Volume 10, Issue 3
July - September 2021
CONTENT
Chair's Foreword
From African Geo-heritage to Geoparks - Revisited
Earth Science Events
References and selected reading
Chair's Foreword*
Africa has a beautiful geological heritage as many will attest. But beyond just appreciating it is beautiful, how can Africans employ this to improve the quality of life of people on the continent who live in the vicinity of these sites and beyond. In particular how are we to employ our geological heritage to improve "environmental, socio-cultural and economic development", in a sustainable way?
In the vein of this discussion thread, we revisit the concept of Geoparks addressed in previous issues and the potential that geoparks hold for promoting sustainable development.
From African Geo-heritage to Geoparks - Revisited
Over the past decade we have seen the development of a new area of Earth Sciences /Geosciences interest representing what some might see as a concept with the potential for advancing Africa's development in a sustainable way: Geoparks.
In a previous SAES newsletter article, Dr Enas Ahmed defined a geopark, in a way guaranteeing that this resource benefits the communities local to it: "a geopark is a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way, and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live there." [1]
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| Geo heritage sites - Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania |
This might seem like an ambitious claim to make for what is patently a new conceptual model of concern in the geosciences rather than being something new entirely. It is as Ngwira eloquently points out a case of "old wine in new bottles". In Ngwira's exposition these "new bottles" or concepts are namely Geoparks and Geo-tourism.[2]
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| Geoheritage sites - Fabedougou, Burkina Faso |
It has long been appreciated that geological heritage could promote tourism and the environmental, socio-cultural and economic prosperity of local African populations in the vicinity of geologically significant heritage sites. What the concepts of Geoparks and Geo-tourism have brought as Ngwira notes is the conceptual framework to promote these ideas of environmental, socio-cultural and economic development in a most effective manner to the wider public [3] and in the long term improve lives when these ideas are applied, since Geotourism and Geoparks will create employment and prosperity, provided they are managed in a sustainable fashion.
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| Geoheritage sites - Mambilla Plateau, Nigeria |
The title of Ngwira's paper suggests that Africa is suffering from lost opportunity in relation to exploiting its geoheritage to accrue the benefits of geotourism. However, one area that is often neglected is that the reality of growing continental conflict restricts access to some geoheritage sites. Ngwira fully appreciates the powerful potential that the promotion of these concepts promise for taking forward certain areas of African sustainable development. It is also encouraging to note evidence emerging that the application of these concepts is already making visible contributions to African development[4].
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| Geoheritage sites - Mpumalanga, South Africa |
Historically it is pertinent to note the origins of the concept of geopark as a UNESCO initiative. In the African context of this discussion, it was in 2009 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, during the 5th Conference of African Women for Peace that the Association of African Women in the Geosciences (AAWG) took up the challenge of promoting the Geoparks concept on the African continent. The concept was effectively seen as a tool of sustainable development. AAWG therefore established the African Geoparks Network (AGN) as a follow-up action addressing the challenge. [5]
The remit of the AGN extends beyond Africa to the Middle East [6]. In line with this broader view the AAWG also established an annual event called "Day of Earth Sciences in Africa and the Middle East" in 2013. The First Day of Earth Sciences set on 20th March 2013 was supported by the Geological Society for Africa (GSfA), the Society of African Earth Scientists (SAES), the International Association to Promote Geoethics (IAPG), and others [7].
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| Geoheritage sites - Geological folds. Ugab Valley, Namibia |
In an update on this initiative, we note the landmark publication edited by Errami et al [8] reporting on the above initiative by AAWG and AGN to promote geoparks in Africa, as well as noting that currently two UNESCO designated sites in Africa have been given UNESCO Global Geoparks status, in Tanzania and in Morocco.
Aside from the merits of seeking "Global Geoparks status" for African geosites from UNESCO, we note that part of the role of the African Geoparks Network (AGN) is to identify "geosites of outstanding value". Of course the level of this value depends on what mode of value we are considering.
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| Geoheritage sites - Zuma Rock, Nigeria |
From an aesthetic and sustainable tourism viewpoint there are veritably many aesthetically appealing geoheritage sites to be identified as part of an inventory to promote sustainable development. From the sample of geoheritage site photographs shared above, readers are able to appreciate that potentially great economic benefits could accrue to local communities in Africa in the vicinities of some of these geoheritage sites. The proviso is that this must be done in a sustainable way that protects the geoheritage and its local population. The discussion is to be continued.
Earth Science Events
November 4-5, 2021
International Conference on Ecological Geology and Earth Science ALSO
Earth Science and Climate Change ALSO Rock Mechanics, Geological Ecology and Environmental Engineering Conferences
VISION: Bringing together scientists, researchers and scholars to share experiences, knowledge and research on the subject areas.
VENUE: Capetown, South Africa.
December 13-14, 2021
International Conference on Geological and Earth Sciences
VISION: https://waset.org/geological-and-earfth-sciences-conferences-in-december-2021-in-cairo
VENUE: Cairo, Egypt
December 13-14, 2021
International Conference on Theoretical and Computational Seismology
VISION: https://theoretical-and-computational-seismology-conference-in-december-2021-in-cairo
World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology.
VENUE: Cairo, Egypt
February 21-24, 2022
Fourth African Regional Conference on Geosynthetics
VISION: website:https://geoafrica2021.org; Event ID:1398866
VENUE: Cairo, Egypt
March 21-23, 2022
International Symposium on Geo-resources and the Environment
VISION: Event website: https://isyge2022.scienceconf.org/
VENUE: Hammamet, Tunisia
August 9-10, 2022
International Conference on Tectonic Geomorphology and Paleoseismology
VISION: https://waset.org/tectonic-geomorphology-and-paleoseismology-conference-in-august-2022-in-lagos
VENUE: Lagos, Nigeria
References
[1] Ahmed, E., Geoparks in Africa, Society of African Earth Scientists, Newsletter #20, Volume 5, Issue 2, April - June 2016.
[2] Ngwira, P., A Review of Geotourism and Geoparks: Is Africa Missing Out on the New Mechanism for the Development of Sustainable Tourism?, Geoconservation Research, June 2019.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ngwira, P., "Geotourism and Geoparks: Prospects for Africa's Rural Sustainable Development and Poverty Alleviation.", In Errami, E., Brocx, M., and Semeniuk, V. (eds), From Geoheritage to Geoparks: Case Studies from Africa and Beyond, Springer, 2015. pp 25-33.
[5] Errami, E., Brocx, M., and Semeniuk, V. (eds), From Geoheritage to Geoparks: Case Studies from Africa and Beyond, Springer, 2015. p. 51.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid., p. 7.
[8] Errami, E., Brocx, M., and Semeniuk, V. (eds), From Geoheritage to Geoparks: Case Studies from Africa and Beyond, Springer, 2015.
*Board of the Society of African Earth Scientists: Dr Enas Ahmed (Egypt), Osmin Callis (Secretary - Guyana/Nigeria), Mathada Humphrey (South Africa), Ndivhuwo Cecilia Mukosi (South Africa), Damola Nadi (Nigeria), Dr Chukwunyere Kamalu (Chair - Nigeria).
