TEMUCO, Chile – From September 8 to 12 local time, the 11th UNESCO International Geoparks Conference was successfully held in the Kütralkura Global Geopark, located in the Araucanía Region of Chile. A four-member delegation from the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark, led by Xue Yazhou, Deputy Director of the Xi’an Qinling Ecological and Environmental Protection Administration, was invited to attend this prestigious event. The conference brought together over 1,500 experts, scholars, and geopark representatives from more than 50 countries and regions.
Group photo of the delegation
During the conference, the delegation actively participated in key events including the Asia-Pacific Geoparks Network Coordinators’ Meeting, the General Assembly of UNESCO Global Geoparks, multiple thematic seminars, working group meetings, exhibitions, and the closing ceremony. They attentively listened to 12 high-level academic presentations, focusing particularly on cutting-edge topics such as “Geoheritage Protection under Global Climate Change,” “Sustainable Development of Geotourism,” and “Community Co-construction in Geoparks.”
Promotional speech
The delegation delivered special promotional speeches at the conference, vividly presenting the geological features and tourism resources of the Qinling Mountains to the international audience. In the parallel session on “Climate Change and Geological Hazard Prevention in Geoparks,” the delegation presented an academic speech titled “Building Resilient Communities: Practices and Explorations in Collaborative Landslide Risk Management at the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark,” sharing advanced experience in geological disaster prevention. In the session on “Science Popularization, Interpretation, and Communication in Geoparks,” they presented on the theme of “Her Power: Enabling Innovation and Geo-narrative at the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark,” communicating the Geopark’s innovative concepts in geoscience communication and sustainable development to the international community. Furthermore, the delegation was invited to participate in the working group discussion on geological hazard prevention and climate change, introducing the achievements made by Qinling Zhongnanshan in geopark construction and management.
Presentation
A dedicated exhibition booth set up by the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark dynamically showcased the geopark’s unique geoheritage and tourism resources through diverse formats such as video presentations, English explanations, multilingual materials, and cultural and creative exhibits. The booth attracted a large number of conference attendees and local residents. Over 1,000 copies of promotional magazines in English and Spanish, along with geopark brochures, picture albums, children’s science books, and cultural souvenirs displayed on-site, were highly sought after and quickly taken by visitors.
Booth publicity
During the conference, the delegation also held in-depth exchanges with representatives from geoparks in countries including Chile, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Finland, New Zealand, and Ecuador. They shared experiences on topics like geological disaster prevention, geoscience popularization, and community involvement in sustainable development. Discussions on potential collaboration, particularly concerning science education and the compilation of geotourism/educational guidebooks, were held with organizations such as the UNESCO Geotourism Project Team, Finland’s Rokua UNESCO Global Geopark, New Zealand’s Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark, and Chile’s Kütralkura Global Geopark.
Sister-parks exchanges
Additionally, the delegation met with members of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, representatives from the Global Geoparks Network Bureau, and officials from the National Geoparks Network Center of China to communicate and exchange views on the next steps for the Geopark’s construction and management.
By participating in this conference, the Qinling Zhongnanshan UNESCO Global Geopark not comprehensively demonstrated its remarkable achievements in geoheritage protection, disaster prevention, innovative science popularization, and community co-construction but also significantly enhanced its international influence and brand reputation through high-level global exchange. Leveraging this international platform, the delegation engaged deeply with global peers, gained advanced experience, and expanded its cooperation network. This has injected new momentum into the next phase of the geopark’s development, management, international cooperation, and sustainable growth, and will contribute “Qinling’s Strength” to promoting Chinese geoparks on the world stage and participating in the development of the global geoscience governance system.
