THE UNESCO CHAIR ON GEOPARKS, SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVEOPMENT & HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Preserve by knowledge, not by prohibition: Education towards a sustainable future

This UNESCO Chair held by the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro in Vila Real, Portugal waslaunched in 2016 being the first in the world dedicatedto this topics.The UNESCO Chair on "Geoparks, Sustainable RegionalDevelopment and Healthy Lifestyles" has proposed inits fields of competence one key condition: to develop aset of transferring knowledge initiatives and promotingcooperation, in order to integrate the multipleapproaches related to the territorial development,engaging local communities and visitors in better socio-economic and healthier lifestyles. With these efforts itis expected to stimulate learning and promotion of corecompetencies such as critical and systematic thinking,collaborative decision-making, and taking responsibilityfor present and future generations, also contributingfor the achievement of the Agenda 2030 forSustainable Development and its 17 SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDG´s).This Chair has established a wide international networkof cooperation involving partners from Europe, Africaand Latin America and Caribbean, to raise institutional,academic and public awareness of the high value of theUNESCO Global Geoparks in the protection andpromotion of the Earth Heritage.

.

Newsletter Pachamama 1 https://unescochairutad.wordpress.com

This network includes Agostinho Neto University(Angola), Nacional de Tucuman University (Argentina),Federal de Pernambuco University (Brazil), Regional doCariri (Brazil), Atacama University (Chile), RegionalAmazónica University (Ecuador), National AutonomousUniversity of Mexico (México), San Luis PotosíAutonomous University (México), Eduardo MondlaneUniversity (Mozambique), Complutense University(Spain). Also count with the support of the PortugueseUNESCO National Commission, and UNESCO Offices forEastern Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) and Latin America andCaribbean (Montevideo, Uruguay).This Chair is a worthwhile platform for increasingsociety awareness on the value and principles ofUNESCO Global Geoparks through an innovativenetwork of research, teaching and transfer ofknowledge which aims to stimulate learning andpromotion of competencies, collaborative decision-making, and taking responsibility for present and futuregenerations, particularly regarding the advancedcapacity-building necessary for territorial management,and also to create or improve the technical skills ofteams involved in the process for establishing newUNESCO Global Geoparks mainly in Africa and LatinAmerica and the Caribbean.

Newsletter Pachamama 1 https://unescochairutad.wordpress.com

Douro Conferences. University of Trás-os-Montes eAlto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal. June 20,2016

During this event it was presented the UNESCO Chair on“Geoparks, Sustainable Regional Development and HealthyLifestyles”. This event counted with the presence of thePresident of the Portuguese National Commission forUNESCO, Ambassador Ana Martinho. The interventions werein charge of Elizabeth Silva, Responsible for the ScienceSector of the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCOand of the UNESCO Chair; Artur Sá (Professor of UTAD) andUNESCO Chair holder; Ronaldo Gabriel (Professor of UTAD)and Member of the Coordination Committee of the referredChair, and other several experts on the Douro Region. All theinterventions were consensual and highlighted the severalresources of the Douro region, based in its unique landscape,tourism and culture, but also on the potential that remains tobe explored.

Health and Wellbeing through Creative and ActiveEngagement Key Note and Panel. 7th InternationalConference on UNESCO Global Geoparks, EnglishRiviera, England. September 28, 2016

During the International Conference on UNESCO GlobalGeoparks in the English Rivera UNESCO Global Geopark wascarried out a discussion panel with the support of thisUNESCO Chair in order to discuss how the UNESCO GlobalGeoparks promote wellbeing and healthy lifestyles throughthe engagement of the local communities in severalrecreational, outdoors and artistic activities releated with thenatural and cultural heritage of the UNESCO territories. Thispanel included the participation of two members of theUNESCO Chair, Artur Sá and Ronaldo Gabriel and also withthe interventions of Patrick McKeever, Secretary of theInternational Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) ofUNESCO; Mark Laville, Artistic Director of the PlymouthTheatre; Marko Poracnik, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador andArtist for Peace; Iain Stewart, Professor of GeoscienceCommunication at Plymouth University and Mathew Whiteof the European Centre for Human Health.

Conference: The Science at the core of the Agenda2030 for Sustainable Development University ofTrás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.November 10, 2016

This conference was held in the framework of the WorldScience Day for Peace and Development proclaimed byUNESCO on 10 of November. Elizabeth Silva, Member of theCoordination Committee of the UNESCO Chair and alsoresponsible for the Science Sector of the Portuguese NationalCommission for UNESCO, as invited speaker shared goodpractices for the implementation of the SDG´s trough thescientific Programmes of UNESCO. It was highlighted someresearch projects developed particulary in UNESCOPortuguese designated sites, such as Biosphere Reserves,UNESCO Global Geoparks and World Heritage.

