UNESCO Global Geoparks - Territories of Resilience
Resilience is fully embedded in the institutional, social, economic and environmental dimensions of any sustainable development.
Resilience is a fundamental concept already enclosed inside the whole Geopark concept and is related to any kind of environmental and humanitarian crisis: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Floods, Landslides, Volcanic eruptions, Droughts, Economic crisis, Epidemics, Terrorism, War, Refugges and of course the COVID-19 pandemic.
This initiative encourages all our Geopark territories to develop new actions or to highlight actions already realized to support their territory’s resilience:
a)the different ways in which UNESCO Global Geoparks keep on engaging with their communities, providing services despite the difficult conditions in COVID 19 times, how they reach out to the young people, offering on line courses, or how they promote local production.
b) examples of any other resilience activities, in which UNESCO Global Geoparks are involved realized during the last four years.
UNESCO Global Geoparks are warmly encouraged to be more and more involved in activities to support of their communities and their partners.
They are also encouraged to share and highlight their actions and experiences through a short article with good quality photos and, if possible, with HQ short video.
GGN in collaboration with UNESCO’s Section on Earth Sciences and Geo-hazards Risk Reduction, will provide the tools for promoting these activities and transmitting the information to the broader audience through all their communication channels.
We will soon announce the new DIGITAL tools we will use for this.
In this new RESILIENCE INITIATIVE you will find a wealth of examples, full of commitment and creativity, practices that may serve as inspiration for now and later.
The best 5 examples of these activities supporting the conceptUNESCO Global Geoparks, territories of resilience will be awarded by the GGN.
5 nominees will be designated and will receive a financial apportation which will modestly contribute to the effort done by these territories to support local population resilience.
The GGN ExB consider unanimously agreed to the following actions:
a) Establishment of the new initiative UNESCO Global Geoparks, territories of resilience and the development of the adapted strategy
b) Create a new video with the institutional personalities of Geoparks family to boost the new initiative (President of GGN, Secretary of UNESCO Global Geoparks, Chair of the UNESCO Global geoparks Council and the Coordinators of the Regional Geoaprks Networks: the Asian and Pacific Geoparks Network, the Latin American and Caribbean Geoparks Network and the European Geoparks Network).
c) Use DIGITAL tools for the dissemination of the activities (Digital magazine, GGN websites, GGN social media).
d) Establish the award of UNESCO Global Geoparks, territories of resilience!
All colleagues are warmly encouraged to participate in the initiative providing articles, photos and videos of their activities to support their communities.
The GGN Executive Board
The GGN strongly encourage all the Geoparks to show and to share through their sosila media pages their social responsibility, their good examples and the real work that they are doing on the field with their population against the fight with COVID-19.
It is important to share the good examples of the presence of Geoparks inside this human crisis, the population’s resilience and their work with the population.
All these examples will be circulated in order other Geoparks to find inspiration on how to support the local population and help the local people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plese sent your links and info, photo, videos to ggnsectretariat@hotmail.com
EXAMPLES OF GEOPARK'S GOOD PRACTICES
HUANGSHAN UGGp (China)
Visitor number control. At the very beginning of our reopen, the max number for daily visit is 10 thousand, then 2 thousand since Mar.18. Some hotels, cable ways and bus transfer centers still remain closed. The number of passengers in each cable car and bus is also limited.
Online reserve and QR code are available for ticketing to reduce human contact. All the visitors are required to wear masks and to show their Health Code, a certificate for people's covid-19 condition launched on Feb 11. Moreover, we’ve set infrared thermometer at the ticket checkpoint to take visitors’ temperature, before allowing entrance.
Daily sanitization is ensured every day for infrastructure and areas such as tourist buses, trash bins, restaurants and ticket checkpoints, etc.
Strengthen market supervision. Hotels are regularly inspected. They are required to operate according to the relevant requirements of geopark epidemic prevention. Individual visitors should not share room with others.
For our staff, health code and temperature should be checked every day before they enter our office building. Masks and sanitizers are distributed. If there’s any suspicious case, it’ll be reported to the city municipal government.
Langkawi UGGp (Malaysia)
COVID-19 was first identified in early December 2019, and the first confirmed case in Malaysia was detected in late January 2020. To date, this pandemic outbreak already infected more than 2 millions people worldwide, and Malaysia recorded 5,182 (as of 17 April 2020) positive cases. Government of Malaysia has taken preventive measures drastically by imposing Movement Control Order (MCO) started on 18 March 2020 in order to break the pandemic chain. Langkawi was in the center page of media coverage since the outbreak COVID - 19, due to the arrivals of chartered flights and transit of luxury cruise passengers from the affected countries. Since January 2020, authorities have installed body thermal scanner at both entrances via air and sea. Sultanah Maliha Hospital; the only center with complete medical equipment that are ready to treat COVID - 19 patients in Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopasrk. To date, Langkawi recorded 4 positive cases from 110,000 population, nevertheless all the 4 cases were recovered and discharged from hospital. When this article is written, there is no new positive case identified.
