Special Issue "The Sustainable Management of Geodiversity: Following Studies on Heritage for Conservation"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Geography and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Mario Bentivenga
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, via Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100-Potenza, Italy
Interests: geomorphology; geological heritage; landslides; soil erosion; climate changes
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Science of Cultural Heritage, National (Italian) Research Council, Rome 00185, Italy
Interests: natural hazards; historical seismicity; historical floods; historical landslides; disaster response; resilience; natural hazard insurance; natural hazards and cultural heritage; heritage science; bibliometry
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Giuseppe Palladino
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
Interests: Geomorphology, Geological heritage, Structural geology
Dr. Eva Pescatore
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Potenza 85100, Italy
Interests: Field Geology, Basin Analysis, Geomorphology, Geological heritage

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainable management of geodiversity is vital to ensure for future generations the possibility of experiencing the geological peculiarities of the Earth. The knowledge of geological history of the Earth is as important as the history of men. It is well-known worldwide that geodiversity, and particularly the geological heritage, is an irreplaceable natural resource and therefore any loss of sites with geological peculiarities must be avoided. This can be accomplished by utilizing all the available protection tools. To deal with all the problems concerning the sustainable management of geodiversity it is necessary to engage a multidisciplinary approach using economic, managerial, geological and geoconservation aspects of the administration of areas. It often happens that, after studying an area which has high geodiversity and the potential to become an important economic resource, the necessary skills to manage it are lacking. As such, references on the management problem together with all professionals involved are needed.

The Special Issue aims to collect papers that address issues related to the sustainable management of geodiversity. Therefore, we invite you to contribute to this Issue by submitting wide-ranging reviews, novel case studies, or research articles. Furthermore, it would be preferable submit papers addressed to specific and exemplary situation on the management of geodiversity, from an economic, social, and cultural points of view. Although, great progress has been made in recent years in the study of the geological heritage, which is preliminary to proper conservation, there still remains more work to be done. Examples of contents include but are not limited to:

  1. Geoheritage and geodiversity: protection, conservation, enhancement and touristic fruition;
  2. Geoheritage and geodiversity perception by people;
  3. Geoheritage and geodiversity education;
  4. New ICT technologies for geoheritage and geodiversity
  5. Geoheritage, geodiversity in relationship with urban areas;
  6. (New) Methods for assessing geodiversity;
  7. Cultural function of geodiversity;
  8. Geomatics and GIS for geodiversity inventory;
  9. Connecting geodiversity, biodiversity and society;
  10. Connecting biodiversity and geodiversity across scales using remote sensing

We would like to draw your attention to the preparation and presentation of original contributions on the following topics: Study and Sustainable management of geodiversity vs conservation of heritage.

This Special Issue will bring together scientific contributions dedicated to current studies on geodiversity and how to manage it in a sustainable way. In addition, original contributions are welcome that address the topic of conservation of the geological heritage.

The main objective of the Special Issue is to update the state of the art of the following topics: study of geodiversity, sustainable management of geodiversity, reduction of the environmental impact associated with geotourism and geoconservation.

The Special Issue will therefore consider updating the existing literature by integrating different investigative approaches, with particular attention to sustainable development and future generations. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information on this special volume. Many thanks in advance for your interest and best regards.

Dr. Mario Bentivenga
Dr. Fabrizio Terenzio Gizzi
Dr. Giuseppe Palladino
Dr. Eva Pescatore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sustainable Management
  • Geodiversity, Heritage
  • Conservation

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Article
Geosites and Geotourism in the Local Development of Communities of the Andes Mountains. A Case Study
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094624 - 21 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 740
Abstract
The inventory and assessment of a geosite in a territory provides a sound basis for the protection and use of its geological heritage. This article aims to evaluate the most relevant geosites in the province of Chimborazo (Ecuador), applying the Spanish Inventory of [...] Read more.
The inventory and assessment of a geosite in a territory provides a sound basis for the protection and use of its geological heritage. This article aims to evaluate the most relevant geosites in the province of Chimborazo (Ecuador), applying the Spanish Inventory of Sites of Geological Interest (IELIG, in Spanish) method, and proposing alternatives for geotourism development in the studied area. The methodological process was based on: (i) the inventory and preliminary selection of geosites; (ii) a semi-quantitative geosite assessment and proposal of travel itineraries for geotourism; and (iii) the application of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) matrix to establish geotourism development strategies within a framework of sustainability. The global assessment of scientific, tourist, and academic interests demonstrates that 25% of the 20 evaluated geosites have very high interest and 75% have high interest. The top three geosites with the highest degrees of interest are the Chimborazo Volcano, known as ‘Earth’s Closest Point to the Sun’, the Pallatanga geological fault, and the geosite named Comunidad Cacha. The SWOT analysis reveals that travel itineraries that combine cultural heritage elements and geosites could offer a real alternative for the region’s sustainable development through geotourism. Full article
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Article
Geosites Inventory in Liguria Region (Northern Italy): A Tool for Regional Geoconservation and Environmental Management
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2346; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042346 - 22 Feb 2021
Viewed by 604
Abstract
The Liguria Region in Northern Italy is characterized by a wide geological and geomorphological variety, encompassing an important and valuable geoheritage. The Ligurian regional law (L.R. 39/2009) protects and enhances geodiversity and geosites, establishing the Regional Inventory of Geosites; however, an approved official [...] Read more.
The Liguria Region in Northern Italy is characterized by a wide geological and geomorphological variety, encompassing an important and valuable geoheritage. The Ligurian regional law (L.R. 39/2009) protects and enhances geodiversity and geosites, establishing the Regional Inventory of Geosites; however, an approved official inventory is still lacking. In this work, a first reasoned inventory of 120 geosites is proposed for the Liguria Region on the basis of field surveys and literature review. A quantitative assessment of the value and the degradation risk of geosites has been carried out: the value assessment takes into account scientific, additional and potential-for-use values; the degradation risk assessment considers geosites’ fragility and vulnerability. The results, providing knowledge on the Ligurian geoheritage, can serve as the basis for the Regional Inventory of Geosites and can be useful tools for the implementation of any regional geoconservation strategy or environmental management plan. Full article
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Article
Geoheritage and Geodiversity Education in Romania: Formal and Non-Formal Analysis Based on Questionnaires
Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9180; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219180 - 04 Nov 2020
Viewed by 626
Abstract
This paper aims to present how education for geoheritage and geodiversity should take place both in the school curriculum and in extracurricular activities at all levels of Romanian education (middle school, high school and university). The research method consisted in applying two questionnaires [...] Read more.
This paper aims to present how education for geoheritage and geodiversity should take place both in the school curriculum and in extracurricular activities at all levels of Romanian education (middle school, high school and university). The research method consisted in applying two questionnaires (10 questions, most with answers to choose from) both to pre-university teachers (especially those in geography) and students/graduates (especially from geography faculties in the country). The obtained results demonstrate the existence of two different visions: for middle and high school education, education on geoheritage and geodiversity takes place sometimes formally (based on curriculum hours according to the school’s decision) but predominantly informally (based on practical field applications), with most schools educationally limited in terms of environment/sustainable development; in contrast, university education on these subjects has a formal character (based on dedicated courses or field practice modules). The results, although encouraging for the moment, show that there is a need to intensify awareness and education on geoheritage and geodiversity at all levels, especially in higher education, by introducing specific courses/content at all universities in the country. Full article
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