By Gabriela Baron
Bohol Island has been declared as the first UNESCO Global Geopark of the Philippines.
“The Bohol Island UNESCO Global Geopark covers 8,808 square kilometers of land and surrounding lush marine protected areas,” UNESCO Philippine National Commission wrote on Facebook.
Bohol abounds in karstic geosites like caves, sinkholes, and cone karst including the famed chocolate hills.
For the recognition, UNESCO cited the island’s Danajon Double Barrier Reef which is “only one of its kind in the Philippines and Southeast Asia” and Alicia Schist, Bohol’s oldest basement rock.
“A modern day showcase of the powerful movements inside the earth’s crust is the recent raising of the seabed forming the uplifted marine terrace in Maribojoc and Loon, and the creation of the rupture site in Inabanga,” UNESCO further wrote.
“The geopark is not only a testament to the earth’s very dynamic history preserved in the diverse rocks and geomorphological features in and around the island, but it is also a demonstration of Boholans’ strength and steadfast faith while embracing the uncertainty of geological hazards coming their way,” the agency also wrote.
The UNESCO Global Geoparks are single and unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education, and sustainable development.
There are currently 195 geoparks worldwide. – cf