TEHRAN – Tabas Geopark in east-central Iran, which is home to a wide variety of scenic landscapes and untouched terrains, may soon join the listing of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp).

A dossier for the gigantic Tabas Geopark has been submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. The property is hoped to be soon assessed by UNESCO experts for a [possible] registration, Mehr reported on Wednesday.

 Tabas Geopark, which is situated in a vast county of the same name, has enormous potential to be registered as “the biggest” geopark in the West Asia region, the report said.

Sprawled in the eastern province of South Khorasan, Tabas Geopark includes some 50 geo-sites, a variety of scenic landscapes, and untouched terrains with the mysterious Kal-e Jeni (canyon of Jinn) located in Azmighan village, amongst them.

A geopark is a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live there. A UNESCO definition of the global geopark is a unified area with a geological heritage of international significance. Geoparks use that heritage to promote awareness of key issues facing society in the context of our dynamic planet.

Geoparks usually promote awareness of geological hazards, including volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis and many help prepare disaster mitigation strategies with local communities. Geoparks embody records of past climate changes and are indicators of current climate changes as well.

AFM