2:45 PM - 3:15 PM
[O06-03] Geoparks and Climate change countermeasures
★Invited Papers
Keywords:Climate change, Geoparks
Climate change is an important issue in Geopark activities. Criteria for UNESCO Global Geoparks state that "UNESCO Global Geoparks should use that heritage, in connection with all other aspects of that area's natural and cultural heritage, to promote awareness of key issues facing society in the context of the dynamic planet we all live on, including but not limited to increasing knowledge and understanding of: geoprocesses; geohazards; climate change; the need for the sustainable use of Earth's natural resources; the evolution of life and the empowerment of indigenous peoples." Climate change is one of the key issues.
Indeed, in relation to increasing knowledge and understanding of climate change, the geoscientific perspective addressed by Geopark activities and the record of climate change left in geological heritage can be of great help. In the face of rapidly changing climate on a global scale, climate change countermeasures are essential for sustainabe development for each geoparks. Furthermore, as an urgent global issue, it is necessary not only to raise awareness, but also to link it to concrete actions in each region. Under rapid climate change, it will be difficult to create a sustainable society in any region on earth.
What concrete actions can each Geopark region take to adapt or mitigate climate change? Many Geoparks in Japan are led by local governments. In a government organization that tends to be stove-piped, it is rare to find an organization or department that promotes Geopark activities that also serves as the core of climate change countermeasures. In this context, this report discusses climate change countermeasure activities that Geopark promotion organizations can undertake on their own initiative. Specifically, the author considers supporting monitoring of natural heritage and related research, making sense of climate change measures in the region, education, decarbonization in the field of tourism, supporting people working on climate change measures, and creating a space for dialogue and discussion on the conflicts that arise between climate change measures and the protection of natural heritage.
In the town of Shikaoi, Hokkaido, where the author works, a Zero Carbon City Promotion Strategy has been defined for 2021, and climate change measures are being promoted as a community effort, incorporating the activities of the Tokachi-Shikaoi Geopark. This presentation will introduce the case study of the Tokachi-Shikaoi Geopark area and the climate change measures that the Geopark activities can proactively take.
Indeed, in relation to increasing knowledge and understanding of climate change, the geoscientific perspective addressed by Geopark activities and the record of climate change left in geological heritage can be of great help. In the face of rapidly changing climate on a global scale, climate change countermeasures are essential for sustainabe development for each geoparks. Furthermore, as an urgent global issue, it is necessary not only to raise awareness, but also to link it to concrete actions in each region. Under rapid climate change, it will be difficult to create a sustainable society in any region on earth.
What concrete actions can each Geopark region take to adapt or mitigate climate change? Many Geoparks in Japan are led by local governments. In a government organization that tends to be stove-piped, it is rare to find an organization or department that promotes Geopark activities that also serves as the core of climate change countermeasures. In this context, this report discusses climate change countermeasure activities that Geopark promotion organizations can undertake on their own initiative. Specifically, the author considers supporting monitoring of natural heritage and related research, making sense of climate change measures in the region, education, decarbonization in the field of tourism, supporting people working on climate change measures, and creating a space for dialogue and discussion on the conflicts that arise between climate change measures and the protection of natural heritage.
In the town of Shikaoi, Hokkaido, where the author works, a Zero Carbon City Promotion Strategy has been defined for 2021, and climate change measures are being promoted as a community effort, incorporating the activities of the Tokachi-Shikaoi Geopark. This presentation will introduce the case study of the Tokachi-Shikaoi Geopark area and the climate change measures that the Geopark activities can proactively take.