Legal protection and rational use of geological heritage in geoparks

Abstract

At the world level, a holistic concept of geoparks has been developed as a form of sustainable management in the field of protection and use of objects of geological heritage of international importance, ensuring geodiversity. However, in many states relations on the creation and operation of geoparks remain unsettled, and only the first attempts to consolidate the relevant rules in national legislation have appeared. In Russia, a narrow approach to the legal protection of the natural environment has been identified, based on the conservation and restoration of biological, less often landscape, diversity. The current norms on specially protected geological objects, specially protected natural areas are not sufficient for the conservation and restoration of geodiversity. The word “geodiversity” is mentioned in a single policy document. Normative legal acts do not fix the terms and definitions of “geodiversity”, “geological heritage”, “geopark”, as well as other special definitions in the field of protection of unique and rare geological objects, which makes it difficult to develop legal norms on geoparks in accordance with global trends. The legislation of the countries with the largest number of UNESCO Global Geoparks is presented as best practice: China, Spain and Italy. In these countries, the protection and use of geological heritage is carried out in different ways. The most successful foreign management experience in the field of protection and use of geological heritage objects, which can be borrowed by the Russian legislator, is highlighted. Possible options for the reception of legal models for the creation and operation of geoparks in Russia are given.