International Geodiversity Day: Conserving The Past – Sustaining The Future

Despite the fundamental importance of geodiversity for sustaining Earth as we know it, it is relatively little appreciated. It is therefore crucial to promote a better understanding of the Earth’s dynamic processes to ensure that citizens make informed policy choices which will foster a more sustainable society, an essential element in the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. International Geodiversity Day therefore provides an annual reminder of geodiversity’s role in presenting humanity and the planet with an incredible richness that benefits society and ecosystems, as well as the importance of sustainably managing georesources and geoheritage. The day is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the critical link between geodiversity and all of life, and to evidence how geoscience education provides humanity with sustainable solutions to the challenges of resource extraction, disaster risk reduction, mitigation of climate change, and biodiversity loss.