Geology and World Heritage:an Update on What is on the World Heritage List- and what is not

Talk Summary:

2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the Giant’s Causeway and Causeway Coast being inscribed as a World Heritage List due to its geological significance. Today, 91 properties across 51 countries are similarly inscribed as World Heritage Sites due, at least partially, to their geological importance although only 25 sites are listed solely for their geological importance including the Dorset and East Devon Coast in England, better known as the Jurassic Coast. In 2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), advisors to UNESCO for natural world heritage including geology, published a new report on geological World Heritage Sites, highlighting what has already been inscribed and attempting to identify what aspects of geology are not represented or under-represented on the List, i.e. what big geological stories are still missing. The report also updated its advice to countries regarding the concept of Outstanding Universal Value and Comparative Analysis which are central to getting any site inscribed onto the List. This presentation summarises the findings of this report and also looks at how countries can now choose between having geological sites and areas inscribed as World Heritage Sites or designated as UNESCO Global Geoparks.