M’Goun UGGp (Morocco)
In the face of the global health crisis affecting Morocco, the M’goun Geopark Association is strongly committed to efforts aiming at stemming the spread of the new Coronavirus (Covid-19). Awareness campaigns have been launched to help sharing information about this virus and the instructions set by the Moroccan health authorities to avoid contamination by Covid-19.
The Association has decided to allocate the amount of 30,000 Euros for the purchase of health and food products and donate them to low-income families living in the communities of the M’Goun UGGp.
EXAMPLES OF EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION INITIATIVES IN EUROPE
The Working Group on Education is sharing its ideas and resources for continuing engagement from a distance with children and local people. The following activities collected and communicated by Mrs Naomi Foster, North Pennines AONB UGGp in collaboration with the members of the Working Group on Education:
Madonie UGGp (Italy) Madonie UGGp is holding a drawing contest for children, promoting local businesses by sharing typical recipes from restaurants and highlighting Bed and Breakfast operators ready for reopening, and making videos of sites and traditions. Access these through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/enteparcodellemadonie/ and the website https://www.parcodellemadonie.it/. Magma UGGp (Norway) Magma UGGp are promoting the Teach OUT exploration app https://magmageopark.no/en/Projects%20&%20News/treasure-hunt-in-magma-geopark/ and also selecting one locality per week to promote on Facebook. Bergstraße-Odenwald UGGp (Germany) Bergstrasse-Odenwalt UGGp have produced lots of creative ideas for families including stories, activities and art (lots of pictures so still good if you can’t read German) http://www.geo-naturpark.net/deutsch/infothek/Steineversteher-und-Kreatives/kreativ-informativ.php Naturtejo da Meseta Meridional UGGp (Portugal) Naturtejo da Meseta Meridional UGGp have educational resources available on the website http://www.geonaturescola.com/, virtual visits https://www.naturtejo.com/geopark-virtual.php and #GeoparkNaturtejoEmCasa campaign sharing suggestions from partners and virtual activities such as books, films or play activities: https://www.facebook.com/naturtejogeopark/ and also on the website and newsletters.
Beaujolais UGGp (France)
Beaujolais UGGp is producing short YouTube videos, podcasts and comic strips on geology and geosites for broad audiences, and some videos for middle school students to link to their curriculum, in partnership with an environmental education association. All of these will be available from their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GeoparkBeaujolais/
Hateg Country UGGp (Romania)
Series of Facebook posts https://www.facebook.com/geodinohateg/
Hateg are also doing weekly online meetings with scientists for volunteers and pupils from their GeoExplorer clubs.
Idrija UGGp (Slovenia)
Photos and a virtual tour of a new exhibition on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/geoparkidrija/) (in Slovenian) and also 360 virtual tour through the exhibition in English on Interreg Danube GeoTour on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/danubegeotour/)
Lesvos Island UGGp (Greece)
Young Researcher challenges to complete at home with different activities with difficulty levels for different ages, updated every few days. Available in Greek and English. English version: http://www.petrifiedforest.gr/educational-programs/educational-programs-from-home/?lang=en
Video galleries for virtual tours for all ages content on homepage: www.petrifiedforest.gr
Marble Arch Caves UGGp (Ireland & United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Earth sciences activities will be on the website and social media from (Homepage: https://www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com/)
Molina Alto &Tajo UGGp (Spain)
Carrying out a campaign on social networks and on their websites with stories for children (in English and Spanish) which encourage them to read, to carry out puzzles and games with the family (https://www.facebook.com/geoparque.molinaaltotajo/?eid=ARDwN83QPwViYJ5gAeCvKYZQC-SSiVLPvYZ16iiWUwV0E8Po1QT-Icf3aMLqiSNxia-Q0SlkNx934yAp
Young Ambassadors have made a video in support of the whole society with the motto "Stay at home!" (https://youtu.be/PoOvOAHYcws)
Geopark staff and the Scientific and Executive Committees are doing the same (https://youtu.be/I3TvxXuugFg).
North Pennines AONB UGGp (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Instructions for activities at home relating to the Geopark from the on the website as blog posts (https://www.northpennines.org.uk/geopark-at-home/)
Sesia Val Grande UGGp (Italy)
Photos galleries for virtual tours and other content on social media (Homepage: http://www.sesiavalgrandegeopark.it/)
Sobrarbe-Pirineos UGGp (Spain)
Photos and simple explanations through social media (Facebook at SobrarbePirineosGeopark and Instagram) to maintain engagement while people can’t visit for themselves (Homepage: https://www.geoparquepirineos.com/).
Tumbler Ridge UGG (Canada)
Free educational kits. Designed as physical kits for use in the Geopark, but may have some useful ideas. https://www.facebook.com/TumblerRidgeGeo
Villuercas Ibores Jara UGGp (Spain)
Online tools to support what schools are delivering – a ‘did you know?’ card style web game using their Geopark mascot (currently in Spanish, English version to follow): www.geoparquevilluercas.es/juegogeopaca.
Also social media #GeositeOfTheDay series Instagram @villuercasgpark. Facebook: @GeoparqueVilluercas. (Homepage: https://www.geoparquevilluercas.es/)
Welterbe Grube Messel gGmbH (Germany)
Online activities from Messel Pit (Homepage: https://www.grube-messel.de).
