Key Geoheritage Areas Approved by IUCN

The conservation and celebration of some of the world's most important geological sites will soon benefit from a new initiative recently approved by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Delegates from around the world will soon meet in Abu Dhabi for the IUCN World Conservation Congress, but in advance of the meeting a number of proposal have already been approved via online voting - including the Key Geoheritage Areas (KGAs).

The proposers of the KGA idea state that "As geodiversity is part of nature and geoheritage is part of natural heritage, there is a crucial need for consistent advice on how they can be recognised as a basis for defining strategies for management, protection, conservation and sustainable use and development".

A KGA will be an area with well-defined boundaries where significant geological features (rocks, minerals, fossils, sediments, soils, landforms and landscapes) represent past or on-going Earth processes contributing substantially to the global understanding of the planet's history and its life-support systems and provide opportunities for increasing public awareness, knowledge and understanding of geoheritage conservation. In addition to their scientific value as geoheritage, a KGA will also have a role supporting cultural, ecological,

aesthetic, and/or educational values.

The absence of international conventions or agreements on geodiversity and geoheritage significantly contributes to society's limited awareness of the importance of these topics. The KGA initiative aims to communicate and promote information on geoheritage to enhance its conservation and management.

You can discover more about the Proposal adopted by IUCN on their website.

The coming months will be busy with setting up the governance structure and procedures for nominating KGAs around the world - learn more about this initiative and how you might be able to nominate areas through the KGA Scoping Study and Guidelines.