IUGS Geological Heritage sites
In the 1990s, the Global Geosites Working Group of IUGS started the development of a database of geological sites of international relevance. The project had the support of ProGEO, IUCN and UNESCO and was implemented in several European countries, but it did not manage to get the global acceptance that was initially expected.
This new IUGS Global Geosites project opens a new opportunity, to accomplish a worldwide inventory of geological heritage of international relevance in a new context where UNESCO Global Geoparks can play an important role. Geological surveys, research institutions and geoparks from around the world will cooperate and contribute towards a new IUGS Global Geosite inventory that will be driven and coordinated by the International Commission on Geoheritage (IUGS). This project will define a new methodology and criteria towards an effective procedure where the acquired know-how and experience will be shared and put to work.
About the project
- Contact:
Asier Hilario Orús (Spain)
email: flysch@gipuzkoa.eus - Project duration: 2021-2024
- IGCP Theme: Special topic: Geoheritage for Sustainable Development
Updates
2022
During the main event of the IUGS 60th anniversary celebration in Zumaia, Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark (Spain), the project announced that the "First 100 IUGS Geological Heritage Sites" will be launched on 25-28 October 2022. This announcement will give scientific recognition to those key geological sites for the Earth sciences research. More than 200 experts and 10 international organizations from more than 40 countries have participated in the selection.
2021
The IUGS Secretary-General and the International Commission on Geoheritage (IUGS - ICG) officers met in the Basque Coast UNESCO Global Geopark on 18-20 November 2021. This meeting was a big step forward in the consolidation of this important commission within IUGS. The new structure, statutes, logo, webpage and strategy were discussed and adopted.
This meeting has also given a strong support to the work done by the members of the IGCP 731 IUGS Global Geosites project, and particularly to announce “The First 100 IUGS Global Geosites” uring a high profile event in 2022. This IGCP project is composed by over 40 scientist from more than 20 countries and 12 UNESCO Global Geoparks distributed around the globe. After several months of discussion the main standards have been defined and participants are already working on the selection of “The First 100 IUGS Global Geosites”.
