Project Updates - 2021
The Geoheritage for Geohazard Resilience project successfully completed their webinar series, which ran between December 2020 and July 2021, engaging in local events with worldwide social media coverage when possible.
Projects have blossomed in Peru, notably with the engraving of the geological history of the Sillar rock of Arequipa as part of a tourist route (partnership with the Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico - INGEMMET) and the production of a children's book on the Huyanaputina eruption (IGP).
An artists residency that also gathered scientists and local population was created in Isola di Vulcano (partnership with VulcaniAMO). As a result, three movies were produced. Watch one of the movies by French artist Noémie Sauve, made possible thanks to “The Possible Island - Art and Science Residence and Volcanoes” and the patronage of UNESCO National Commission of Italy.
In the Philippines work has resulted in the creation of a post graduate programme in Earth Resilience Science.
A local / internationally broadcasted workshop on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua (partnership with Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales - INETER) to launch a Global Geopark project.
A paper about community science participation during the Taal 2020 eruption was published in Bulletin of Volcanology. Project 692 has become closely linked to 718 - Bringing Geoheritage to Life, and both projects are mutualising efforts for 2022.
Brief outline of the project
Geoheritage is the knowledge, communication and protection of the Earth's value to society. Geoheritage protects the Earth's environment and also protects people, helping them to know their landscape, to understand their hazards and to manage risks. Management comes through the identification of the geological elements (river courses, faults, volcanic rocks, etc.), placing them in a wider context, giving them meaning and a narrative that can be used in a sustainable development strategy that includes the local community's ability to react to, and absorb changes from multiple hazards. This makes the community resilient.
This project is for geoheritage and geohazards capacity building in developing counties using our experience of developing and managing geological sites that tell local environment stories, thus increasing knowledge and resilience, while protecting both Earth resources and local people.
It builds on more 30 years of experience of developing geological education sites, using a bottom up approach of community engagement with local government support. The objective is to empower areas with the capacity to communicate and manage geohazards, and to establish a global community for best practice in Geoheritage for Geohazard Resilience, especially, but not exclusively in UNESCO World Heritage sites, Global Geoparks and also other protected areas.
IGCP project meeting in 2020/2021
Virtual meetings twice per month during 2020 and 2021
Two hemispheres – Americas - Europe, and Africa – Asia (covering two time zone 'spaces') website
Geoheritage for Resilience was kick started in October 2019 at the Colombia Global Geopark meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Manizales (Nevado del Ruiz Geopark project). This involved IGCP members traveling from Latin America (Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru).
Due to COVID Project leaders have been holding virtual meetings:
- 2nd webinar on Geoheritage for Geohazards Resilience, 22 December 2020: Registration here
Related Information
- Duration: 2019-2023
- IGCP Theme: Geohazards
Contact
- Dr Benjamin van Wyk de Vries (France)
Address: Université Clermont Auvergne, Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux 6 avenue Blaise Pascal TSA 60026, CS60026 63178 Aubière Cedex, France
Email: ben.vanwyk@uca.fr
