authorities, community leaders, private interests, Geological Surveys, research and educational institutions, and tourism bodies.

8. How will the partners be committed?

Through different forms MOU, agreements, contracts, etc. defining cooperation and details of cooperation and also use of the different logos.

10. What means community involvement and empowerment in a Geopark?

“Community empowerment” in the GGN context refers to actions and programs which support local communities’ capacity with the overall objective to achieve that local communities become Geopark beneficiaries and that the traditions, skills, experiences and knowledge of local communities about their environment and their landscape become part of the Geopark’s concept and are clearly recognized in information for visitors and in Geopark publications and public programs (e.g. guided walks).

Examples are:

• Comprehensive information of local communities in a Geopark’s territory about the Geopark, the related philosophy, the intended objectives and the options for local communities to participate in the development of the Geopark
• Assessment of local capacities and needs: Intensive dialogue between Geopark management and local communities on how local strengths and values (= skills, traditions, products, knowledge…) could be integrated into the overall development of the Geopark and how local communities could get opportunities to create benefits from Geopark development
• Provision of tailored training for local communities, e.g. for tour guides, marketing local products, developing new products, provide services in the Geopark (e.g. accommodation or food, transport)
• Allocate tasks to local communities, e.g. in the context of maintenance of Geopark infrastructure or operation of Geopark facilities (information points)
• Work together with local institutions, associations and with schools in order to develop and to operate Geopark programs in the area of education, besides scientists use local expertise for education programs

11. How long does it take and cost to create a Geopark?

To create a Geopark ‘from scratch’ takes several years including the building up of local and national contacts, management and infra-structure, a financial and business structure, etc.. It will take a couple of years to reach the point fromwhich on an application can be written. It must not be neglected that the preparation phase is considerably important. It includes among others the writing of a business and financial plan (including fundraising), studies of the area for geological heritage values, geotourism and outreach activities, the establishment of infrastructure (museums, roads, site management). However, the time and financial effort can be considerably reduced when a Geopark is build upon already existing structures.

If a region needs to develop the entire necessary infrastructure and management plan of a Geopark from nothing then the budget can possibly run into several million dollars.

12. How long will it take and cost to prepare an application dossier?

Below are just examples taken from Geoparks, the costs will vary depending on local conditions and the organizational structure hosting the Geopark. This also depends on the physical size of the territory, geological diversity, the availability of information, the number of projects which are operated and staff available.

It is difficult to define a concrete time limit. Ifall the different phases of preparation are done and the Geopark has actually begun to function, it takes a minimum of 3 -5 months to prepare an application dossier. If an external institution is commissioned to prepare an application, it may cost tenth of thousands of dollars. But if already a structure exists and the Geopark will be integrated it may coststaff time and some additional money to prepare maps, DVD´s or other PR material, outreach activities, training guides, etc..

As an example from Europe, the cost of preparing the application of the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark (Northern Ireland) needed not be very high provided the region already had the necessary geotourism infrastructure and management structures to meet the qualifying criteria for geoparks.If all that is already in place then the actual preparation of an application might take between 3 - 6 months for one or two people who are suitably qualified and experienced (scientific AND economic / tourism / development). New photography, mapping and print costs are likely to be around €15,000 (18,000USD). This can be reduced if the application is provided as an on-line link, which is environmentally more sustainable and which is encouraged by the GGN.

13. What about legislation in a Geopark?

A Geopark is also not a formal legislative designation. A Geopark under the Global Geoparks Network is not a new category of protected area or landscape. A Geopark area is not a new form of land ownership or federal or state designation of publicland. A Geopark therefore can be quite different to what is in some countries mostly an entirely protected as regulated National Park or Nature Park, which may be defined under the environmental law in a country.

Sites that maintain public access and have an existing strong partnership among neighboring land owners and managers, or the potential to build a strong partnership, would qualify. Concurrence of all property owners is required through signatures in the planning process. The designation of the land area as a Geopark does not affect the legal status of a property. Only the individual countries laws remain applicable to ownership and management of the site(s). The sole role of UNESCO is oversight of the global program criteria and quality standards. UNESCO has no legal rights over local, state, federal or private ownership or management of a Geopark area and there is also no international convention bound to the Geoparks (as would be for example for the UNESCO World Heritage designation for which a convention was adopted by member states).

Local, state, or federal management authorities ensure appropriate site protection measures within individual site management plans, in cooperation with the appropriate agencies, to guarantee effective conservation and protection and provide necessary monitoring and maintenance of the proposed area. Sites remain under the sole jurisdiction of the landowners and managers, whether private, or local, state, tribal, or federal agencies. UNESCO does not have any type of management authority over the Geopark area.

14. Does the geoparks Network provide training courses?

The European geoparks Network organizes annually an Intensive Course on Geoparks which focuses on geoconservation, geopark management and operation, geotourism development, educational activities and local development. For the moment the Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark is hosting this course. This Intensive course is also open to individuals from non-member organizations with a PhD or Masters degree in science.

The GGN co-organizes meetings and workshops in Member States all around the world in connection to national and international geoparks conferences, with the aim to help interested regions to adopt the Geoparks concept and facilitate the of the planning and business plan preparation of aspiring areas and finally help to draft applications.

15. What is the difference between a geopark and a natural park?

A Geoparks is not a new category of protected area or a nature park but very often a Geopark corresponds to or overlaps with a protected area (nature park, nature reserve, etc). While a protected area (according to the new official definition approved by IUCN in 2008 at the last World Conservation Congress in Barcelona) is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values” a Geopark ensures the protection of the geological heritage of its territory in accordance with local traditions and legislative obligations, but it doesn’t add special restrictions or measures of protection.

16. What is the added value of a Geopark?

This may be not so much the visitor numbers but more an enhanced value of the area (geology and the history of the landscape is interesting and can create national identity!), dissemination of geological knowledge, high quality educational and pedagogic work. The Geopark is often part of a tourism concept for an area and therefore a tourism instrument.

The Geopark supports and increases local development and employment.

Benefits to be part of an active network which members have the same interest, profit mutually from common promotion, common projects (which can attract international funds), common activities, exchange of experience. There is an increase of awareness, promotion of the area (international/ national/local, political, press). The fact belonging to a network under UNESCO, belonging to the UN-family is certainly interesting for certain regions. A high level international visibility and promotion can attract investments by national and local public and private bodies.

17. Is a Geopark Network member also a ‘UNESCO Geopark’?

UNESCO has been invited "to support ad hoc efforts with Member States as appropriate" to promote territories or natural parks having special geological features (Executive Board in June 200, 161 EX/Decisions, 3.3.1). National Geopark initiatives, which seek UNESCO's assistance should integrate the preservation of significant examples of geological heritage in a strategy for regional sustainable socio-economic and cultural development, safeguarding the environment.

There is no ‘UNESCO Geopark’ designation at present. This needs the support and decision of the General Conference of UNESCO and the agreement of all member states of UNESCO who have decision making power. However, the members of the Global Geoparks Network are members of the Global Network of National Geoparks assisted by UNESCO (GGN), the Geoparks being an activity under UNESCO’s workplan.

The inclusion into the Global Network is a sign of recognition of excellence and in no ways implies any legal or financial responsibilities on the part of UNESCO. This relates also to the use of UNESCO’s name and logo (temple logo), which needs a special authorization on individual request respecting the regulatory framework of the Organization. Therefore the GGN propose to use the GGN logo we have created especially for the Global Network.