Geopark - from people for people
Every post-soviet person would recognize the “everyday” design of a same old yellow-red carton of baking Soda, always handy at a kitchen shelf. Not too many knew that what turned into the pies and pastry used to be the bottom of the Perm Sea, and the story behind developing soda was quite dramatic for the local Bashkir people. Three “shihans” - three ancient coral reefs - were ideally composed for the massive production - unfortunately for the locals, who historically considered these mountains sacred. Geopark Toratau appeared in Bashkiria around one of the three shikhans - rare geomorphological formations that appeared as a result of the transformation of the seabed into a mountainous terrain over millions of years. The uniqueness - is that the history of its formation is imprinted on the surface as a living laboratory, and has become the basis of an ecosystem with rare endemic species. The lack of clear rules, the extensive industrialization of the Soviet era, and corporate interest led to the destruction of one of the shikhans - Shakhtau was developed for soda.
To avoid further loss, the community groups staged a campaign to save the remaining three mountains, because in the Bashkir culture they are sacred. And finally, in 2019, the President of Bashkortostan Republic signed the Act establishing Geopark around Shikhan Toratau. Today its territory occupies 4,727 km2 in 4 administrative districts. These days the special UNESCO status designation is being delayed due to the political situation, but the Geopark continues to develop and cooperate with an international network of 177 sites in 46 countries.
Recently, we compared the natural areas designations in Russia and the US, and the key to many difficulties was the lack of people`s access to nature, infrastructure, and understanding of the responsibility for it. Since legislation on sustainable development has not yet been developed in Russia, it is interesting for us to see the efforts made by experts, environmentalists, and local historians, creating the prerequisites for adaptive management and resilience.
In our two expert talks last weekend we discussed how ecotourism and digging deep into cultural landscape helps developing areas by the water without compromising its security. It`s challenging to create such a sustainable cluster as many things seem to be dictaded by circumstances. But for us it`s essential to find the patterns beyond implemented vibrant precedents, and collect thos in the library of sustainable coast recipes. Both tourist-recreational designations have a core component of integration in contrast to the strict regulation. The takeaways of the Geopark talk with Natalia Lukashina and Katerina Kirillovaare as follows:
A geopark is a country within a country, delineated with the mentally perceived, not administrative boundaries of the locals` “minor homeland” - including rivers as soft boundaries
There are 227 protected objects in Toratau, including 103 geological, 42 natural, 44 cultural, and 88 archaeological monuments with a central - paleorith (280 million years old!) - bearing the research-based protection status
Geopark is not only the unique objects, it is people first of all, and their culture and traditions
The economic of the park is based on the alternative, non-industrial development model, and therefore needed geoanalysis, field expeditions, sociocultural, and market research
If it is impossible to implement a geopark without experts in territorial development and administration, and impossible to maintain it without a partner network
Collaboration is needed both at the level of park communities and beyond - the UNESCO World Geoparks Network promotes this knowledge exchange
The main goal of an expert is to coordinate interests and values, but the main thing is to be passionate and motivated yourself.
Katerina Kirillova - local activist and manager of social projects, mentioned the importance of coordinating communities with administrations. There are more than one of them in the Geopark, and such a regional approach requires remarkable coordination and leadership. Local governments are within administrative boundaries and only a great common interest and political will can bring them to a level above the operating system. Fortunately, the head of the republic, as Natasha says, turned out to be a local resident himself. Communication between the administration and residents is generally a sore spot, but in the case of Toratau there was a strong feedback from the residents - due to the aforementioned soda conflict. The involvement of the urban planner is important for outward communication and risk management. Inclusion in the Geoparks network requires a strategic vision and work with geodata. Well, beauty is connectedness, because it is about the associative array, recognition, and visually clear information about the important. So from the inaccessible forest the route grows like a story.
Infrastructural connectivity was the next level. The Zilim and Belaya rivers are sources that feed both the ecosystem and active tourism. In fact, tourist camps that do not lead to the shikhan stretch like a constellation along rivers and coastal villages. The structure of the geopark is developing according to the principle of dispersed Centers, and their connectivity improves access for both entry and recreation. This is also the key to the balance of the coastline - no trampling of endemics and plastic in the bushes, clear logistics.
Geopark as a "non-industrial" economy operates on the basis of a balanced system of local production and tourism. These industries can be called sustainable - based on the internal resources of culture and nature, which are built taking into account future risks. This means - with a focus on participatory protection, the famous “eyes on the street”.
As we discussed with the experts how ecotourism and deep connection to cultural landscape help developing areas by the water without compromising its security and values. It`s challenging to create such a sustainable cluster as many things seem to be dictated by circumstances. But for us it`s essential to find the patterns beyond implemented vibrant precedents, and collect them in the library of sustainable coast recipes. Both tourist-recreational designations have a core component of integration in contrast to the strict regulation. Let`s see how it worked in the second case - a large Moscow river valley right next to the peak of development conflict.
Reference
Russian academy of science, Institute of geography. Global Geoparks UNESCO and sustainable development http://www.igras.ru/news/2537
Protecting the mountain from Soda https://takiedela.ru/news/2020/02/11/shikhany/
https://geopark-toratau.ru/
http://geolvestnik.ufaras.ru/volumes/2019_03/
http://www.europeangeoparks.org/?page_id=4926
http://www.europeangeoparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/15th-European-Geoparks-Conference.-ABSTRACTS-BOOK.pdf
https://www.davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/61938054e26c5.pdf
