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Topical - Geoheritage
bers and member organizations in
40 European countries, that is dedicated
to conserving and maintaining
healthy seas and attractive coasts for
both people and nature.
• IAG: an international scientific,
non-governmental and non-profit
organization, whose principal objectives
are development and promotion
of geomorphology as a science
through international co-operation
and dissemination of knowledge of
geomorphology.
• EFS: an international group of speleological
federations to promote sport
and scientific speleology with commissions
and working groups (e.g.
Commission on Cave Protection).
• ProGEO: a network of individuals
and organizations from nearly all
European countries, that promotes
the conservation of Europe’s rich
heritage of landscape, rock, fossil
and mineral sites, and informs and
advises the public of the importance
of this patrimony.
During the exhibition, the stand was
staffed by Ms Hanneke van den Ancker
(Coordinator Geoheritage NL and EFG
PE Soil Protection and Geological Heritage),
Miss Patrycja Czerniak (EUCC-Integrated
Coastal Zone Management), Miss Jet
Krantz (EUCC – Coastal Quality Label), Dr
John Gordon (University of St. Andrews),
Mrs Isabel Fernández (EFG Executive
Director) and Miss Patricia Cortés (EFG
Office assistant).
The exhibition included three posters
with the headlines: “Water shapes our landscapes
and soils”, “Geodiversity influences
Europe’s cultural diversity and biodiversity”
and “Knowledge of geodiversity is
vital for sustainable water management”.
These messages were signed “We care about
Geodiversity and Geoheritage”, under the
logos of the six organisations on the fourth
poster. A rotating powerpoint presentation,
“Six European / International organizations
on Water, Geoheritage and Geodiversity”,
showed examples of the wide variety of
activities of each group, with around 100
slides and illustrated with engaging photos.
The examples included care in European
Geoparks for heritage watersand landforms,
education, tourism and sustainable
management; the achievements of the
EUCC integrated coastal zone management
programme and the certification of
European coastal communities through the
quality coast label; and the cave protection
and cave research programme of the EFS.
Figure 3: EFG Greenweek poster.
ProGEO, EFG and IAG added best practices
linked to the interrelations between
water and landscape and how to incorporate
geology, geomorphology, processes
and soils in sustainable water management
practices, such as in Scotland’s Geodiversity
Charter and London’s Geodiversity
Action Plan. Examples came from all the
different European regions, from Finland
to Spain, and from Greece to Ireland. Care
for Europe’s geodiversity and geoheritage is
crucial in relation to the globally increasing
demand for clean drinking water, management
of water-related hazards such
as flooding and coastal erosion, climate
change adaptation, development of renewable
energy (hydro power) and opportunities
for water-based recreation and outdoor
activities with their benefits for tourism and
people’s health and well-being.
Other documents and leaflets available
at the stand included:
• The EFG leaflet
• Special issues of EUCC’s magazine
on “Sustainable tourism: Looking
for a sustainable destination” and
the “Quality Coast Label”
• EUCC – “Integrated Coastal Zone
Management: Our Coast”, produced
by the European Commission
• Scotland’s Geodiversity Charter produced
by the Scottish Geodiversity
Forum
• Geoheritage NL leaflet
• IAG’s leaflet on the book “Geomorphosites”.
As well as Environment Commissioner,
Janez Potočnik, who attended the Green
Week exhibition, including our stand, we
were visited by different companies and
NGOs interested in linking their activities
with ours and working together on geodiversity
and the protection of geoheritage.
In conclusion, the visitors appreciated the
issues addressed in our stand and we had
stimulating discussions and exchanges of
ideas. The EFG and partner organisations
increased their visibility by participating in
the Exhibition, explained their activities to
many visitors interested in geology and the
profession and improved their networks
of contacts.
European Geologist 34 | November 2012
57