UNESCO experts marked high potential of Toratau Geopark

UFA, 2 December 2019. /Bashinform News Agency, Artem Valiev/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

International experts highly appreciated the idea of ​​creating the second UNESCO Global Geopark in Bashkiria - “Toratau” at a conference “UNESCO Global Geoparks Network” held in the Salavatsky district of our republic. Today only one Geopark in Russia has a global status - Yangan-Tau. In April 2020, it will receive the status of a UNESCO Global Geopark. An application submitted by the Russian Federation was considered and had a positive decision. It is only a matter of time before the UNESCO General Conference will announce it officially.

“Over the past two to three years, Yangan Tau has done a great job,” says Patrick McKeever, Special Advisor to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN), Head of the UNESCO Earth Sciences Section. At the “UNESCO Global Geoparks Network” conference held in the Salavatsky district, specialists who worked in Yangan-Tau could share their research with colleagues not only from Russia but also from foreign countries such as Pakistan, Mongolia, Egypt. And the venue for this conference was not chosen by chance. ”

His colleague, Kristin Rangnes, coordinator of the European Global Geoparks Network (EGN), believes that the framework for creating new Geoparks in Bashkiria is quite good.

“The information about the creation of the Toratau Geopark was presented at the conference,” she said. “The basic principles of the creation and functioning of Geoparks were discussed there. Yangan-Tau can be considered as a possible model structure to share experience and information with other areas, of which there are many. In Bashkiria, geology is at a very high level of development, but I want to note that when we met with the local people, they were very welcoming and hospitable. I would mark the connection between the Geopark and people. Locals here are proud of the environment, the surrounding nature. They are very proud of what they have, and maybe they do not know some geological terms, but they are proud of what surrounds them”.

Despite the fact that there are all prerequisites for the Toratau Geopark to receive UNESCO's international status, tremendous work should be done, which is impossible without the support of the regional government, Soo Jae Lee, Deputy Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Network of Geoparks (AGN) believes.

“There was a Toratau representative at the conference,” Soo Jae Lee said. “He spoke about the prospects which they had. In my opinion, they have every chance for Toratau to be included in the list of the Global Geoparks Network. This is one of the best candidates for the next inclusion in the list. They have a unique opportunity to learn from the Yangan-Tau experience, take advantage of what has already been done there, and also directly contact the representatives of Yangan-Tau and UNESCO”.

The international expert in Geoparks Suren Gavinyan believes that in Bashkiria, there are many promising territories for inclusion in the Global Geoparks Network, even in addition to Toratau and Yangan-Tau.

“The point of this conference was that we showed the territories the possibilities and experience of Yangan-Tau, namely, that in two years, having done a huge amount of work, they have received a UNESCO status from scratch,” he said.

Natalia Lukashina, the member of the board of the Center for Science, Education, Ecology, Culture, and Tourism of Toratau Geopark, project manager for the formation and development of the Toratau Geopark, told about the work that had already been done to consolidate the scientific base of the Toratau Geopark.

“Research activity is ongoing at the Geopark,” she said. “A development model for the Geopark was outlined. We identified seven main centers, each with its own established functional features. During the whole summer, our Institute of Geology, Institute of Biology, Ufa Science Center RAS, Institute of History, Language and Literature were engaged in field research. Now all this information is being processed, and a nomination dossier will be prepared based on the results. Until July 1, 2020, we will apply for joining the Global Network, and by the end of November 2020, we will submit the nomination dossier itself with full reports on the entire natural heritage, historical, and cultural heritage of the Geopark. ”