European Geoparks Conference : 12th session

The Cilento and Vallo di Diano Geopark, designated as Global Geopark in 2010, is hosting the 12th European Geoparks Conference.

The 12th European Geoparks Conference will be held at Alario Foundation in ASCEA MARINA, Province of Salerno in Italy. It will start with its Advisory and Coordination Committee meeting and finish with a field trip in Cilento and Vallo di Diano Geopark . Day-trips will be organized to different geological attractions, outdoor geosciences laboratories, together with local history, culture and traditional food.
At times when the global development strategies of the Earth Sciences take an important role in the world, this conference aims to discuss how Geoparks can influence the scientific knowledge of the academic community on societal development; to understand how the Geoparks address these issues in the educational system; to disseminate the knowledge about public awareness and sustainable use of natural resources.

The geo-hazards and climate change affect all human activities and can strongly condition the future of humanity. In fact, life, property, economic and financial losses due to natural hazards and the impact of disasters on society have both increased dramatically over the last couple of decades.

The choice of the Conference location is not done by chance. In fact, Ascea is a modern, touristic town surrounded on one side by the Archaeological Park of the ancient Greek city “Elea”, renamed as “Velia” by the Romans, one of the “cradles” of the western philosophy and civilization, the other by Parmenides and Zenone recently listed as UNESCO world heritage site.

The long and complex history of Ascea-Velia-Elea attests a natural cohabitation between human society and geo-hazards. In fact, since its foundation, the town experienced natural disaster due to landslides, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis which all conditioned its social and economic development.