ProGEO - International Association for the Conservation of Geological Heritage

 

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  history

foundation

The first international meeting on geoconservation was held in The Netherlands in 1988, with the presence of seven European countries. One of the outputs of this meeting was the establishment of the European Working Group on Earth Science Conservation, which evolved in 1993 to ProGEO.

 

ProGEO was the first international body of geoconservation organised as a European and democratic association which has the capacity and the legitimate support to speak for those involved in geoconservation in Europe.

 

The inspiration of the “First International Symposium on the Conservation of our Geological Heritage” at Digne-les-Bains (France) in 1991 provided a great momentum for the developing cause of European geoconservation, and an ethos to underpin the day-to-day efforts of ProGEO and all in the field, in the form of the Digne Declaration.

 

 

main achievements

From the first establishment of ProGEO, seminars, conferences and symposia have been arranged within the framework of the association, both on national and international levels.

 

Both regional and national ProGEO groups are active in the work of conserving the geological heritage of their countries or regions. One of the main activities of these groups has been contributions to the geosites project which establishes frameworks for selection of geoconservation sites of international importance.

 

ProGEO has also cooperated with many others to organize meetings and symposia including, sessions at international geological congresses (IGC)in Oslo (2008), Brisbane (2012), and Cape Town (2016). Other key achievements include contributing to the establishment of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) first two geological resolutions ever, the first adopted at the WCC 2008 and the second at the WCC 2012. For the first time, the World Parks Congress 2014 included geoconservation in its programme in Sydney, Australia.

 

One of the ProGEO’s major initiatives is the scientific publication “Geoheritage”, published by Springer since 2009. This collaborative effort can develop new and broader perspectives in geoconservation, such as geodiversity, geotourism, geoparks, landscape conservation and geological education.

 

Furthermore, for the first time a comprehensive overview of geoconservation in Europe has been presented in a book – “Geoheritage in Europe and its conservation”. The book includes specific contributions from 37 countries focussing on legislation and geoconservation practices.

 

  past events

Loughborough, UK

Tenth General Assembly,

XI International ProGEO Symposium hosted by Charnwood Forest Geopark,

9 - 11th October 2023

see the Declaration of Loughborough

Madrid, Spain

Nineth General Assembly (held electronically)

X International ProGEO Symposium, Building connections for global geoconservation, 7-10th June 2021 (a fully online free event)

Chęciny, Poland

Eight General Assembly

IX International ProGEO Symposium on Conservation of Geoheritage:

Geoheritage and Conservation: Modern Approaches and Applications –

 Towards the 2030 Agenda

see the Declaration of Chęciny

Reykjavík, Iceland

Seventh General Assembly

VIII International ProGEO Symposium on Conservation of Geoheritage: Geoconservation Strategies in a Changing World.

see the Declaration of Reykjavík

Bari, Italy

Sixth General Assembly

VII International ProGEO Symposium on Conservation of Geoheritage. Geoheritage: Protecting and Sharing.

Hagen, Germany

VI International ProGEO Symposium on Conservation of Geological Heritage. Geosites: Resources for the Public. Palaeontology and Conservation of Geosites.

Rab, Croatia

Fifth General Assembly

 V International ProGEO Symposium on Conservation of the Geological Heritage.

Kyiv, Ukraine

Fourth General Assembly.

ProGEO Symposium. Safeguarding our Geological Heritage. European Protection Policies of the Geological Heritage – Theory and Practice.

Braga, Portugal

IV International Symposium ProGEO. On the Conservation of the Geological Heritage

see the Declaration of Braga.

Dublin, Ireland

Third General Assembly.

Conference on Natural and Cultural Landscapes, the Geological Foundation.

Official registration ProGEO as an Association.

Madrid, Spain

III International Symposium. Towards the Balanced Management and Conservation of the Geological Heritage in the New Millennium.

Belogradchik, Bulgaria

Geological Heritage of Europe.

Tallinn, Estonia

Second General Assembly.

Rome, Italy

II International Symposium. On the Conservation of our Geological Heritage/ World Heritage: Geotope Conservation World-wide, European and Italian Experiences.

Mitwitz-Cologne, Germany

First General Assembly.

The formal start for ProGEO and the adoption of Articles.

Digne-les-Bains, France

I International Symposium. Declaration of the Rights of the Memory of the Earth.

Lom, Norway

Presentation of the Lom Articles

Leersum, Holland.

The first group, "The European Working Group on Earth-Science Conservation", was founded.

 

 

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