What is a UNESCO Global Geopark?
UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
A UNESCO Global Geopark uses its geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of key issues facing society in the context of the dynamic planet we all live on, mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing the impact of natural disasters. By raising awareness of the importance of the area’s geological heritage in history and society today, UNESCO Global Geoparks give local people a sense of pride in their region and strengthen their identification with the area. The creation of innovative local enterprises, new jobs and high quality training courses is stimulated as new sources of revenue are generated through sustainable geotourism, while the geological resources of the area are protected.
There are 147 UNESCO Global Geoparks, of which 73 are in Europe.
You can learn more about Geoparks by following on these links:
http://www.globalgeopark.org/ http://www.europeangeoparks.org/
The Copper Coast Geopark
The Copper Coast Geopark is a designated area located along the southern coast of Ireland in County Waterford, extending for some 17 km from Kilfarrasy in the east to Stradbally in the west. The Copper Coast Geopark was the first Geopark designated on the island.
The Copper Coast is a spectacular record of the earths past linked cultural and intangible heritage and community activism. Its rocks and geosites tell the story of undersea volcanos, arid deserts and dramatic ice-ages while its human history is inextricably linked with its landscape from ancient to early modern times. The Copper Coast is named for the vast mines that once ran here during the 19th century and left an archaeological and cultural heritage
