Main achievements of Cao Bang UNESCO global geopark in 2018 and 2019 focus

Wednesday - 10/04/2019 14:50
Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark was established under the Decision No 2498/QDD-UBND dated December 22nd 2015 of the People’s committee of Cao Bang province covering the territory of 6 districts namely Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang, Phuc Hoa and parts of the territory of another 3 districts namely Hoa An, Nguyen Binh, and Thach An, with a total area of 3.072Km2. The geopark contains more than 130 geological sites and some of them have international significance. Since its establishment, the Geopark has been receiving enthusiastic supports from the Party committee, People’s council, People’s committee, and the Steering committee for the development of UGGp of Cao Bang as well as the cooperation from departments and districts. Particularly, in 2018, the Mangement board of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp achieved remarkable results in the communication, public education and raising awareness, networking, international cooperation and infrastructure development in the Three experience routes of the geopark.
Một số hoạt động nổi bật của đoàn công tác tỉnh Cao Bằng tại Hội nghị mạng lưới CVĐC TC tại Italia
Một số hoạt động nổi bật của đoàn công tác tỉnh Cao Bằng tại Hội nghị mạng lưới CVĐC TC tại Italia

The communication, promotion and rising awareness of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp plays the key role in deciding the effectiveness of the development of the geopark. Through these activities, local communities, tourists’ service provider, geopark partners were awareness of the necessity of the development of geopark model in Cao Bang. As a result they actively participated in the activities of the geopark. In 2018, the Management board of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark carried out 05 training courses at provincial level for more than 575 turns of officers, tourists’ service providers in the city of Cao Bang; collaborated with Department of Education and training conducted ToT training for 292 teachers from schools on teaching the geopark in school; organized 04 trainging courses on geological heritage and geopark in 04 districts namely Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Nguyen Binh and Hoa An with a total of 437 trainees who are distict and commune officers, youth union, women union and village heads, and tourists’s service provider in the district area. 

In addition, in 2018 the Management of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp published some communication material to advertise the image of the geopark such as: News letters No 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 2018; designed and published the leaflets and guidebooks of the Three experience routes of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp; Upgraded the website of the geopark; cooperated with UNESCO consultants to update the new UNESCO logo for Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp; Replace the panel system in the geopark (IP, P, SP, A/E, etc) meeting criteria of a UNESCO global geopark; consulted the province to organize a Press meeting on the achievement of the development of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp and some guiding information for communication on mass media; Organized a Summing-up and Awarding ceremony for “the 1st best shot on Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp competition 2017”, and launched “the 2 best shot on Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp competition 2018”

The Management board of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp has advised to province to organize successfully the Ceremony on Recieving the Certificate of UNESCO global geopark which was organized on November 24th 2018; organized a meeting to disscuss about cooperation and supports from UNESCO office in Viet Nam to carry out activities, especially communication and education on the geopark in school in 2019.  Apart from that from 17-19/12/2018, the Geopark met with the video shooting team recommended by GGN from Modongsan UGGp, Chonnam National University and MBC television, Korea; its mission aimed at producing an introduction clip of the Geopark.

In 2018 the Geopark actively participated in networking activities to participate in networking activities of the Global geopark network (GGN) and APGN. The Management board of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp consulted people’s committee of Cao Bang province to participate at the 204th Executive board of UNESCO and lobbied for the UNESCO global geopark recognition. One of outstanding networking activities of the geopark in 2018 was the establishment of sistership cooperation with Haunte Provence UNESCO global geopark, France.

Another outstanding networking activity of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark was its participation in the GGN in Italia. The geopark consulted the Party committee of Cao Bang province to send a delegation of the province conduct a study tour to Italy and Swisszerland and participated at the 8th GGN, joined the geo-fair, made two presentations at the conference, and chaired one thematic session.

Moreover, in 2018 the Management board paid attention to the enhancement of infrastructure and facilities of the three experience routes. The Mangement board of the geopark worked with its contractor to review and proposed solutions for the replacement and amendment of promotion information panels such as IP, A/E, GP, PIGP, direction panels with new UNESCO logo as consulted by UNESCO expert. The management board has consulted the province to issue the approval for renovation and upgrade of the walking path to inside Nguom Ngao cave to keep the “tarrace field stalagmite” away from visitors’ footprints. The Cao Bang tourism joint stock company is cooperating with contractors to complete the work design before submitting to the People’s committee of Cao Bang province to apply for final approval from the Ministry of Cultures, sports and tourism. It is expected that this scheme is going to be implemented in 2019.

