Geopark West Jutland is part of the UNESCO network which recognizes 'geological heritage of international significance'. Image Credit: UNESCO
Environment The WorldSustainability and Conservation, with 18 New Geoparks in the World
UNESCO’s Geopark network welcomed 18 new designations, bringing the total to 195 across the world, with New Zealand and the Philippines making the list for the very first time.
Created in 2015, UNESCO Global Geopark recognizes “geological heritage of international significance,” with each geopark combining conservation with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development.
The total surface area comes to 486,709 km2 or twice the size of the United Kingdom. Brazil has two new geoparks, and so does Iran, while Indonesia has four. Japan, Malaysia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom all got one more. New Zealand’s Waitaki Whitestone is its first geopark with exceptional insights into Zealandia – or Te Riu-a-Māui in Maori – the Earth’s eighth continent. The Philippines was also granted its first geopark. Bohol Island formed 150 million years ago when tectonic turbulence raised the island from the ocean’s depth. Today, the geopark abounds in karstic geosites like caves, sinkholes, and cone karst.
