Geoparks in Latin America The Mixteca Alta UNESCO Global Geopark
I International Seminar "Sustainable Tourism and Geoparks“, Sevilla November 25, 2017
Who I am
• José Luis Palacio‐Prieto • Geographer • Researcher at the Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) • Fields of interest: Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Landuse planning, Geoparks • Scientific Coordinator of the UNESCO Global Geopark Mixteca Alta (Mexico)
Founded in May 2017 4 Geoparks in 3 countries: Brasil: Araripe, 2006 Uruguay: Grutas del Palacio, 2013 México: Mixteca Alta, Comarca Minera, 2017
Araripe
4 Global Geoparks UNESCO 3 Aspiring Geopark 10 + Projects 11 Countries
The Latinamerican and Caribbean Geoparks Network Indigenous people Traditional knowledge Customs and habits System of assignments
The Mexican UNESCO Global Geoparks
Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca
Comarca Minera, Hidalgo
Agriculture terraces Up to 3500 years old.
Church of Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán
Geoart
Geoart Pottery, 3000 years using the same techniques
Local guides
Our youngest guide
• The concept of Geopark has evolved since the first Geoparks were established in 2000 • Territories with the same goals in different cultural contexts • Culture has been a key issue to explain the evolution of Geoparks • Adaptation
Different territories, different stories and histories to tell, understand, teach and learn from. Baba Dioum: "In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.“ We try to teach, we have certainly learned a lot!
Carlos Carvalho, Naturtejo, Portugal Ángel Hernández, Maestrazgo, Spain Luis Alcalá, Maestrazgo‐Dinópolis, Spain José Brilha, U. Minho, Portugal
www.geoparquemixtecaalta.org
Proyecto Geoparque Mixteca Alta geoparque.mixtecaalta@gmail.com Mixteca Alta Geoparque
José Luis Palacio palacio@unam.mx