ASSOCIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH-WEST 3900 , 6, Knyaz Boris I Str. District http://www.belogradchik.bg e-mail: [email protected] phone: +359 87 8398939

Dear colleagues,

Geopark Belogradchik Rocks () is pleased to announce the International Scientific Conference “20 Years Global Geoparks” dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO GEOPARKS Initiative announced in 1998 at the ProGEO Meeting in Belogradchik. The main theme of the Conference is “Geoparks and Modern Society – 20 years protection, promotion and sustainable use of Earth Heritage in park environment”.

Tentative list of the conference topics: 1. Geodiversity identification, assessment and protection in geopark environment. 2. Geopark agenda – link between geological heritage and all aspect of natural and cultural heritage: interpretation, education and networking. 3. Integrated Geopark Management. 4. Geoparks towards sustainable tourism development – new approaches and trends. Presented articles will be submitted for reviewing and publishing in international thematic journals, referred in international database such as Scopus, Web of Science, Crossref. The event will be held at Belogradchik in the beginning of October, 2018. Belogradchik town is a beautiful place with remarkable geological heritage situated in NW Bulgaria. The concept of Geopark Belogradchik Rocks is based on the famous natural monument “Belogradchik rocks”, and remarkable geodiversity including sedimentary, igneous, volcanic and metamorphic rocks from Precambrian to Recent. There are dozens of caves in which artifacts of earliest settlements in Europe are preserved. The , which is in the tentative list of UNESCO, is known with its primitive prehistoric wall paintings and natural sparking vine.

For more information you can visit websites dedicated to Belogradchik rocks, for example: http://www.belogradchik.biz/belogradchik/attractions/rocks.en.html http://severozapazenabg.com/en/

More detailed information about the Conference will be provided in the beginning of February 2018.

Contacts: [email protected]

Kind regards, Conference Organizing Committee