Abstract
This paper introduces newly published guidelines on geoheritage conservation in protected and conserved areas within the “IUCN WCPA Best Practice Guidelines” series. It explains the need for the guidelines and outlines the ethical basis of geoheritage values and geoconservation principles as the fundamental framework within which to advance geoheritage conservation. Best practice in establishing and managing protected and conserved areas for geoconservation is described with examples from around the world. Particular emphasis is given to the methodology and practice for dealing with the many threats to geoheritage, highlighting in particular how to improve practice for areas with caves and karst, glacial and periglacial, and volcanic features and processes, and for palaeontology and mineral sites. Guidance to improve education and communication to the public through modern and conventional means is also highlighted as a key stage in delivering effective geoconservation. A request is made to geoconservation experts to continue to share best practice examples of developing methodologies and best practice in management to guide non-experts in their work. Finally, a number of suggestions are made on how geoconservation can be further promoted.
Highlights
The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) instituted Best Practice Guidelines in the 1990s to help protected area managers and staff in their work
The lack of international conventions and agreements on geodiversity and geoheritage contributes to an absence of statutory protection tools in many countries and, makes geoconservation difficult to prioritise compared with biodiversity conservation by national nature conservation agencies and managers
Users are recommended to consider the range of protection mechanisms available in addition to traditional gazetted protected areas, such as the recently defined Other Effective Conservation Measures (IUCN/WCPA 2019) which form part of the protected area programme of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD Decision 14/ 8); the inclusion of “conserved areas” in the title of the guidelines
Summary
The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) instituted Best Practice Guidelines in the 1990s to help protected area managers and staff in their work. The guidelines are intended to help improve the conservation and management of geoheritage and geodiversity in protected and conserved areas, and the recognition of the interrelationships and interactions with biological features and processes. They are not a textbook on geoconservation management practice, but rather set out the essential background, context, and principles; summarise relevant material to make it more readily accessible to users in one volume; and provide links to the key literature and additional sources that include detailed practical guidance. Specific examples from around the world are included along with over 150 photographs explaining best and not-so-good practice
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