Dal 6 all’8 marzo 2018 in Ardeche, Francia.
Caves and karsts are specific ecosystems, that are more or less well known. They constitute environmental archives, geological and cultural heritages, important to understand a part of the story of the Earth, and of the Humanity. These environments are fragile biological hotspots, and are often essential parts of important and strategic groundwater resources.
Caves and karst should also be included in the education for children, youngsters, and adult visitors, able to transmit the environmental awareness to generations of people. They can be used to promote the rural cultures, based on natural products, genuine handicrafts, and hidden cultural heritage, and can help in extending the tourist season
The aims of this meeting is to install the discussion between scientists, territories managers, NGO, specialists of caves and karst to share experiences and knowledges in cave and karst management, notably subterranean environments nominated on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
In the long term, how to protect, conserve and develop caves and karsts to reconcile cognitive, scientific, economic imperatives and links to territories?
Objectives
– To gather together in Ardèche (south of France), some specialists studying and/or developing the caves and karsts in order to bring up the current and future challenges and needs considered as being of importance to preserve and develop caves:
– conservation of caves and karsts and development of geotourism
– links in between caves and their territories (mainly cultural and economic links)
– sustainable management of natural resources (link between environment and economy)
– To highlight the necessity of interdisciplinarity for a better understanding and development of caves and karsts
– To present new methods for the conservation and development of caves and karsts in a context of Climate Global change and local stresses due to environmental, demographic, economic or uncontrolled tourism effects, etc …
Presentation of round-tables
March 8 (morning)
Roles of scientists in the current and coming development of caves and karsts
Chairman – Georges Veni (NCKRI)
Scientists have two main roles:
Scientists produce information and understanding of subterranean environments. How can scientists prepare informations to help site managers sustainably use their caves, anticipate coming technological developments and potential adverse impacts, and educate the public?
Scientists prepare site managers to enhance their relationships with local political, economic, cultural, and other scientific partners to identify additional resources and values from their subterranean systems to increase capital gains and public appreciation. Which people and organizations can scientists introduce to the managers to meet these goals? What tools would be most effective to prepare the managers and communicate important concepts to potential partners?
March 8 (afternoon)
Caves and karsts and their locations: cultural and economic importance for related territories and populations
Chairman : Tadej Slabe (Karst Research Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts)
Caves, most remarkable elements of the karst system, have economic, cultural and social impacts for local communities and territories.
How the development of cave tourism can affect local and regional territories and communities?
Based on practical cases, this round table should evoke the diversity of links invented and maintained between the caves and their related territories and populations. The objective is to overview the relationships and mutual influences between the subterranean environments and the development of territories.
March 9 (morning)
Global prospect for subterranean geotourism in the medium & long term
Chairman : Paolo Forti (University of Bologna)
This round table should draw perspectives on the evolution, expectations and practices of geotourism in Europe / America / Asia and in emerging countries where subterranean tourism remains a cross-bordier which is interesting to observe and understand.
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