engleski

Geotourism for the benefit of geoconservation - Geopark Island of Rab as a pilot project

Project of geopark establishment on the Island of Rab started two years ago in cooperation with the Municipality of Rab. The idea of GEOPARK, according to the IUGS and UNESCO initiative, has been presented to the local community as a new approach to nature conservation and sustainable development in the region, based on evaluation of geoheritage and its usage in prolongation of the touristic season and enrichment of touristic offer. The Island of Rab has nearly 100 km2 and over 8000 inhabitants, well developed infrastructure, rich cultural heritage and great touristic tradition. Its geological diversity makes it very different from other Adriatic islands of Croatia, and therefore it has excellent fundament for establishment of a geopark. Our main task at the beginning of this project was to evaluate the Rab geoheritage and find the best way to make local community recognize the value of geoheritage around them and become interested in what we do, and make them visualize their own prosperity by protecting natural heritage around them. It was easy to establish the contact, but people started to be afraid of administrative protection according to the Law on Nature Protection and all the restrictions that it brings. As the most important goal of GEOPARK is to contribute to sustainable development, which means that local people should get opportunity for self-employment and young people should be able to stay and work within the geopark organization, we received many doubts about this because of restrictions which might arise if an area becomes a protected natural geological monument/reserve/park. We realized that such attitude of local people, the land owners, can bring rejection of further project development. In such situation, we believe that education is the most powerful and that we have to concentrate on educating local people so they finally understand the reason why they should protect a geosite, especially if it is located on their property, and the reason would be self-employment. If the one can earn money for living by protecting a geosite, showing it to tourists, cleaning the site, and making local souvenirs, it will be most beneficial to geoheritage conservation. Therefore, we believe that there is no reason that every geosite or geologically valuable area should go under state protection and thereafter needs the state budget for management. The geopark as an organization must have managements rules with all-life education programme for the local people. So far, there are over hundred geosites registered on the Island of Rab and described in a digital data base according to instructions of ProGEO European Association for the Protection of the Geological Heritage. The categories we used are: “ geosite” , “ geotrail” and “ geogarden” , which all form the “ geopark” . The evaluation of a particular geosite in terms of scientific, cultural, historical or esthetic value is still in process. Proposed process scientific research - registration and evaluation of geoheritage - local dBase establishment - setting up one geotrail with explanation tables and guides - education of local people - special education of land owners on the trail route (building their interest and competence in management of geosites/geotrail) - compromising personal interests, local community interests and geoconservation (exploitation by protecting) - forming new touristic offer - 6 months testing process.

geotourism; Rab island; geoconservation

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