THE 4th INTERNATIONAL UNESCO CONFERENCE ON GEOPARKS 2010 11-16 APRIL 2010

The 4th International UNESCO Conference on Geoparks 2010 will be held in Southeast Asia very first global geopark, Langkawi Global Geopark, MALAYSIA. Langkawi is one of the rare island geoparks in the world comprising 99 islands, possesses the region’s oldest rocks and the most complete Palaeozoic geological history.

Objective
Closely related to geopark and geoheritage conservation is geotourism, today’s rapidly growing industry that are supported by people seeking for a better appreciation for geoheritage resources and a broader understanding of their living environment in perspective of geological evolution in the past, present day geological processes and the future landscape that will be. The UNESCO Global Geopark initiative is concentrating its effort for protecting and promoting geological sites and at the same time enriching human capital through more holistic environmental protection and creating new opportunities through sustainable recreation and education tourism. The last decades have seen an increasing role played by geosciences in supporting sustainable development at local and global scale. Today, this role is becoming increasingly important as issues related to holistic environmental sustainability, climate change and natural hazard are even more frequently debated.

Venue
The conference will be held at Awana Porto Malai Langkawi.

 

Who should attend?
Participants are expected to come from international community of various backgrounds from researchers in the fields of geoheritage, geotourism, conservation, environment and sustainable development to policy makers, economists, geopark and local community administrators and leaders, NGOs, business operators and individuals with keen interest on geoheritage development.