Including geoconservation in the management of protected and conserved areas matters for all of nature and people
Abstract
Geoconservation is an integral part of nature conservation. It protects our diverse and valued geoheritage, contributes to the sustainable management of ecosystems, provides a range of economic, cultural and social benefits, and connects people, landscapes and their cultures. Geoconservation has a vital part to play in managing the natural environment and helping society to address global challenges, such as biodiversity loss, adaptations to climate change and sea-level rise, and sustainable development. The IUCN Guidelines for Geoconservation in Protected and Conserved Areas, published in 2020, outline the key principles of geoconservation and demonstrate their application across the full range of IUCN protected area management categories and other conserved areas. Protected and conserved areas, including geoparks, have a vital educational role in promoting better understanding and awareness of geoconservation and the values and benefits of geodiversity and geoheritage for nature and society. Integrating geoconservation into the management of all categories of protected and conserved areas would benefit not only the conservation of geoheritage, but also all of nature and contribute to a sustainable future.
Citation
Gordon , J E , Crofts , R , Gray , M & Tormey , D 2021 , ' Including geoconservation in the management of protected and conserved areas matters for all of nature and people ' , International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks , vol. 9 , no. 3 , pp. 323-334 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgeop.2021.05.003
Publication
International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2577-4441Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2021 Beijing Normal University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.