Geodiversidad, patrimonio geológico y conceptos afinescomplementos esenciales en la educación ambiental del futuro

Abstract

Geodiversity is regarded as an essential element of world heritage, either directly, as natural heritage or indirectly as a complement of cultural heritage. However, today its importance is often diluted or totally loss among other legacies. Typical Geodiversity examples are thus frequently regarded as cultural heritage based upon tradition instead of relying on scientific considerations. Also, laws concerning natural heritage or environmental and sustainable development issues are often focussed on biodiversity aspects leaving the Geodiversity offstage or comprised in concepts like “biotope”. In an attempt to modify this situation our text stands for: (1) the independence of Geodiversity with respect to biodiversity and cultural heritage, (2) the inclusion of geodiversity in a new and more integral view of the environmental education and sustainable development, and (3) a little revision of the environment- and cultural- or natural heritage-related laws of the Basque Country in the aim to include Geodiversity more effectively in future legislation.