On the afternoon of November 22nd, in the 1,200-seat conference hall of the Provincial Conference Center (Dak Nong UNESCO Global Geopark), the scientific workshop “15 Years of Geopark Development in Vietnam” was held by the Specialized Subcommittee on Global Geoparks (of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO). This was a significant event that celebrating the milestone of 15 years of geopark development in Vietnam.
The event was attended by representatives from Central Ministries and Branches, UNESCO Office in Hanoi, Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, domestic and international experts, UNESCO Global Geoparks, and potential geoparks in Vietnam.
In the 15-year process of building and developing geoparks (2007 – 2022), Vietnam Geopark was evaluated that has highlights in the GGN. Currently, Vietnam has three UNESCO Global Geoparks: Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark (Ha Giang province), Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark, and Dak Nong Geopark. There are also potential geoparks such as Lang Son (Lang Son province), Ly Son – Sa Huynh (Quang Ngai province).
Ass. Prof., Dr. Tran Tan Van was elected to the UNESCO Global Geopark Council (consisting of 12 members) and is one of five members of the Coordination Committee of the Asia-Pacific Geoparks Network.
The workshop featured presentations on various topics, including the concepts and proposals for building geoparks in Vietnam, the formation and development of Dak Nong UNESCO Global Geopark, the role of scientists in building and developing geoparks in Vietnam, the 12-year journey towards obtaining the UNESCO Global Geopark designation for Mudeungsan Geopark in South Korea; the past, present, and future of Jeju Island UNESCO Global Geopark; challenges for potential geoparks in Africa and Latin America; geological heritages and geoparks in Japan…
The workshop provided an opportunity for agencies, departments, and localities to review the 15-year journey with achievements, lessons learned, and to share difficulties and challenges in the process of building and developing geoparks.
The workshop was held both in-person and online, providing opportunities for central and local agencies to exchange ideas, find solutions to promote and attract tourists to geoparks; to strengthen communication, training, and awareness-raising in the community; to solve sustainable management, construction, and development of geoparks in Vietnam based on UNESCO’s criteria.
