The Azores Geopark’s “Green Card”, awarded by UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Council, has been revalidated for four years, announced the regional secretary for Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel.
Quoted in a statement from the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM), Alonso Miguel recalls that “after the evaluation process of the performance of the Azores Geopark, referring to the four-year period 2017-2021, the UNESCO World Geoparks Council [sigla em inglês para a Organização das Nações Unidas para a Educação, a Ciência e a Cultura] decided to grant, in 2021, a ‘Yellow Card’, pointing out several deficiencies and recommendations.”
As part of this process, the government official added, the management structure of the Azores Geopark was notified to take the necessary measures within two years to respond to the recommendations made by UNESCO in the latest assessment report.
These were issues “related, essentially, to the low visibility and dissemination of the Azores Geopark in the regional territory” and “the insufficient involvement of partners, with the need to strengthen the commitment of regional and local authorities to its operation,” the government official stressed.
In July 2023, “the evaluation mission for revalidation of the UNESCO Global Geopark status, and the secretariat of the UNESCO International Geosciences and Geoparks Programme, around a year later, issued the official ‘Green Card’ notification, validating the territory of the Azores as a UNESCO Global Geopark for a period of four more years.”
The revalidation of the “Green Card” is “a source of great satisfaction, as it prevents a dramatic loss of this UNESCO classification by the Azores Geopark”, highlights Alonso Miguel, who participated this Tuesday in the opening session of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the recognition by UNESCO of the protected landscape of the vineyard culture on the island of Pico, as a world heritage site, which took place in Madalena do Pico.
According to Alonso Miguel, the revalidation “clearly reflects a firm commitment from the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, which has directly assumed this commitment and this mission, restructuring the social bodies of the Geoaçores Association, assuming the presidency of this association, and strengthening the human and financial resources necessary to address the recommendations and deficiencies highlighted by UNESCO”.
The nine islands of the Azores, several islets and the surrounding marine area cover an area of approximately 13,000 square kilometres. Recognized internationally as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
This designation can only be attributed to territories that possess geological heritage of international significance where protection measures are implemented. geoconservation, Environmental education actions were promoted and alliances were developed that led to sustainability Of the territory.
Source: Observadora
