An Assessment Method for Urban Geoheritage as a Model for Environmental Awareness and Geotourism (Segovia, Spain)

Abstract

The City Council of Segovia, as part of the Second Environmental Education Strategy of the Autonomous Region of Castile & Leon (Spain), together with the Geological Survey of Spain (Instituto Geologico y Minero de Espana, IGME), has developed a research project to implement the management of urban geoheritage in the Department of the Environment, with the integration of other council departments. Top ten areas, called ELIGES (Spanish acronym for Areas with Geosites for Environmental Education in the city of Segovia, Spain), have been selected from the 94 geosites previously identified for this city. The assessment method was developed specifically with the idea of using geoheritage for environmental education and geotourism at the local level. The assessment criteria used were (1) Value for environmental education (Ved); (2) Scientific value (Vsc); (3) Tourism value (Vtr); (4) Safety and accessibility (Vsa); (5) Conservation and site sustainability (Vcs) and (6) Value of the geosite’s environmental information for geotourism (Vti). These criteria have been assessed for the 94 geosites in the city of Segovia, each of which in turn includes four subcriteria to minimise subjectivity in the decision-making process. Environmental challenges transmitted by the ELIGES are global change and climate change (sea level, temperature changes and extreme storms), geohazards (mainly floods, landslides and rockfalls), groundwater contamination, extinction of species, impacts caused by the exploitation of raw materials, degradation of rocks by pollution in monuments, the harmful and damaging effects of naturally occurring radon on human health and recommendations for collecting and trading movable geological heritage. Understanding the city’s geological past and present through environmental education and geotourism using ELIGES makes all stakeholders more resilient when tackling important issues in our society such as global change and its effects on the urban ecosystem and people.