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Background
The purpose of this International Coastal Symposium (ICS) is to promote coastal management for a resilient future coast through a wide range of both bottom-up mechanism and top-down processes. The UNs consists of various global institutes that initiate and promote issues of protecting the global environment and benefiting all human societies as a whole. However, the implementation of important programmes cannot be effectively sustained solely by the UNs and its subsidiaries. Both regional and national endeavours are required to ensure good results. Furthermore, local endeavours are an authentic drive for good practices of geopark and protected area. This is particularly true and significant in a world of diversity and in an era of uncertainty today.
For IUCN-WCPA and UNESCO Global Geoparks, networking and sharing good practices for protected areas and geoparks are critical elements for sustainable development. As the IUCN practices are been carefully and selectively followed by the National Parks and Nature Reserves of Taiwan, to localize practices for a better fit is one issue of significance. By cooperating among neighbouring countries or East Asian countries and learning from one another, we will all contribute to a sustainable global environment. Taiwan, as an island state, has 10 geoparks, all with uniquely individual characteristics. The concept of geopark is a multi-disciplinary and bottom-up civilian model. Geoparks are dynamic responses to a wide range of issues and policies; each geopark’s mode of governance is related to its local societal, cultural, economic, geological and geographical setting. Therefore, local involvement and a locally devised management plan is critical in ensuring an effective response to local issues.
Focusing on the experience of IUCN-WCPA and all geoparks around the world, some issues and questions could be considered for a better and sustainable tomorrow:
In today’s environmentally and politically intertwined global societies, the success of a Future Earth Coasts/Ocean projects’ practice will not only benefit itself. Through networking and sharing, their benefits could be diffused and magnified tremendously. Therefore, you are invited to join us for this special conference to share your research results and experiences, and to shed lights for our common future.
We invite researchers, academics, communities, government authorities, non-government organizations, non-profit organizations and all other interest groups to participate in this conference. This event will offer not only an opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from one another, but also a chance to visit various geoparks of Taiwan to gain insights from the local practices. A post-conference field trip will be arranged for Penghu Marine geopark, where the geopark’s natural features, socio-cultural activities and handicrafts await your visit, and local geo-products for you to taste.