Algarvensis has officially received a certificate recognising the territory as a UNESCO Global Geopark, now forming part of the Global Geoparks Network. The formal designation took place this week during the 18th European Geoparks Conference in Finland, marking a new chapter in a journey launched in 2018 by the municipalities of Loulé, Silves, and Albufeira. The recognition will be celebrated locally on 3 October with a gala at Cineteatro Louletano.
Members of the team behind the establishment of the geopark, as well as local representatives, took part in a number of scientific, technical, and institutional sessions, presenting experiences and methodologies developed across Loulé, Silves, and Albufeira.
The conference also provided an opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Portugal’s other UNESCO Global Geoparks, and establish contacts with territories in other countries. Working sessions, meetings, field trips, and knowledge-sharing activities helped identify common areas of interest and potential international cooperation projects.
Following UNESCO recognition, the project’s focus now turns building on the work already carried out across the geopark. According to the organisation, UNESCO Global Geopark status entails “an ongoing commitment to understanding, protecting and promoting heritage, as well as engaging local communities”.
The milestone reached in Finland will be marked locally on 3 October at 9pm with the Algarvensis Gala at Cineteatro Louletano in Loulé. The event will celebrate the conclusion of a project that began in 2018, and bring together people and institutions that have contributed over the years. The gala will be structured around the theme of “Past, Present and Future”, reflecting on the path to international recognition while also looking ahead to the challenges that Algarvensis may come to face as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
“Because a geopark is not built simply for an application or to achieve recognition. It is built and renewed over generations,” the press release reads.
Source: Jornal do Algarve
Photo credit: VASCO CÉLIO
