Training on geoconservation for African geological surveys

(updated February 2020)

PanAfGeo is a development project based on the cooperation between African and European geological surveys. Its main ojective is to increase geological knowledge and skills in African countries, allowing to better manage natural resources and to provide adecuate services to society.

Family picture during an organizational meeting in Cape Town, 2016.

One of the eight work packages of PanAfGeo (WP6) consists on the training of personnel in geoconservation as expected from a national geological survey, as explained in this abstract presented during the 35th International Geological Congress (Cape Town, 2016). An analysis of the situation of geoconservation in Africa was also presented at that same congress.

Great Rift valley in northern Tanzania.

Africa is home to a wealth of natural heritage and natural diversity, some of it critically endangered and affected by numerous threats. While geodiversity represents the natural diversity of abiotic elements, geoheritage includes those most important and significant sites, which are only recently beginning to get due attention as part of nature conservation. The potential of geoheritage promotion for local socio-economic development depends on appropriate inventories and assessment for true sustainable use of a non-renewable resource. The main areas of interest for Geological Surveys are:

• Conceptual framework: recent concepts and advances in geoconservation;
• Methodological background: identification, classification, inventory, and assessment of geosites;
• Field mapping: specific techniques for field identification and mapping of geosites;
• Case studies: African examples of good practice in inventories and geoconservation;
• Project development: steps for geosite management plans, Geopark proposals, etc.

Fieldwork during training session WP6-1 in the M'Goun Geopark of the High Atlas (Morocco).

PanAfGeo WP6 organize 5 training sessions on geoconservation across Africa during 2017-2019. The first one of the WP6 trainings took place in French in Morocco in late October-early November. The second training was in English in early May 2018, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

WP6 aims to provide or increase the basic background knowledge and skills of African staff regarding the tasks of geological surveys in geoconservation. It will develop the following main topics, including practical examples in the first African geopark (M’Goun, High Atlas of Morocco).
‐ Basic concepts on geoheritage, geodiversity, geoconservation, geotourism and geoparks.
‐ Relationship between geodiversity, biodiversity and cultural diversity contexts.
‐ Relationship between geoheritage and mining heritage.
‐ Methodology of inventories. Geosite identification and assessment. Planning and development of inventories.
‐ Strategic planning for geoconservation. Types of initiatives: protection, restoration, mitigation.
‐ International conventions, norms and legislation.
‐ Geoconservation in protected areas. Site monitoring and management recommendations.
‐ Geoparks and geotourism for local socioeconomic development.
‐ Public outreach initiatives. Interpretation of geoheritage.
‐ Geoconservation in landscape planning, territorial planning and urban planning.

Fieldwork during training session WP6-1 in the M'Goun Geopark of the High Atlas (Morocco).

WP6 training sessions already developed:
- October-November 2017: Marrakech (Morocco), in French, with fieldwork in the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, in the High Atlas.
- May 2018: Dodma (Tanzania), in English, with fieldwork in the Kondoa-Kolo UNESCO World Heritage Site, and other geosites.
- October-November 2018: Windhoek (Namibia), in English, with fieldwork in the surroundings of the city.

- June 2019: Antananarivo (Madagascar), in French, with fieldwork in the Itasy volcanic massif, west of the city.
- September 2019: Maputo (Mozambique), in Portuguese, with fieldwork in the surroundings of the city.