India’s first geological park

Context

  • India’s first geological park will be built in Lamheta, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

About India’s first geological park

  • The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has approved the setting up of the country’s first geo park at Lamheta village on the banks of the Narmada river in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • This site is already there in the UNESCO geo-heritage tentative list for the conservation of the natural heritage. Several dinosaur fossils had been found in the Narmada valley, particularly in the Bhedaghat-Lameta Ghat area of Jabalpur,
  • In 1828, the first dinosaur fossil was collected from the Lameta Bed by Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer William Sleeman.

About Geopark

  • 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.  Geological park
  • There are global geoparks and national geoparks.
  • A UNESCO definition of global geopark is a unified area with a geological heritage of international significance.

About Global Geoparks Network (GGN)

  • The Global Geoparks Network (GGN) is supported by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Many national geoparks and other local geoparks projects also exist which are not included in the Global Geoparks Network.
  • Global Geoparks Network aims at enhancing the value of such sites while at the same time creating employment and promoting regional economic development.
  • The 195 Member States of UNESCO ratified the creation of a new label, the UNESCO Global Geoparks, on 17 November 2015.
  • The Global Geoparks Network works in synergy with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and Man and the Biosphere (MAB) World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
  • As of July 2020, there were 161 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries.

Criteria for Global Geoparks Network (GGN)

A set of criteria as established by UNESCO must first be met for a geopark, as nominated by the corresponding government, to be included in the GGN:

  • the existence of a management plan designed to foster socio-economic development that is sustainable (most likely to be based on agritourism and geotourism);
  • demonstrate methods for conserving and enhancing geological heritage and provide means for teaching geoscientific disciplines and broader environmental issues;
  • joint-proposals submitted by public authorities, local communities and private interests acting together, which demonstrate the best practices with respect to Earth heritage conservation and its integration into sustainable development strategies.

Source: NDTV & Wikipedia

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