Through a mid-term evaluation by UNESCO, Guizhou Zhijin Cave World Geopark Receives a ‘Green Badge’!
On April 2nd, the Jingjinhou Administration issued a statement that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Geopark Council held a meeting in Indonesia to review the mid-term evaluation reports of four Chinese World Geoparks, including Jingjinhou Cave, as of 2019. On March 20, 2020, the UNESCO World Geoparks Secretariat sent a letter to the China National Forestry and Grassland Administration, and finally decided that Jingjinhou Cave World Geopark would obtain a Green Badge through the assessment.
Marvels within Jingjinhou Cave
Assessment Results
Jingjinhou Cave Geopark
Jingjinhou Cave Geopark is located in the western part of the Guizhou Plateau, located within the Jingjin County of Guizhou Province. It obtained the qualification of 'National Geopark' in 2004 and was formally inaugurated in January 2006. On January 15, 2014, the National Geopark Review Committee organized a meeting to review the 'Eighth Batch of World Geoparks Recommendation'. After the review, Jingjinhou Cave National Geopark obtained China's candidate qualification for UNESCO World Geoparks, which was submitted in 2015.
Developing in Protection, Protecting in Development
As introduced, since Jingjinhou Cave was approved as a World Geopark by UNESCO in September 2015, it has always adhered to the principles and concepts of protecting geological heritage resources and promoting sustainable social and economic development. It has followed the principle of 'Developing in Protection, Protecting in Development', investing a total of 650 million yuan to strengthen the park's planning and construction and resource protection, promote the park's construction upgrading, strengthen geological research and science popularization, actively participate in World Geopark regional cooperation and exchanges, and achieved significant social and economic benefits. It fully played the role of the park in driving local economic development, effectively supporting the local poverty alleviation efforts, and became a 'Tourism + Poverty Alleviation' model.
From July 7th to 9th, 2019, the UNESCO World Geopark Secretariat organized experts to conduct an initial assessment and evaluation of Jingjinhou Cave's construction over the past four years. After listening to thematic reports and on-site inspections, the experts highly praised the achievements of Jingjinhou Cave World Geopark in four years and commended Jingjinhou Cave World Geopark's work in signage systems, industrial promotion, ethnic minority folk culture excavation and protection, science popularization, geological tourism and the next steps in park construction and management, and provided relevant suggestions.
According to the 'UNESCO World Geopark Operations Manual' requirements, UNESCO conducts dynamic management of World Geoparks, conducts mid-term assessments of network members every 4 years to check their work in geological heritage protection, scientific research and science popularization, and sustainable development. The assessment results are divided into three categories: Pass (Green Badge), Warning (Yellow Badge), and Revocation (Red Badge).
Source: Urban News (Guo Jiancan, reporter Zhang Bin) Jingjinhou Cave World Geopark Official Website