 Besides, in 2018 the Management board collaborated with Departments and districts to upgrade the access road to King Le temple to ease the visit of tourists; cooperated with People’s committee of Ha Quang district to complete the heritage protection scheme for the ammonite fossil site in Lung Luong, Keo Yen, Ha QUang (the Northern route); completed the walking path to the “mountain angle eye” heritage site, Nam cha, Quoc Toan, Tra Linh, with gravel bed of total length of 1,4km, width of 3m to ease the travel of visitors but still secured the intact surround landscapes as recommended by UNESCO field evaluators. Finished the survey to position the direction panels for visitors and completed this system of directions panel in the three experience route in 2018.  

For further development of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp meeting criteria of UNESCO, in 2018 the Management board of Non nuoc Cao Bang UGGp consulted for the province to sign the Framework contract between People’s committee of Cao Bang province and the Institute of Geology and Mineral resources for the period 2018-2022; Discussed agreed with the Institute of Geology and Mineral resources, UNESCO consultants, and Dong Van Karst plateau, Ha Giang to organize monthly meeting to review progress and propose joint actoins for fruitful implementation of activities in the two UNESCO global geoparks. 

In the last few years, the Management board of non nuoc Cao Bang geopark has paid attention to the development of geopark products. The geopark has been actively cooperated wtih Kolia joint stock company, and Technology and scieces applying center; Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) in developing  geoproducts such as: Kolia tea, Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea, incense of Phja Thap village; canna roo noodles of Nguyen Binh district, brocade weaving products in Lung Noi; and bee wax printing brocade weaving of Dao Tien ethnic group in Nguyen Binh district (these products was displayed at the promotional booth of Non nuoc Cao Bang at the 8th GGN in Italy).

Developing Non nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO global geopark meeting criteria of UNESCO plays crucial role to the sustainable scocio-economic development of the province and suitable to the current condition of the province. The UNESCO lable would help enhance the tourism sector of Cao Bang province, which then would result in an improvement in livelihoods of local communities living in the geoaprk territory, environmental and ecological protection, proper use of natural resources, and promotion of potential and advantages of Cao Bang in areas like: eco-tourism, community and cultural-based tourism to attract more domestic and international visitors. To better the development of the geopark for socio-economic development, the management board of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark would focus on some of following activities:

 Continuing to implement the given tasks as in the Directive No14/CT-UBND dated October 20th 2017 on the enhancement of the management on geological, cultural, landscape heritage and environment in Cao Bang province.

 Collaborating with the Institute of Ecology and Mineral resources, UNESCO consultant to strengthen the infrastructure and facilities in the three experience route in the Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark; collaborating with professional departments to propose the expand the territory of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark (to include Cao Bang city territory in the geopark area); this would help promote the effective moblization of tourists’ services and lay the foundation for the implementation of the scheme on visitor fee collection.

Strengthening the communication and education of Non nuoc Cao Bang geopark for communities and school in the geopark territory; providing geopark education tools; carrying out geopark field study trips for school students (focusing on topics relating to their studies at schools, etc).

Developing a qualified group of geological interpreters at communities in the geoaprk area; continueing the training sessions on geological heritage and geopark for tourists’ service providers in the geopark area; developing a qualified system of geopark partners; completing the criteria and announcing these criteria on mass medias; planning to provide supports for activities on community development and livelihoods improvement, especially ethnic minority groups living in the geopark territory.

The management board is planning to carry out activities and initiatives on environmental and landscape protection in the geopark area, especially at the heritage sites; Developing an M&E system and conducting periodical field inspection for timely tacking any arising problems at the heritage sites in the geoaprk territory; and Participating in Unesco global geopark and APGN 2019 in Indonesia; Widening international cooperation with Unesco global geoparks in Viet Nam and of other countries.

Source: Trương Thế Vinh - Phó Giám đốc sở VHTTDL - Trưởng Ban quản lý CVĐC toàn cầu UNESCO non nước Cao Bằng

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