The significance of landforms – the contribution of geomorphology to the World Heritage Programme of UNESCO

Abstract

This discussion paper addresses the role of geomorphology in designating UNESCO World Heritage properties. Two of the defined criteria employed in the process are explicitly relevant to geomorphology. Criterion (vii) emphasizes the occurrence of superlative natural phenomena, while criterion (viii) directly refers to landforms and on‐going surface processes, along with historical geological values. Superlative natural phenomena may be singular features, but in recent nominations the focus has tended to be on geomorphic diversity over limited areas. Overall, this is a criterion significantly influenced by subjective judgement. The significance of landforms, as included in the wording of criterion (viii), may be considered in three ways. Landforms may be significant for the science of geomorphology itself, and/or for other natural science disciplines, particularly biology and ecology, and/or be of wider cultural significance, including for history, architecture, general landscape aesthetics, art, or religion, underpinning cultural developments. To better determine the conditions to be fulfilled by a property to be considered as geomorphologically significant at the highest global level required for World Heritage listing seems a timely and useful exercise. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Geoheritage, Geotourism and the Cultural Landscape: Enhancing the Visitor Experience and Promoting Geoconservation

“…Second, natural features play an integral part in determining landscape character. Many geosites have become iconic places (e.g., the Grand Canyon, Uluru, the Matterhorn and the Giant's Causeway), globally recognized with cultural, religious, symbolic and economic values [82,83]. Many are appreciated for their aesthetic value [67], which refers to sensory, usually visual (but also nonvisual), appeal both in a passive receiving (e.g., appreciating a view) and an actively sensing (e.g., through hiking in the mountains) context based on aspects of harmony, variation/contrast, scenery/viewing, genuineness and art/architecture [84].…”

Granite Landform Diversity and Dynamics Underpin Geoheritage Values of Seoraksan Mountains, Republic of Korea

“…Although never glaciated (at least, not re-shaped by glaciers to any evident extent), Seoraksan hosts numerous inherited landforms produced by cold-climate conditions as well as structural landforms whose assignment to certain narrowly-defined timespans does not seem possible. Therefore, referring to the conceptual issue of Bsignificance^present at the interface of geosciences, and geomorphology in particular, and nature conservation and promotion (Migoń 2014), Seoraksan may indeed be considered as a highly significant representative of unglaciated, very dynamic granite mountain scenery, and possibly a Btype geomorphic locality^for any comparative studies. Moreover, it is argued that strategies to develop geoeducation and more informed educational tourism should seriously consider this geological control-landform inheritance-contemporary geomorphological process triad which together explain the complexity of mountain landscapes, since Seoraksan is a most suitable place to explore these issues, also for general public.…”

Granite Landscapes, Geodiversity and Geoheritage—Global Context

“…However, an operational problem here is that no agreed understanding of "significance" in the context of landforms and geomorphological landscapes is available. This issue was discussed at length by Migoń [73] who argued that landforms at a given locality may be significant for: (a) The science of geomorphology itself; (b) for biotic world, crucially underpinning its existence and diversity; and (c) cultural heritage, again underpinning its development and survival. Cases of (b) and (c) are illustrated by a number of World Heritage properties inscribed under criteria different than (viii), which include granite sceneries, but not recognized themselves as of outstanding universal value (see below, Table 1).…”