Description
This project brings together experienced research entities, the Geopark initiators and its official working group, with the aim of assisting the Buzău Land Geopark initiative and to create a solid scientific and logistic background that will lay the foundation on which future environment and local management actions will be based on. The project’s target is to acquire and apply scientific knowledge for sustainable development and correct management of the natural and cultural environment under the principles of geoconservation. This includes mitigating the effects of the natural hazards and creating the on-field logistics for education, geo-tourism and awareness towards local natural heritage. Telemark Research Institute and The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, which are leaders in their fields of expertise. The bilateral relations are strenghtened by the inter- and trans-disciplinary characteristics of the project, with Norwegian and Romanian researchers working together and opening the possibilities of future collaborations. The partnership also fosters relations with other institutions, such as Gea Norvegica Geopark from Norway. Moreover, the Norwegian partners bring their expertise in Landscape Resource Analysis, which builds the base of any future economical strategies.
Summary of project results
The GeoSust project aim was to support sustainable development in Buzău Land and the Geopark initiative in order to establish the foundation of a knowledge based on the field-reality, in terms of inhibiting factors and that ones that are promoting the area development. GeoSust provided assistance to the territory by applying the knowledge acquired in the form of practical strategies with concrete and palpable results, addressed issues concerning hazards and territorial planning, resource identification and management, an understanding of the nature-culture connection, community involvement, education-awareness, sustainable economic development and the management of the entire territory. The Geopark achievements during the project were recognized by the meeting participants after a field visit. The team was approached by 4 communities for future collaborations. Partnership agreements with locals, local entrepreneurs (guest house owners), schools and high schools, local and regional governments have also been concluded. One result of these partnerships is the fact that the Geopark map is displayed in guest houses and schools; with the support of the guest house owners, the Geopark team made a visiting trail, with the support of the mayoralties 4 new visiting points will be opened in the territory, a Wood carving camp took place in July (a Geopark-Mayoralties-County Council partnership), educational activities will take place in schools and high-schools. The Geopark has hazard and/or risk maps for landslides, for outdoor and indoor radioactivity in water-air-soil, for natural and anthropic water pollution. It is in possession of the mineralized mineral springs list and analysis, of the inventory of the sites useful for development, it has an integrated management strategy for the cultural and natural heritage, an economic strategy, a GIS platform, over 150 interviews that outline the cultural identity of the territory, local plants databases and many other tools. The Geopark team is made up of specialists organized as a dedicated NGO, called the Buzău Land Organisation. In June 2017, at the end of the project, the Geopark and the Geopark team were officially accepted following a meeting in the territory attended by all of the 18 mayors, by 11 senators, 2 deputies and the president of the Buzău County Council. The project has already generated a new educational project. 2 new projects will be submited together with the Norwegian partners.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian partners were directly involved in fieldwork activities, with 3 working visits in Romania, and by participating in discussions with the local decision-makers. Following the partnership, a methodology for local resources analysis was developed, the concepts of geo-entrepreneurship and social geology were generated and key factors that will be useful in the territory development were identified. Many new concepts will be published in a book dedicated to sustainable development and Geoparks, by an international academic publishing house (Springer, for example). This project has strengthened the partnership and friendship relationship between the Romanian and Norwegian partners. GeoSust has 3 important beneficiaries: the scientific community, the Geopark team and the local community from Buzău Land (inhabitants, entrepreneurs, the local administration). The scientific community benefits from the concepts and studies resulted from the project. The Geopark team benefits from the created database, from the tools produced by the project and from a good knowledge of the territory. The Geopark team was directly involved as part of the project team. The local community benefits in terms of a better visibility, from the deliverables created in the territory and, after the strategies developed during GeoSust will be applied, from a better living standard. The community has been involved throughout the project as guides, storytellers, information sources, but also in the development of the deliverables located in the territory. The impact of the project can be quantified from a scientific and socio-economic point of view. 2 ISI articles published, 2 are in press and 4 are still in preparation. There were about 55 presentations in national and international conferences. The partners are preparing a book that will be the first structured one to address the concepts of Geopark, sustainable development and landscape economy in an integrative manner. The socio-economic impact is quantifiable by taking into account the promotional activities: documentary films made during the project and broadcasted on DIGI World, promotion campaigns on youtube, facebook, on website, in books, an exhibition organized in 2017 at the Romanian Peasant Museum, the community involvement, the creation of attractors and attractions for visitors and by taking into account the creation of jobs.