International Conference UNESCO Global Geoparks– territories of Science. University of Nova Lisboa,Lisboa, Portugal November 25, 2016

Due to the celebrations of the first year of the InternationalGeoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) as well as theWorld Science Day for Peace and Sustainable Development, itwas organized the International Conference “UNESCO GlobalGeoparks – territories of Sciences”. This event was supportedby the Ecological Science Division of UNESCO, by thePortuguese Forum of UNESCO Global Geoparks, by theNational Committee for the International Programme ofGeosciences and by the UNESCO Chair on “Geoparks,Sustainable Regional Development and Healthy Lifestyles” ofUTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.During the conference Patrick McKeever, Chief of Section forEarth Sciences and Geohazard Risk Reduction, UNESCO;Elizabeth Silva, Responsible for the Science Sector of thePortuguese National Commission for UNESCO and Artur Sá,Chair holder of the UNESCO Chair on “Geoparks, RegionalSustainable Development and Healty Lifestyles” highlightedthe value of the UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGG), the goodpractices of the Portuguese Forum of UGG and theimportance of the UNESCO Chair in the promotion andcapacity building of new UGG. Also the Portuguese UNESCOGlobal Geoparks (Naturtejo, Arouca, Azores and Terras deCavaleiros) shared their experiences on sustainablemanagement and development. Also the Aspiring EstrelaGeopark presented their proposal. It was a rewarding eventfor the exchange of good practices of the PortugueseUNESCO Global Geoparks.

I Congresso Terras de Cavaleiros – Humanizar o Turismo Macedo de Cavaleiros, Portugal. January 27 to 28, 2017

The main purpose of this Conference was to create anenvironment for exchanging ideas between the UNESCOGlobal Geoparks and the tourism experiences in order todiscuss the perspectives, problematics, different approachesand how to improve the tourism experience in thisterritories. This Conference was developed under theframework of the United Nations International Year ofSustainable Tourism for Development.

El Xeoparque do Cabo Ortegal ¿futuro próximo o lejano? cuartas Xornadas de Patrimonio e Desenvolvemento Local Cariño, Spain. December 10, 2016

The objective of this seminar was to discuss the physical,social and political context of the Cabo Ortegal region toestablish a future Geopark. Several specialists on geology ofthe region (Ricardo Arenas and Sonia Sánchez from theComplutense University, Spain; Richard Roper from theUniversity of Frankfurt, Germany; and Juan Vidal Romanífrom the Coruña University, Spain) discussed and justified thegeological international value of the Cabo Ortegal. Alsoexperts on Geoparks (Leire Barriuso from Basque CoastUNESCO Global Geopark, and Artur Sá from the UNESCOChair on “Geoparks, Sustainable Regional Development &Healthy Lifestyles”) shared their work, experiences and goodpractices in order to support the technical staff of CaboOrtegal.

Newsletter Pachamama 1 https://unescochairutad.wordpress.com

Managing Mediterranean Mountain Geoheritage Manteigas, Portugal. May 6-7, 2017

The objective of this Conference was to discuss differentperspectives of geoconservation in mountain landscapes,mainly focused on the Aspiring Geopark Estrela. This eventcounted with the participation of several experts on thenatural features of the Estrela territory and also with theparticipation of some members of the UNESCO Chair, whohighlighted the importance of networking and creating solidpartnerships between the UNESCO territories in order tocontribute to SDG´s.

IV Latin America and Caribbean Symposium on Geoparks Arequipa, Peru. May 23-26, 2017

During this event different aspiring territories in LatinAmerica and Caribbean shared their experiences anddifficulties, creating a good opportunity to discuss andcreate new ideas for the developing of new UNESCOGlobal Geoparks in this region. It was also an historicevent because it was created the Latin America andCaribbean Geoparks Network.

The International Summer University on Geoparks, SustainableRegional Development and Healthy Lifestyles has been createdwhithin these three topics, based in a new and multidisciplinaryapproach towards capacity building on these subjects. This advancededucational and vocational training was offered by UNESCO Chair ofUTAD (Vila Real, Portugal). It included an intensive series of seminarsand workshops during two weeks. In this advanced training courseparticipated a total of 47 trainees (32 Portuguese and 15 internationaltrainees from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico,Rumania, Spain and United Kingdom) and 32 participants from 16different nationalities (Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Cape Verde,Cameroon, Canada, Croatia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Italy, Mexico,Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom). This broad-spectrum educationalinitiative was complemented with a strong practice component throughmid-course field trips to Arouca UGG, Terras de Cavaleiros UGG, AltoDouro Wine Region (World Heritage Site), Meseta IbericaTransboundary Biosphere Reserve, Natural Park of InternationalDouro and Azibo reservoir protected landscape. This initiative provideda broadband training course for students, researchers, managers, staffmembers and civil servants, among others, on Geoparks, SustainableRegional Development and Healthy Lifestyles, creating simultaneouslyawareness about the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its17 SDG’s.

3rd – 14th July 2017, Vila Real, Portugal. University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro

Newsletter Pachamama 1 https://unescochairutad.wordpress.com

EDITORIAL INFORMATIONPachamama – Newsletter of the UNESCO Chair “Geoparks, Sustainable Regional Development and Healthy Lifestyles” V.1 (Autumn, 2017)

Editorial TeamArtur Abreu SáElizabeth SilvaEmmaline Rosado-González

Graphic DesingnEmmaline Rosado-González

Cover PhotoEmmaline Rosado-González