Geodiversity and Geoconservation
UNESCO Chair | University of Minho | Portugal
Our UNESCO Chair
A UNESCO Chair is a team led by a higher education or research institution that partners with UNESCO on a project to advance knowledge and practice in an area of common priority.
Human-driven pressure on nature threatens vital natural systems, including often-overlooked non-living elements such as rocks, soils, and landforms—collectively known as geodiversity. These components are essential to ecosystems and human well-being.
Some geodiversity features are unique and constitute our geological heritage, requiring protection through geoconservation. This Chair provides geoconservation training to nature conservation managers, staff, and postgraduate students. It also promotes public communication strategies aimed at non-expert audiences to reduce widespread geodiversity illiteracy, combat misinformation, and inspire citizens to urgently rebuild their relationship with nature.
Objectives
UNESCO Chair on Geodiversity and Geoconservation
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Networking
Convene and support a network of researchers and institutions in the fields of geodiversity, geological heritage, geoconservation, and nature conservation with an emphasis on North-South and South-South cooperation.
Capacity building
Provide capacity building of managers and staff of UNESCO designated sites and of protected areas, and training of post-graduation students.
Best-practices
Produce guidelines and share best-practices in nature conservation, based on a holistic approach integrating geodiversity, biodiversity, and cultural heritage.
Communication
Develop communication and education strategies to raise awareness and to engage society about the crucial role of geodiversity, highlighting its significance as the foundation of biodiversity and essential for human prosperity and well-being.