Courel Mountains Geopark (Galicia, Spain): a piece of our geological history

UNESCO Global Geoparks are areas that protect a geological heritage of international importance, which constitutes a component of their development. The requirements to be declared a geopark include a notable geological heritage, a legally identified management body, visibility to promote sustainable and inclusive local economic development through geotourism and the creation of networks with other geoparks. The main areas of activity are: i) education for sustainability; ii) geotourism and local development; and iii) research and heritage conservation.

The Courel Mountains Geopark was declared in 2019 due to its exceptional physical heritage, coherent with the high biodiversity, and human presence since Prehistory. So their declaration was aimed to contribute to the sustainable development of local communities and was promoted by the Ribeira Sacra-Courel Rural Development Group, made up of three municipalities in Lugo province (Galicia), covering an area of 578 km² and a population of around 5000 inhabitants. The designation as a geopark is not permanent. It is reassessed every four years to ensure that the territory continues to meet local development and sustainability standards. The objective is to make known the actions taken to conserve the geological–natural heritage of Courel Mountains, as well as to promote environmentally friendly geotourism that boosts local economic well-being.

Therefore, since its designation, a range of conservation, education, and geotourism initiatives have been implemented to strengthen its sustainable use. The methodological approach is based on a participatory framework that combines conservation, biodiversity management, environmental education, and local community involvement. This includes the inventory and assessment of geological and natural sites, the implementation of conservation measures, the promotion of sustainable tourism products, and the participation of local stakeholders through awareness-raising and capacity-building activities. Site monitoring is carried out through a set of indicators that evaluate both environmental and socioeconomic outcomes. These involve periodic assessments of the conservation status, monitoring of visitor numbers, evaluation of erosion and habitat disturbance, biodiversity surveys, local business participation, and stakeholder satisfaction surveys. The results demonstrate how the conservation of geological and natural heritage can be effectively integrated with sustainable rural development, contributing to the viability of the geopark.