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UNESCO Global Geoparks Council proposes 16 new geoparks for endorsement
The UNESCO Global Geoparks Council plays a crucial role in evaluating new and renewed UNESCO Global Geopark nominations. Its members meet annually to determine whether new applications meet the required standards and can be forwarded the Executive Board of UNESCO for endorsement. Additional applications will be examined during the second part of this 8th session of the Council, in early December 2023. The Council will then present a report on its work and decisions to the UNESCO Executive Board for endorsement in the spring of 2024.
Should the UNESCO Executive Board endorse the applications that were accepted thus-far, this would bring the total number of UNESCO Global Geoparks from 195 to 211, in 48 countries. This is subject to increase, following the December meeting.
Geoparks endorsed for UNESCO nomination in 2024
The 16 accepted applications from prospective UNESCO Global Geoparks are:
- Uberaba, Brazil
- Biokovo-Imotski Lakes, Croatia
- Enshi Grand Canyon Tenglongdong Cave, China
- Linxia, China
- Longyan, China
- Mount Changbaishan, China
- Wugongshan, China
- Xingyi, China
- Det Sydfynske Øhav, Denmark
- Impact Crater Lake, Lappajärvi, Finland
- Armorique, France
- Normandie Maine, France
- Bükk Region, Hungary
- Schelde Delta, Netherlands-Belgium
- Oeste, Portugal
- Volcanes de Calatrava - Ciudad Real, Spain
Deferrals
In accordance with Section 5.5 of the Operational Guidelines, the Council may recommend deferring an application for a maximum of two years, to allow for improvements to be made to the quality of the application. There is no need to repeat the field evaluation during this time. During the September meeting, the Council deferred 3 applications:
- Kanbula, China
- Khon Kaen, Thailand
- Joyce Country and Western Lakelands, Ireland
Zone modifications
The Council approved 3 proposals for zone modifications within existing UNESCO Global Geoparks, extensions or reductions of more than 10% of the geopark’s current size:
- Leye Fenghshan, China
- Cuilcagh Lakelands, Ireland-UK
- Sitia, Greece
Revalidation of existing UNESCO Global Geoparks
In order to ensure the quality of UNESCO Global Geoparks, they are subject to a thorough revalidation every four years. A green card denotes renewal of the UNESCO Global Geopark label for four years, whereas a yellow card restricts this renewal period of two years, in order to give the geopark time to address the Council’s recommendations. Of the 34 revalidations under consideration, the Council granted 29 green cards and 5 yellow cards:
Key numbers from the September meeting of the 8th session of the UNESCO Global Geopark Council
UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed in a holistic concept blending protection, education and sustainable development. UNESCO Global Geoparks apply a bottom-up approach, combining conservation with sustainable development with the involvement of local communities. The UNESCO Global Geoparks Council is responsible for assessing proposals for new UNESCO Global Geoparks, as well as for revalidating existing UNESCO Global Geoparks. Those proposals for additions to the network that are approved by the Council are then submitted to the Executive Board of UNESCO for endorsement.
