Invitation
A huge tsunami, triggered by the M9.0 earthquake in the Pacific offshore
of the Northeast Japan in March 2011, destroyed the beautiful scenery
and took the lives of more than 14,000 persons. This is one example of a
natural process repeated on a geological scale. Tectonically active
regions like the Japanese Archipelago are repeatedly and adversely
impacted by geohazards such as earthquake, tsunami, and volcanic
eruption, while geo- and bio-diversity has been created there as the
result of the same events. The Geopark Information
, one
of four global geoparks in Japan, is represented by various beneficial
effects of volcanic activity, such as beautiful landscapes, hot springs
and fertile soil, but also illustrates a community’s recovery from
repeated volcanic and tsunami hazards. The Japan Geoparks community is
preparing this conference on Unzen, supplemented with field trips to
visit Japanese and Korean Geoparks. This conference is a good
opportunity for all attendees to consider the coexistence of humankind
and nature.
Expected participants:
Geopark managers and staff, geo-guides, scientists, experts on tourism,
environment-nature protection, geo-disaster and the like, school
teachers, students, local residents, UNESCO-GGN bureaus, national and
local government officials, and other interested persons.
