On April 23, UNESCO approved the addition of 12 new Global Geoparks, with Changshan in Zhejiang and Siguniang Mountain in Sichuan from China being selected. This brings the total number of UNESCO Global Geoparks in China to 51, firmly securing its top position globally.
Christoph Vandenberg, head of the Earth Sciences and Geoparks Section at UNESCO, stated that China is a “heavyweight country” in this network and has established a mature and exemplary management system for geoparks. The related evaluation work was completed at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, aiming to promote the protection of earth heritage and sustainable development.
According to a press release issued by UNESCO on the same day, 12 geoparks were approved to join the UNESCO Global Geopark Network.
Vandenberg explained that the UNESCO Global Geoparks initiative began in 2015, uniting regions recognized for their significant geological heritage. With the approval of this new batch of geoparks, there are now a total of 241 UNESCO Global Geoparks across 51 countries worldwide, with China undoubtedly being a heavyweight in this network.